Caution! Fenders are Death!

[Shaggz]

i was riding my new build today and the rear fender just so happend to break and get caught under my back tire.. instint snow sled.... needless to say i and the bike went down at about 30-35 mph.. so do yourself a favor if you have fenders and take them OFF!

 

[2door]

So sorry to hear this, Shaggz. Earlier I posted a warning about the hazards of fenders in your other thread. Maybe you got it too late.
I hope you and your bike aren't seriously injured. Do you have any photos of the after crash?

Tom

 

[apex]

This has happened to a few members here.
My first build had the cheap chinese front fender that started to crack due to vibration, so off it came. Lots of parts that would otherwise be ok tend to vibrate loose or break when subjected to the vibrations these motors produce.
I've had various nuts and bolts back out, and even lost an aluminum frame to the motor vibe.
I use blue locktite on lots of fasteners now, and have even resorted to using locknuts in certain locations.

I hope you didn't get too banged up when you went down.

 

[Shaggz]

So sorry to hear this, Shaggz. Earlier I posted a warning about the hazards of fenders in your other thread. Maybe you got it too late.
I hope you and your bike aren't seriously injured. Do you have any photos of the after crash?

Tom

yes i will take some photos now i don't have the fender any more to show you the damage as i was very angry and threw it as far as i possibly could my frame is now cracked as a i read on one of my threads right under the rack mount i will post picks in about 10 mins

 

[Shaggz]

heres some damage

 

[Shaggz]

heres the rest

 

[Shaggz]

heres the human damage lol

 

[crassius]

I like fenders, but am careful to put them on so they don't fall off. Lost a few 4 or 5 years ago when I started working on these, but none since. Biggest problem was when some asshat cut off the front of a rear fender because they were too lazy to fold it in nicely to clear the chain like the factory does for the pedal side. Once cut off, it is hard to mount, but I've found that a piece of PVC pipe cut into a 1/4 circle tube will attach to the frame & fender at a good angle and never break from vibration, while allowing a little springiness to help the other mounts survive.

 

[wheelbender6]

Sorry about your accident; Shaggz. This pick makes it look like you had some strong struts on your fenders. The roads are often wet where I live, so I wanted to keep them. I bobbed, or shortened my fenders to help prevent an interference problem.
Maybe you can find a used cruiser frame for sale thats a bit older to prevent you from needing a whole new bike.

 

[Shaggz]

Sorry about your accident; Shaggz. This pick makes it look like you had some strong struts on your fenders. The roads are often wet where I live, so I wanted to keep them. I bobbed, or shortened my fenders to help prevent an interference problem.
Maybe you can find a used cruiser frame for sale thats a bit older to prevent you from needing a whole new bike.

i talked to walmart i told them i crashed and the fender broke they said they will replace it for free yay america

 

[Mike B]

So, you were blazing down the road on your $100 wallmart bike at 30 and you crashed and burned. The fender is just a symptom. It's the least of your problems. I would worry more about the cracked frame.

So, you told the wallmart people that you bolted a POS engine kit on before you told them about the crash? And now you are really happy about getting a new fender?

Amazing.

Please. For your own safety. Go get a good old used American bike off Craig's list next time. A Schwinn or a Worksman or a Sears. Old school. They are stronger.

The life you save may be your own.

 

[Shaggz]

im not getting anew fender there gungho im geting a new bike
onw with out the rack mount and sry for being a rider on a budget you dont gotta hate man

 

[Shaggz]

and the fender is what made me crash it broke and got suck in the tire

 

[Shaggz]

and it is a schwinn -.- buddy

 

[Mike B]

A Chinese Schwinn or an American Schwinn?

There is a difference.

 

[2door]

Bike quality, where it was made or what you paid for it has little to do with the fender hazard. My crash was on a $700.00 Nirve Switchblade that I had taken precautions with to make sure the fenders stayed in place. In spite of my efforts I ended up in the ER on Father's Day in 2013 with a broken leg.

Fenders are nice and keep you and your bike cleaner, especially in wet conditions but they must be secured and mounted in such a way that a bracket or fastener failure will not allow the fender to become a hazard.

Tom

 

[BarelyAWake]

I would caution strongly against sweeping generalizations. Branding, age or country of origin alone do not inherently dictate quality or strength - any "old used" bike could be just as bad as a cheap new one if purchased under these misconceptions and vintage bikes may even cost more to restore & upgrade to motorize then buying a decent quality new one.

Every country has & does make crap as well as quality, nearly every brand has it's "economy" variant, shoddy manufacturing is a timeless practice.

It's far too complex an equation for such simple answers unfortunately, our only real option research - knowing what makes for a strong construction, what's needed for our application & ofc, checking to see if others have had problems previously with it or similar styles.

 

[biknut]

heres the human damage lol

Sorry to hear about this Shaggz, especially from a fellow Texan. I always hate to hear about someone going down on their bike. Looks like you got off pretty light, I hope.

You letting everyone know what happened is a good thing though, because it helps to remind people that even these low hp bikes can be dangerous when something goes wrong. No matter what bike you're riding, if you go down at over 30 mph it gets interesting real fast.

 

[Mike B]

Who cares about the fenders? Just a symptom.

I would be more worried about the frame crack.

Both frame cracks. The fender support cracked off and the frame cracked.

Bolt a POS pot metal engine onna bike and take your chances. The life you have to lose is your own. Really think about it.

All you guys always complain about those spandexers doing 30 on their bikes and you can't go that fast by law. They have zero vibration pedal power bikes that cost a grand or more and are fit. You have a $100 bike with a $150 vibration machine lashed to it and you are not fit enough to pedal at 30 mph.

Bicycles are not designed to be equipped with gasoline engines. You take the risk. Is it worth it?

 

[Dan]

Wow Shaggz. Sorry to read this! Ya just got on the road, too?

Not for nothing or to argue with ya, Mike. But I have been useing cheapo, wally world bikes for yrs with no problems. Except for oddly enough, a front fender letting go and trying to kill me. Was on a Kaluna MoonDog, too. Slightly better then most of my other bikes.

Shagzz, there are lots of threads and posts with ideas how to shore up fenders if you want to put em back on some day. LOL, took me a while. They really will try to hurt you.

Just glad your on the mend!