I don't ride often in the rain, but I do occasionally ride in very heavy (= SW downpour) rain and let me tell you, even when riding through 6" of flowing water, fenders **do** help keep you dry. They also keep the bike much cleaner.
Do fenders make riding more risky, particularly when there is a great deal of debris on the road? Yes, but they don't hugely increase the risk, IMO. When there is a great deal of debris on the road, there is also more risk of getting a stick in the spokes; or in the derailleur, assuming you use such an effete thing. And, you can set fenders up to prevent wheel jamming: for plastic fenders, breakwaway tabs; or by attaching the front fender halfway up the fork legs. Moreover, there is the argument from common experience, also known as* quod semper et ab omnibus et ubique*: people have been riding bikes with fenders for over a hundred years without epidemics of injuries. In most places, fenders are stock on bicycles. Sweat: Rain capes do work. They do blow about, but I've ridden without undue comfort in capes in huge drenchers with huge and gusty winds. I get soaked from neck up and from knees down, but in between is cool and dry, at least if you use a thinner nylon cape. I found the Carradice Ducksback too heavy, and that did make me sweat. I use a thin and cheap Campmore, weighted down in back with 2 or 3 packets of washers attached to the lower rear skirt. (It's been a while since I used the cape, and it's stuffed into its sack, and I don't want to pull it out; sufficient to say that 2 or 3 stacks of 2 or 3 sufficiently large washers attached by rubber band or any other method you prefer do keep the rear skirt in place and let you dispense with the annoying leg straps and waist ties. On Fri, May 26, 2017 at 12:42 AM, lum gim fong <john11.2...@gmail.com> wrote: > I have been using fenders now for a few years on my Rivbikes, but I get > nervous sometimes. Where I live it rains pretty often and lotsa sticks on > the shoulders. > I have heard about the stick jamming effects that can happen, and > sometimes I wonder if using fenders is worth the risk. > > For instance, it would be easier for me to just clean myself and the bike > after a rain ride than to heal up after an endo. > > Also, Unless it is a very light rain, I get soaked anyway, even in quality > rain gear and shoe covers, from sweat/rain. Shoes become marshlands despite > shoe covers, etc. > > Today I rode 30 + miles in a light rain with full fenders and quality rain > gear. Arms soaked, back soaked, head soaked, hands soaked. Rest of me was > dry. So it worked pretty well. But that was a continual light rain. > > I got heavily rained on in the last 5 miles of a metric century last year, > in same gear and full Honjo fenders and was drenched to the bone, sloshing > sneakers, whole nine. I may as well have been without fenders the whole > ride and not had the stick jam crumple fender risk. > > *How do you cope on long rainy rides if you don't use fenders?* > > I wear wool to keep warm, but if I get drenched anyway, what's the use of > fenders if there is the endo risk? One injury endo would pretty much negate > all the cleanness and dryness I have had. And I would probably swear off > fenders forever. > > Rethinking rethinking. > > Here is a shot from today's rainy ride. Enjoy! > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- *30% Supply and Demand discount, listmembers only, on all resume, LinkedIn, and writing services, until Demand equals Supply! And there's more! 10% kickback for any referral resulting in fully paid, list-price contract. And still more! I am offering services in trade for a road bike, or frame and parts, that are period compatible with my AM hub, circa 1937 to 1961. See my website for what I do and what I charge; email for details.* Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, and letters that get interviews. By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching. Other professional writing services. http://www.resumespecialties.com/ www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmooreresumespec/ Patrick Moore Alburquerque, Nouvelle Mexique, Vereinigte Staaten ************************************************************************** ************** -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
