>>1384706I've riden as a commuter off and on all my life, first to school, then to work. I've riden no fenders, a rear rack that blocked the rear wheel somewhat, those little half-assed fenders off of an old Schwinn, one of those clamp-on rear "ass savers", and finally full fenders.
here's the thing. obviously, full fenders keep you the dryest and therefore cleanest since your wheels kick up all the oil and grime from the road.
"but," you say, "I don't really care. if i get caught in the rain I'm going to get wet anyhow." I thought that way for a long time. what I didn't get until I got full fenders is how clean your bike and drivetrain stay. without whole, full fenders, I was cleaning my whole drivetrain all the time because the road spray was rinsing off the lube and spitting grit and bullshit all over the chain and gears. plus dirt clustered under all my tubing. even in heavy rain, its the roadspray that is the most powerful stream of water hitting the bike/you. unbroken sheets of water. and its filthy, whereas rain from above is clean water.
with full fenders, that all goes away. I do very little chain maintenance any more and that's just a little oil once per season usually. no cleaning the drivetrain, getting gunk out between the cogs, comparatively nothing. and I'm still out every day, rain or shine. unless your pants get waterlogged and leak down in very heavy rain, your shoes and socks stay dry, too.
I'll never go back and kick myself for not getting them sooner.
they were an absolute bitch to install, though.
