It isn’t the rain that bicycle fenders guard against. When water is falling from the sky, you’re going to get wet regardless. They’re for anytime the road is wet. You can wait until the sky clears up all you want, but if you head out on two wheels after while the pavement is still damp, you’re going to get a dirty, gritty, damp stripe up and down your back.
And road water is nasty. You can solve this with a pair of temporary bike fenders that pop on your bike easily when the roads are wet and off just as quickly when the pavement is dry as a bone.
temporary fenders
Many ebikes these days come with fenders pre-installed. If yours doesn’t, though, you can add a set yourself, the aluminum ones being my preference over plastic, but maybe you don’t dig the look. Maybe you’re interested in cutting every ounce of weight from your already porky ebike.
A set of temporary fenders solves the dilemma. I’ve used quite a few bike accessories from Portland Design Works, based out of Portland, Oregon, and been deeply impressed with the quality of every piece I’ve laid my hands on. Their Sodapop Fenders are precisely what I think of when I envision temporary bike fenders.
They don’t offer as much coverage as a full set of fenders that are semi-permanently installed, but they also pop on and offer with a bare minimum of hex key turning. There are two versions of the Sodapop Fenders: MTB and City.
Don’t get hung up on the names. The City are narrower and ideal for city, road, and commuter bikes with tires on the narrow side. The MTB is wider and fits wider tires, such as mountain bikes, gravel bikes, and beach cruisers.
Although they’re made of plastic, they’re not as flimsy as some of the other plastic fenders I’ve encountered over the years. If you’re tired of wiping dirty road water off your back and your pant cuffs when you ride after the rain, give these $27 fenders a try.
