The excitement I felt purchasing such a utilitarian bicycle part reflects how deep this two wheeled addiction has infected me. I can't even begin to recall how many waking moments I have spent working out how to make my bikes lighter, faster, stronger, able to take on bigger hits or climb with greater ease. But now it was time to take a different approach. To gain a level of urban functionality that had never really crossed my mind before.
Browsing through the unnoticed pages of worn bicycle catalogs I found the perfect selection. A simple pair of Civia Highland aluminum fenders in "sage green". The hardware was exquisite, the coverage unmatched and with the unique angle cut on the trailing edge I knew I was in business. Order placed, tracking number received... dutifully tracked until arrival.
Before I knew it, they were here. A big brown box held these model examples of arched liquid protection. My eyes sparkled as they traced the aluminum struts and realized all the hardware was finely machined stainless steel. Oh the wonderment!!!
My joy was quickly vanquished however once I came to the realization that my mutant mix of a fixie was going to give me nothing but grief in regards to the installation. Sure, I had bought 700c compatible fenders for my 700c wheelset, but I had forgotten to anticipate the difficulty that might occur when trying to mount all of this to a converted 26" Schwinn MTB frame.
After some finagling, manipulating, modifying, drilling, flexing and tweaking... they were on. I rode home and found the new retro-techno-conventional fenders gave the bike an entirely new laid back character. I was pretty stoked, but not nearly as stoked as I was on day two.
I woke up to cloudy skies and a forecast of rain. 60% chance to be exact. I knew completing my daily commute un-moistened was all but an impossibility. I added my rain jacket to my regular messenger bag contents and headed out. Almost to work with only a few sprinkles just at the door. Perfect timing.
Throughout the day the rain fell. From heavy torrents to light sprinkles. I hoped for some relief when it was time to leave and my wish was granted with a large rainbow and a light mist in the air the only thing to remind me of such a stormy day. As the time clock ended my shift, I put on my weatherproof shell and was off through the soaked parking lot.
Puddle after puddle was dashed without even a trace of water on my shoes.
Gutters where crossed with no sign of rooster tail to soak my seat and shorts.
I was invincible and actually began to search out obstructions to challenge my new found fenders. Time and time again I stayed dry as the water beneath me parted with great haste.
Oh fenders, what a truly wondrous accessory you are.
This sweet PDW rack will be next (website):
And then I think this nice waterproof POE pannier (website):
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