Another Fender Crash Story

[Henshooter]

IMHO everything about a motorised bike involves risk , and should be checked on a regular basis , I mean look at your handlebars they are held with either one single bolt or only a few , your rims are one bolt , every aspect needs to be checked on a regular basis otherwise your putting yourself at risk , and if all checks are done and measures are taken then you minimalise the risk but remember it is always there regardless of what you do or have on your motorised bike , I have no issues with running fenders at all , I've taken the nessisary steps to minimalise the risk of one coming off under speed but still have the stock fender look

Regards Henshooter

 

[BarelyAWake]

Don't use fenders....cheaper and safer. That's my point of view.

eew... so not an option for all of us lol;

 

[Mike B]

I lost the front mount on my happy time chainguard. Nah, the hardware (mounting bolt) didn't give way, the chainguard itself just broke. The tab just broke off from the vibration.

Vibration will kill anything. Especially thin sheet metal.

Ebikes don't have vibration -

 

[2door]

I lost the front mount on my happy time chainguard. Nah, the hardware (mounting bolt) didn't give way, the chainguard itself just broke. The tab just broke off from the vibration.

Vibration will kill anything. Especially thin sheet metal.

Ebikes don't have vibration -

Mike, try this. I drill out the front hole in my chain guards and install a rubber grommet then only tighten the nut, a nyloc, just snug enough to hold things together. I had several chain guard failures like you describe but since using the grommet they never give me any problems.

Chain guards are like fenders. Some folks don't use them but they can be a real benefit that will keep a pant leg from getting snagged. And they look nice if painted to match the bike.

Tom

 

[Mike B]

I bolted a 1/8" thick aluminum angle to the motor and drilled and bolted the chainguard to that. Hasn't broke yet, but I don't ride it much. It's up for sale.

1 happy time was enough for me -

 

[BarelyAWake]

...Ebikes don't have vibration -

To a point, true - however I wished to illustrate the reasoning for having fenders rather than another post without & as the ebike gets the most of the sloppy abuse, those where the dirtiest pics I had... of bicycles... that I could post on the forum...

...I may have said too much >.<


I digress lol, point being I run fenders on all my builds because I need them, don't fear them & know they only need a bit of attention to have them not be a danger, vibration or otherwise;

 

[bigoilbob]

@Hensshooter Agree with both the facts and tone of your post. BUT, I also believe that the thread is worth it. Fenders pose a special safety risk because they look so benign. No moving parts, no friction, no obvious loading. But, speaking personally, I forgot the hundreds of thousands of smaller, repeated load on them, from riding. Mine went under my front wheel on a big downgrade to a stop in front of a busy cross street. I skated on it for awhile, then went down in time to brake with my bare knees and elbows. One of those "not dead, but wish you were" moments. This was years ago, so after my ER visit, and weeks of healing, all better. Stupid (1) not have checked for stress cracks every other ride, and (2) not to be properly dressed. STILL ride in the summer in tank top, shorts, sneaks, but no more fender. If I get dirty, too bad. Commuters probably need those fenders, but put them on your check list!

 

[maniac57]

The thing with fenders is this:
Two stroke vibration kills sheet metal tabs. They flex back and forth from the high frequency engine vibration and fail with little to no warning from work hardening.
If you want reliable fenders, address the bending loads on the fender hardware and mounts from engine vibration.
Using rods instead of stampings for fender stays helps, as does replacing mounting tabs with thicker steel and/or doubling up on the brackets. Nylock fasteners to replace rivets or screws, thicker bolts, etc. are also on the checklist.
Despite my views on fenders (I don't) they are quite easy to do safely if you don't mind a bit of work.
It's not rocket science.

 

[Jumpa]

I run both front and rear fenders with factory braces but have reinforced them with stainless rods as well as fitted nilock nuts with a rubber washer to prevent vibration , seems to have done the job quite well , I see the reasoning behind doing this though as within the first week 3 of my fastenings on my rear fender had come loose and fallen off ,I didn't even notice they had done this until I pulled up home and my wife pointed it out to me

Hope all is OK with your knee mate and your up and riding again
Kindest regards Henshooter

it's amazing how much women pay attention to detail isn't it
Get well soon Tom I'm going right now ..to try to find the rest of that story, of what exactly happened to you! Im getting the jest of it though...A lose fender , a hurt knee.

I concur @ 46 I totally can relate the "not healing as quick as you use to "
I was 220 lbs@ 6'4" all my adult life but after I shattered my leg and lower back I'm not at a hefty @ 305 lbs So when I hit the ground ... it hurts!!

I often get the "Your only 46 your still a young pup" Yet what they do not realize is what 25 years of well drilling can do to a man's body. I would seriously relate it to that of a football player 15 years in the game.... WITHOUT the fat checks
Get well soon Tom
A.K.A. 2door.

 

[Jumpa]

Nuff said!

RR =Right rear?

 

[bigoilbob]

62 year old petroleum engineer, saying, with authority that "You're only 46, you're still a young pup". Don't get red - if I used emoticons, there would be a smiley here.

Unsolicited advice I know, but you might be more comfortable if you got swimming and got the weight down. I know that, at 6' 4" you can carry a lot, especially if you stayed in shape from your work. But it's just hard on joints and such. It was hard for me to stay down in Yemen and offshore, what with all the good free food, not to mention the airport lounges. But I ran in the desert and hit the "gym container" offshore because I hated the aches and pains I get when I get above 200#, (currently 6'). Retired just this month, and will work on the last 10#. I'm getting some stray joint pinches and every now and then, but for the most part, I think it worked and will continue to work for me.
Sorry for the tread jack, folks. Now, back to the topic..........

 

[allen standley]

RR =Right rear?

Yeah... I talk to myself often. that mark was for me meaning Rear end of Rear mount. Also rear end of front mount (RF) if you can see it on the other.
better to pay attention to what's important Jumpa.

 

[danag]

wow,I just built my second bike.It's a beach cruiser with....fenders....I was just riding it and the front fender was making a noise.I'm goin to take it off now.Thank you and get well soon.

 

[GearNut]

If you want a front fender, just follow the advice here and reinforce the mounts. It is not hard to do and so long as you periodically check the fasteners it won't cause a crash.
You can take it one step further and get the plastic fenders. If you search the 'net there are some available that look identical to the metal ones and you can paint them to match your bike if you use Krylon Fusion paint.
I would still reinforce the mounts for an extra level of protection, if anything just for of mind.

 

[sboricic123]

I was considering getting fenders for my bike once this snow and cold weather is gone for the year. But after reading your experience Tom, I might not now.
Hope you have a quick recovery.

 

[2door]

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'm about an 8. Old guys heal slow.
Thanks for the kind words and encouragment guys. I'm back in the saddle. Just wish the weather would warm up. I'm tired of riding with gloves and a heavy jacket.

Use fenders if you want/need them but take all of the good advice that has been offered in this thread and others regarding the potential hazards. To be honest I reinstalled the rear fender on the bike that bit me but it won't come off again. That's for sure.
Have fun, ride safe.

Tom

 

[mew905]

Snow's melting here in south Saskatchewan, roads are finally clear enough to ride most anywhere. But everything's so wet. I run some oldschool use-to-be white-wall street tires and they throw dirt and water like crazy. I have to slow down to half my normal pedalling speed just to keep water from spraying in my face, if I dont, I end up with dirt freckles and what looks like a giant s*** streak up my back... all the way up. If you run fenderless, I highly recommend some kind of full-face protection, or at the very least some large or face-fitting sunglasses.

However in terms of actually using fenders, because I got sick of my dirt freckles, I went down to canadian tire and bought the cheapest set of plastic fenders I could, but I noticed via my shadow, the rear one flails around like crazy when I'm at speed. I'm hoping because they're so cheap, they'll do their job, and if they do catch the wheel, it'll just break off rather than jamming up my tire (though I think my shallow tread, aged/hardened rubber tires may prevent it from catching anyway). Anyone have any thoughts? I've only seen bad experiences with metal fenders, which I ditched right away anyway (and warned my friend/customer of with his bike, which was a Flyer like this one, but I'm pretty sure it was under a different brand)

 

[2door]

That's a tough call, Mew. Your theory about the fender breaking instead of ripping off sounds good, in theory. However who's to say what would really happen if the plastic fender failed. It could possibly jam up in the spokes, or someplace else that could bind the wheel. Mine rotated down and under the rear tire which is why the bike slid out from under me. A fender between the tire and the road, either plastic or steel would have the same effect. Just my thoughts. You asked for them.

Tom

 

[CTripps]

Mew, I've been running a pair of Canadian Tire plastic fenders on my beast from day one with no problems (3 years now).. the front does well at keeping the worst spray off the motor, CDI, and myself.. the back one ends somewhat high over the back wheel, but with my carrier (again from Cdn Tire) having a solid 'deck' it blocks any of the spray the fender doesn't. Just check them at least once a week (add it to the weekly check list) and keep a half an eye on 'em when riding. So far the only problem that comes up is that the front one can be flexed a little off-center if it's in contact with something (like the railing I used to lock up to) all day.

 

[mew905]

That's a tough call, Mew. Your theory about the fender breaking instead of ripping off sounds good, in theory. However who's to say what would really happen if the plastic fender failed. It could possibly jam up in the spokes, or someplace else that could bind the wheel. Mine rotated down and under the rear tire which is why the bike slid out from under me. A fender between the tire and the road, either plastic or steel would have the same effect. Just my thoughts. You asked for them.

Tom

It's definitely a meaningful post, should my mount break and send the fender under the wheel, it would definitely have the same effect, I've had the bike slide out from under me a few times, usually on ice which wasnt bad sliding on, but once on wet grass that upon trying to return to the rubberized "pavement" the bike slid out from under me, I went sideways and bounced and rolled a few times, hurt my leg pretty badly and bent up some parts of my bike.

CTripps, I actually used these fenders before but only for about a week before my first bike was stolen, so I never had much experience with it. I did use a locking nut and lock washer to secure the fenders though (and I had to use a longer M6 bolt from an old motor kit, the m5 they provide with the fenders just wasn't long enough). I thought I felt water hitting the back of my head when I was riding, I wasnt sure as the only time it happened was when I went through a big puddle, but that's confirmation enough for me. My rack isn't solid, but I'll definitely consider buying one now, as long as I can figure out how to mount my brake light (my current rack had a mount for a large rear reflector, that a semi clearance light (the things that line the trailers and the top of the truck) just happened to bolt straight on to. Looks natural with the bike. But definitely good to hear it's been working great for you for so long!