Many bike accessories and examples of safety gear are absolute necessities. Think of helmets, which every rider should wear (all the time) or bike headlights or tail lights, which are necessities for commuters who sometimes get stuck on the road after dark (or who leave before sunrise).
After a few iterations, we can come to accessories (or add-ons, as it were) such as bike fenders. You might reasonably wonder what these accessories really offer and if they’re completely necessary.
It depends, but they certainly do offer value. Here’s what you should know.
What Are Bike Fenders?
If you’re not yet familiar, bike fenders are a panel or guard that covers the back of the tire. They’re also sometimes referred to as mudguards.
To keep things as straightforward as possible, bike fenders basically shield you (and the rest of the bike) from water (or anything else) spraying off the tire.
To some degree, fenders can also help prevent the tires from picking up dust and dirt and splattering them on the bike frame, or on the rider, but for the most part it’s really about keeping dry.
With that in mind, are they really worth the expense of purchase and installation (unless your bike came pre-equipped with them)?
The Value of Installing Bike Fenders
There are some niche situations in which you might not really need bike fenders. For instance, if you only ever ride on the road, and the area where you live gets very little rainfall, then you can probably get away without bike fenders.
For the rest of us, bike fenders offer an incredible deal of value, and beyond what you might think at first.
First of all, they keep you, as a rider, drier. This is a big deal if you are a commuter and you don’t want your work clothes to be soaking wet by the time you get to the office.
Even for trail riders and mountain bikers, however, it is a big consideration respecting comfort. No one wants to get soaked and mud-caked on a casual ride through the woods.
But beyond comfort, there is also the material element to consider here. When your bike tire sprays water all over your frame and chain, that will predispose the bike and its components to rust.
This condition is magnified in coastal areas, where the bike may be exposed to brackish or salt water, as well as in the winter, when snowmelt on the road can contain high concentrations of road salt that will wreak havoc on bike frames, chains, and other components.
In addition to the risk of corrosion posed by salt-laden water, there is also the risk of abrasion. Water on the road and on the trail often has sand and other abrasive particles suspended in it. When these land on a bike’s moving parts, like the chain drive or, if they can get inside the bearings, they will incur accelerated wear through abrasive damage.
So, to keep things as straightforward as possible, bike fenders are far from a cosmetic upgrade. They can have a big impact not just on the comfort of a rider, but on the longevity of the bike itself.
Explore These and Other Commuter Bike Accessories at Planet Bike
Think it might be time to upgrade your bike with some bike fenders? Start your search at Planet Bike. They carry fenders as well as a wide range of other commuter bike accessories like lights, bags, and more. Visit their website or get in touch with them directly for more information if you have further questions.
For more information about Led Bike Lights and Commuter Bike Accessories Please visit: Planet Bike.
