Fall is upon us in San Antonio and the first cold front is creeping down from the North. This means our drought is going to end soon. The requirements of our bicycles to adapt to rainy conditions (or be relegated to the garage) is upon us. I am as spoiled as the next person who never needs to ride in the rain and I am so impressed with folks who commute rain or shine.
Fenders are a rarity in the south and I hope to change this trend as they have tremendous value to the person riding the bike, the bike and of course the poor soul who is on the wheel getting sprayed. Commuter bikes really need fenders. My ultimate high end commuter, a custom Co-Motion Macchiato, has cool wooden fenders from Woody’s Fenders. They are full fenders which really do keep the crud off the bike, and the Brooks leather mudflap keeps grit off the chain.
Co-Motion Americano custom touring bike
I think touring bikes are the ultimate commuter bikes because they are designed to be comfortable over long distances, they are very durable and are already set up for fenders and racks. The full fenders really make a difference and while you may be damp from a misty road you won’t have the nasty stuff all over you.
I have yet to figure out how to make a bike self cleaning and washing your commuter bike is still important even though you may not be as inclined to do it. Anyway, let’s get back on track. I like to do fast and not-so-fast group rides and this is where the touring bike may be a little heavy and slow.
I like to use my custom KGS / Zinn travel bike as a rain bike for my training and group rides. This bike has the identical geometry as my Parlee Z1 and has the ability to be packed into its airline approved case (or unpacked) in 15 minutes flat. It has a bead blast finished titanium frame and is not going to be harmed by a little rain as it is designed to travel hard, work hard and perform like a real high-performance road bike.
My only fall add-on to the KGS / Zinn is a set of SKS Race Blade fenders.
KGS / Zinn Travel Bike with SKS Race Blade fenders
These fenders are designed for racing and high performance road bikes, with tires 700-23 or narrower. They have a rubber band mounting system but I just use zip ties as they hold the fenders in place better. I use heavy polyethylene to protect the stays and fork blades. This is the same stuff I use to make chainstay protectors and the like.
Race Blade fenders are what are called “half fenders” as they only cover the rear half of what a full fender would cover. They do keep crud out of the headset and off of you from the front, but the chain still gets the nasty stuff.
The rear fender keeps all the grit and water off your backside which is absolutely incredible. The first time you ride a bike with fenders through a rain shower and realize you don’t have gritty water in your shorts, it is a sublime experience!
KGS / Zinn Travel bike, rear fender detail.
The fenders don’t weigh much and besides keeping you a lot cleaner and dryer on the ride, your friends will notice how much nicer it is to draft you. This obviously has its pluses and minuses, but I prefer to stay on the front in the rain anyway as my friend don’t have fenders and I can’t see going to all the trouble to keep myself clean while sitting in a colleague’s water spray!
BTW, here is a tip when you are drafting in the rain. Keep to one side and let the water hit you on the shoulder if you have to draft closely, and it will stay out of your face while still giving you the benefit of the draft. That is the topic of a future post, however.
I really think that you should consider fenders to eliminate one more excuse to ride. The Fountain of Youth is in the bike, but the bike does need to be ridden. Thanks for reading and please comment if you have other fender experiences you can share.
