This winter, I decided that I needed to do whatever I could to protect my chain, downtube, and bottom bracket from all the salt and road spray.
So, I rigged up a DIY fender extender and have been riding with it for months now.
After every ride, I do tend to wipe my chain and any parts that got sprayed, but I'm blown away by how clean the bike stays simply by having that front fender extender.
The photo shows the fender extender, held in place using duct tape (didn't want to drill holes in the fender, although, some fenders are designed so fender extenders can be put on easily). It's held like this through numerous puddles and all kinds of weather, so "it works". Make it out of a plastic file folder, which I got from Walmart for a few dollars. I can probably make another 3 out of the single file folder.
The only downside I see, which can probably be tweaked by trimming the extender to mitigate it, is that it causes more drag as it acts like a mini sail that's always working against you. LOL I'm not racing with this bike, so it's a small sacrifice for keeping it clean! I'm sure someone more crafty could come up with a design that could be easily removed, although, my setup only requires you to pull the tape off. Easy enough.
I make mine out of a thick piece of leather which works great too.
Yeah, I'm vegan, so leather was out. I couldn't find a similar piece of rubber or silicone, so I went with something cheap and easy to get. LOL
Did you screw yours into the fender or mount it in some other way?
Wasn’t meaning to knock yours. Just throwing that option out there for others. I appreciate your post because it’s one of those things that can make a big difference in keeping people riding year round. I drill two holes about an inch apart vertically and use small bolts with washers and locking nuts. I put the leather on the inside so it takes the curve of the fender and looks nice.
I didn't take it as a knock at all! I saw plenty of leather ones, which helped to give me ideas for size/shape, it's just not a material I choose to use.
Nice! I think I may do that if I decide to keep this as a permanent fixture. 👌
Vegan to vegan: What are your thoughts on reclaimed leather, like the tongue from a broken work boot? It is going to get landfilled. So my thinking is that has less impact on our planet, than molding a new rubber or plastic flap. But small enough market where it doesn't generate demand for people selling old workboots to upgrade. Thoughts?
Reclaimed leather doesn't contribute to animal (ab)use, so I don't really have any ethical problems with people buying or using it.
I find certain animal products (leather or fur) to be off-putting, but that's a personal thing. If you have use for them, and you've already got them (or can get them second-hand), I don't see anything wrong with that.
We donated all of our fur years ago, and I think the only leather in our home are old knife sheaths and patches on old jeans. 😂