Product Review: Planet Bike Hardcore Hybrid Touring Fenders

October 7th, 2010 Posted by Jessica. Published under Gear + Product Review. 2 Comments.

When I first moved to Boston and got a cheapo mountain bike, I didn’t get fenders for two months.  I was broke (had a full-time unpaid internship and a very part-time paid pizza gig) and didn’t think I needed to “waste” money on them.  Those two months ruined two backpacks and the back of one of my favorite jackets.  In short, riding without fenders sucks.  A lot.  Even if you never once ride in the rain, if there’s any kind of moisture on the pavement– your stuff and your clothes are going to get wet.  And for the love of god– if you have a Brooks saddle, PLEASE put fenders on your bike.  The underside of the saddle will get ruined within the first year if you don’t.

As soon as I bought my Trek 700, I had Planet Bike Hardcore Hybrid Touring Fenders installed.  What a difference!  No more dirty ground precipitation splashing up at my face!  No more stained backpacks!  When I bought my beloved Surly Long Haul Trucker, the first thing I did when I brought it home was to switch over the fenders.  I mean, I bought the LHT in the middle of December– I wasn’t about to bike anywhere without fenders.  I’ve ridden with these fenders for close to 2000 miles over the last 20 months that I’ve owned them and they’re still going relatively strong.

Pros:

• Very easy to install, even if you don’t have the instructions.  Just looking at them, it becomes pretty obvious where everything goes.  I had some initial problems with the rear fender installation, but that was because I was a dummy and didn’t know how to remove the rear wheel.  Shhhhhh!
• The fenders themselves (not the metal attachment rods) are made of “Superflex^TM unbreakable all-weather polycarbonate” and hold up extremely well.  There’s virtually no wear, tear, or warping to the fenders at all– and I ride year-round.
• The mudflaps are also very sturdy.  I’ve never owned a set of fenders that didn’t have mudflaps, so I don’t know how well they actually work at keeping water from spraying at you or if they’re just for show to look hardcore.  I imagine the front fender, at least, would help keep water from spraying into your front cogs and derailleur.
• The Hardcore Hybrid Touring Fenders fit both 700c AND 26″ wheels!  I was delighted to discover this when I switched from a 700c hybrid commuter bike to my Surly LHT.

Cons:

• The little plastic nubs that cover the sharp ends of the metal rods fall off over time.  Granted, it took about a year for mine to fall off.  But now if I’m not careful, I scratch my legs (OWWW!) on them when I’m mounting/dismounting.  Just quickly looking over the Planet Bike replacement parts page, they don’t appear to sell these little nubs…..hmmm.  I want new nubs!
• Whatever material the bolts are made of rusts extremely easily.  I don’t know if they should be powder-coated or what, but the bolts that came with my Surly Nice Rack don’t rust.  These do.
• The little metal rods warp after parking your bike in enough public bike racks.  I’ve had people ask me if my wheels were out of alignment, when in fact it’s just the fender rods warping a little bit.  If you adjust the lengths of the rods, this helps to pull them back into shape.

Despite the cons I’ve listed, I consider these fenders to be great for touring and commuting.  Bolts are easy enough to replace, and Planet Bike’s website appears to have a relatively decent replacement parts section (even though they don’t sell replacement nubs).  Definitely recommend them.  And I don’t think my mom reads this blog, but in case she does– happy birthday, mom!  Love you tons!