I hate fenders...

rochrunner

rochrunner

Well-Known Member
Region
USA
City
Rochester Hills MI
We've done fine all these years on bikes without fenders, but the Trek Verve+ that my wife got last year came with them, as do most non-MTB e-bikes it seems. It didn't take too long for the bike to start making noise due to the tight-fitting fender rubbing on the rear tire, and when I took a close look it turns out that the bike has a minor design flaw in that the rear wheel is not quite centered exactly in the frame, so one edge of the fender had a very close clearance even in the best fit case. After a couple of trips to the LBS to see if they could adjust it, we got tired of it and had them just remove it. This also included the integral taillight, but again no loss for us. And I notice that the newer Verve+ 2 model has completely redesigned fenders that solve this problem.

So yesterday I was taking my first ride on my new Vado and was just crossing the last intersection on my way home after 25 miles. My SPD pedals haven't arrived yet so I was riding on the flat pedals when my foot slipped off and apparently hit the front fender, which started making a serious scraping noise. I stopped as soon as I got across and found the fender pushed across and stuck on the tire, so I popped it back into place but it was still crooked and rubbing. Fortunately I had a multi-tool in my pack and was able to loosen the clamps on the struts that had apparently been forced out of position and got the fender off the tire. Today I spent a few minutes on it again and have it all straightened out.

But again, I would be just as happy without fenders on the bike and will take the front one off if it gives me any more trouble. Unfortunately, the rear rack mounts to the fender, so I guess that will have to stay. My wife's bike just takes a conventional rack so that wasn't an issue for her.
 
Before the Vado I hadn't had fenders on a bike since I was a kid. I was ambivalent about them on the ebikes I test rode, but the bikes I liked best all seemed to have them. It hasn't quite been a year, but so far, so good.
Our area gets ~60 inches of California's liquid sunshine yearly, some of it falling in frozen form - like today's Spring storm. The Vado's fenders perform as promised; little to no spray hits me, no stripe up my back, dry and warm feet. I think I'll leave them on.
 
I've always had bikes with no mud guards / fenders, or if they did have them, I removed them. It made the bikes look sportier in my youthful eyes.
Now I am several decades older, I realize how good the fenders/mud guards on my Vado are. In fact they are excellent at keeping both me and the bike dry on the wettest of days.
One of the most important factors, especially regarding the front mud guard, is it works really well at keeping spray from entering the motor area via the ventilation holes.
 
Mixyblob said:
One of the most important factors, especially regarding the front mud guard, is it works really well at keeping spray from entering the motor area via the ventilation holes.
Click to expand...

I do love the Vado DryTech fenders/mudguards. (It is no California where I live :)) These are so effective that even the bottom of the motor is not really very dirty (that was not the fact with the Lovelec e-bike in which the mudguards are not that deep and the whole bottom bracket area resembled a rock before I washed it).

The bike has to be washed from time to time, and now we've got warmer weather and not much to do. To really wash the inside of the fenders, you better remove the wheels. The Vado has thru-axles and no lever on them, so you need to use the Allen key to unscrew the axles and the torque wrench to fasten them back. Try to do it without a work-stand 🤣

So I ordered a good work-stand and will make the Vado totally clean as soon as possible.
 
The only factory ebike with adequate front fender to protect the motor is the Vado. Others need aftermarket mud flap extensions to achieve the same level of
protection.

1585309734005.png


To protect my motor from water damage, I repositioned the front fender and added a mud flap.

1585310130198.png
 
Last edited:
Stefan Mikes said:
I do love the Vado DryTech fenders/mudguards. (It is no California where I live :)) These are so effective that even the bottom of the motor is not really very dirty (that was not the fact with the Lovelec e-bike in which the mudguards are not that deep and the whole bottom bracket area resembled a rock before I washed it).

The bike has to be washed from time to time, and now we've got warmer weather and not much to do. To really wash the inside of the fenders, you better remove the wheels. The Vado has thru-axles and no lever on them, so you need to use the Allen key to unscrew the axles and the torque wrench to fasten them back. Try to do it without a work-stand 🤣

So I ordered a good work-stand and will make the Vado totally clean as soon as possible.
Click to expand...

Stefan,
I have a mental image of you using a toothbrush and a q-tip to clean every millimeter of your Vado. 😀🚴🏾‍♂️
That’s a good thing!
 
Marci jo said:
Stefan,
I have a mental image of you using a toothbrush and a q-tip to clean every millimeter of your Vado. 😀🚴🏾‍♂️
That’s a good thing!
Click to expand...
In fact, I am a slovenly type 🤣 Yet, black spokes looking black from time to time seem to be appealing. Pity it is not a wise thing to use the high pressure hose on bikes! My brother did it once and then was asking me how to replace the thick grease inside the bearings...
 
I took the fenders off my old Schwinn back in 1956 and haven't looked back. My present ebike has a fender option which I didn't order. I've found that you don't really need full fenders to keep yourself dry and the bike vitals protected. Unless you're a foul weather rider or frequently ride muddy trails, all you need is a small mud flap or a couple of short pieces of fender mounted in strategic locations.

The rear rack battery box acts like a fender on bikes so equipped. All that's needed is a small flap attached to the bottom:

P1060898a.jpg P1060903a.jpg P1060907a.jpg
 
The fenders on my new Trek Aallant 9.9s are aluminum alloy with fixed 10mm struts, one mounting hole, no adjustments. They also have an allot liner that forms a cable compartment and further stiffens the whole structure. The pannier rack is also the stay for the rear fender. They are absolutely silent and rock solid. Best I've ever seen. In rainy Bellingham fenders are a necessity.

20200322_101733.jpg
 
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Very nice. I wanted an ebike with local support, otherwise Treks would have been on my list. I will say that the Vado fenders are equally quiet with similar construction. What is the load rating of the rack? Does it have an accessory attachment to accept top mounted bags, etc? If so, it seems that panniers would clip onto the existing horizontal rail with accessory bags on the rack attachment?
 
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