Another tale of fender failure

[HoughMade]

I quit checking my fenders a long time ago....right after I removed them and placed them in the miscellaneous bike junk box.

 

[Cabinfever1977]

i drilled out the 2 ribbets on the front fender and bolted a small steel "L" bracket in place of the stock bracket and is holding up great. if anything breaks it wont be my fender.

 

[markeatmark]

all the tin on my bike failed the front rear fender and chain guard even the chain guard that came with the kit broke. get well soon

 

[Dan]

Thanks Mark! Appreciate it big time. Was just below having a smoke and thinking how MCs don't have this problem and there would be a market for MB fenders. Precut for drive chain and made for the shake, salt/sand erosion on the "L" bracket and speeds. Not to mention the valley for front brakes. Dunno, but is a thought.

Just an update on body damage, all good now.
Now the very old BGF won't run. Not from the crash, (I don't think) but was up in age any way. Ran badly b4 and after. Might be a candidate for spare parts. Kinda sad. It was one of the longest lasting engine kits I have had.

 

[2door]

i drilled out the 2 ribbets on the front fender and bolted a small steel "L" bracket in place of the stock bracket and is holding up great. if anything breaks it wont be my fender.

Exactly what I do CF. I use 18 gage sheetmetal and make my own 'L' brackets but I make two, one for each side of the fender so it is sort orf a double shear attachment. I toss the factory fender stays and fabricate mine from either 1/4" stainless tubing or flat stock. My fenders are bobbed so there is less metal to move around but this method would hold a stock length fender too. Thanks for the reply.
Tom

 

[rfriesen]

I also replaced the bracket. Center punch then drill out the rivets. I used small steel bar from Home depot. heat it up with Mapp torch and bend to correct angle. use dremel to cut each piece off. I may put a piece on the front side as well to further prevent side to side wobble of the fender. I really want to keep the fenders so that dust and mud stay off the motor and myself. They look great too.
This bike is for my wife. I'm not letting her get on it until I know that the only thing that can fail is the engine. Not the chain tensioner, not the fenders and nothing coming loose.

 

[Dan]

This is funny. The solar head light still worked after I was the next contestant on "meet the road" I thought I would charge it up by placing it on top of the car while I made a new bracket. Carol hops in the car and drives off with it on the roof. Turns a corner down the road and hears the thing bouncing on the street. Gets it and the dumb thing is still working.



(I am thinking with a better focusing reflector thing, solar might really be the way to go)

 

[NickDK]

Luckily I read a tragic tale of front fender failure about a year ago and have always removed stock fenders. I recently got a stretch cruiser and needed some strong fender braces. I found these on ebay.

32454 26" PAIR BICYCLE TWISTED FENDER BRACES CHROME. - eBay (item 130265854016 end time Sep-25-09 12:45:20 PDT)

I personally hate the style, but they are thick guage and I'm pretty sure they will hold up forever. I couldn't find any plain flat fenders as thick as these...but safety first after all.

 

[GearNut]

Luckily I read a tragic tale of front fender failure about a year ago and have always removed stock fenders. I recently got a stretch cruiser and needed some strong fender braces. I found these on ebay.

32454 26" PAIR BICYCLE TWISTED FENDER BRACES CHROME. - eBay (item 130265854016 end time Sep-25-09 12:45:20 PDT)

I personally hate the style, but they are thick guage and I'm pretty sure they will hold up forever. I couldn't find any plain flat fenders as thick as these...but safety first after all.

Those are made for the chromed out lowrider bicycle folks.
Be carefull concerning the metal they are made out of. Most are very soft.

 

[NickDK]

Those are made for the chromed out lowrider bicycle folks.
Be carefull concerning the metal they are made out of. Most are very soft.

I had no idea what to expect when I ordered them. I had to drill through one of them as I mount my rear light on my rear fender above the brace. The metal was relatively hard...like drilling through a steel bike frame. The fenders are also very rigid and hard to bend.

 

[GearNut]

It sounds like you found some that are of good quality then. I am impressed.
I have seen alot of that lowrider stuff at local swap meets, I rarely am impressed with what I see.

 

[Dan]

Luckily I read a tragic tale of front fender failure about a year ago and have always removed stock fenders. I recently got a stretch cruiser and needed some strong fender braces. I found these on ebay.

32454 26" PAIR BICYCLE TWISTED FENDER BRACES CHROME. - eBay (item 130265854016 end time Sep-25-09 12:45:20 PDT)

I personally hate the style, but they are thick guage and I'm pretty sure they will hold up forever. I couldn't find any plain flat fenders as thick as these...but safety first after all.

DOH! Dunno why it never occurred to me, 2 pieces of good flat stock added to an already beefed up and long "L" bracket(s) that all intersect and bolt together. Would be bullet proof. Hmmm, gotta thunk awhile on this here one. I had been thinking just a long, beefed up L, nuts and bolts facing up so you could easily see if they failed or were loosening up. Or a "break-away" plastic front fender

I really like having fenders as I ride mostly beach cruisers. Although with out, gives em a rat look that I am starting to like. But then the whole rain or wet road thing.

 

[bairdco]

get some Wald fenders. they're heavy duty, their chrome is excellent (they make black, too,) the mounting struts are strong, and they last forever. and cheap, too.

i've got them on my cruiser, and they're probably 40 years old. they hardly even vibrate when i'm riding.

Wald Steel Fender Set 962-24 24" Balloon Chrome

you can also buy this for a coupla bucks:

Wald #447 Fender Bracket Set

 

[Dan]

Nice find Bairdco, Thanks. Gotsa love de chrome! Are those the same fenders you have on your avatar? Would really enjoy seeing more close ups or thread pics.

Niagara has some great stuff

 

[bairdco]

no problem. here's a pic showing the fenders in all their glory. see that shiny chrome? that's at least 40 years old. the rear fender struts have holes to mount them to the axle, but i cut them off, and mounted them to the old chain tensioner holes on the frame. the fender's also been cut to clear the chain.

the rear's have 4 attachment points. 2 struts, one bolt near the kickstand, and one at the seat stays, where your caliper brake would go. i'm not using that one, because it doesn't line up.

the front fenders have the two struts, plus the "L" bracket on the fork. like i said, these things are sturdy, still available after 100 years, and super cheap.

 

[vballspen]

i drilled out the 2 ribbets on the front fender and bolted a small steel "L" bracket in place of the stock bracket and is holding up great. if anything breaks it wont be my fender.

those poor frogs how do they stand to sit still while you drill into them. ribbets... sorry i had to

 

[Dan]

those poor frogs how do they stand to sit still while you drill into them. ribbets... sorry i had to

LOLOLOL. took me 2 reads. iRslow

That were funny

 

[Dave31]

I found this one on the side of the road the other day. If this is yours I can still save it for you. Found it @ Santa Cruz River and Grant Rd., just west of the river.

Must have been a little scary when it fell off...

 

[Dan]

Dang Dave. That poor SOB had a bad day. (Son of a bicyclist)

 

[joabthebugman]

Was there a blood trail??