what was that? is that all there is? who is this? this is it.

I see silver fenders and I want to paint them black…

at least, that’s what history shows

but this time that’s not how it goes

I like that bike I left in Iowa 5 years ago. I like it so much I want to ride it in the winter and that means fenders.  

The clearance below dual pivot caliper brakes is rather tight. As a messenger I hacked and carved and drilled and pierced with a hot poker and zip tied the shit out of them to make them work on various bikes, even if they weren’t quite full. 

Portland Design Works has done all that hacking and tweaking for you on their full metal fenders that come in a variety of sizes and retail for $129. I was seeking gently used fenders when I went to Bike Works the other other day. Not necessarily metal ones, but Steve found them for me in the Warehouse and the price was right. Right about $120 less than the MSRP. Fuckin A+. Here’s to small nonprofit bike shops and their employees with their hands in that never-ending stream of incoming donations. Word. Thank you Steve. Thank you BikeWorks. 

The fenders I got are a tasteful understated dark gray and I won’t be spray painting them. I like black fenders but not enough to gum these up with a rattle can. They’re so narrow they will fit beneath the brake calipers with ease. The only issue I see is the front derailleur clamp and shift cable on the lower seat tube interfering with the rear fender clamp. And that is more than enough nudge to push me closer to a 1 x 7 set-up, ditching the front derailleur and shifter. You’ll see. 

is it raining? 

5 Comments

installing full fenders this early (september) is just admitting defeat

I went out back to see what the fuss was about and found a pile of human shit beside a face mask someone had wiped their ass on.

Fenders year round.

yes. I have a few full time full fender bikes. And a couple "summer" or "snow day" bikes. Once I install these suckers, I might never take them off.

this sentence sums up the last 3 years perfectly. it also describes the U district any time everywhere.

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