My rear fender broke off mid-commute on Tuesday and I nearly ate pavement

I was cruising down this hill near downtown Austin around 8am when I heard a loud crack. Looked down and my rear fender had snapped at the mounting bracket and was dragging on the tire. It got wedged between the frame and the wheel real quick and locked up the back tire for a second. I managed to skid to a stop without falling but my heart was pounding for the next 10 minutes. Had to walk the bike the last mile to work because the damage was too bad to keep riding. Got home that evening and just cut the whole fender off with a hacksaw since it was a cheap plastic one anyway. Does anyone else run fenderless through the rainy season or am I gonna regret it when the next storm hits?

2 comments

2 Comments

simon_coleman15d ago

You might be overthinking the rainy season thing honestly... fenderless commuters have been doing it for years with just a rain jacket and some mud guards on the seat post. The real issue is getting caught in a downpour without any protection at all, which is more about your gear than the bike setup. Keep a poncho in your bag and you'll be alright until the weather dries up.

the_sarah15d ago

Yeah, a cheap poncho in the bag beats getting soaked every time.