Customer Reviews

Planet Bike Hardcore Hybrid Front and Rear Bicycle Fender Set with Stainless Steel Hardware & Mud Flaps (45mm Wide)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have developed two very strong opinions. One is that all bike fenders are overpriced. We are talking at most $5-7 in materials and labor sold for $25-50. I mean it's two strips of plastic and some hardware. Not knocking capitalism... just saying. The second is that if you order something on line that has to be assembled, downloaded, or otherwise installed or manipulated don't whine that it doesn't magically just happen. An hour or two of monkeying around with tools and going to the hardware store is fun. If you aren't mechanically inclined go to a shop.

That being said. If you have disc breaks and/or other attachments like racks, you probably want the Planet Bike EZ variety. Me, I like the yellow fenders because a) they are different, and b) they are highly visible and I don't live in a bike friendly town. So, to rig them to your bike just go and get brackets like the one that goes around your seatpost for a reflector and attach them to your forks and frame to gain extra attachment points. Finding the right size is surprisingly difficult and employees at Big Box Hardware will look at you like you are asking for a defibrillator. I managed to find some that had a little strip of rubber on the inside, though. You may have to get creative.

The point of all this is, for what you pay for these fenders, the manufacturer could afford to supply four little brackets that would work just swell and perhaps some more explicit directions (though the ones they supply are pretty to the point). Other than that I have no complaints. They work, and they look cool. I would recommend them.

As a new commuter, I wanted to get my bike completely outfitted all at once, which meant putting fenders on now before the rainy season. These fenders mounted securely and the rear one is installed in conjunction with a Topeak Explorer Bicycle Rack with Disc Brake Mounts. I had to make two small adjustments during installation: 1) I had to use a spacer where the front of the rear fender mounts to the cross bar behind the front derailleur to avoid interfering with its operation; and 2) I had to substitute the mounting bolt that secures the front fender to the back of my suspension fork with a shorter one to get a tight fit. Now bring on the rain!

I commute 10 miles to school and they do a great job keeping the gunk off of me when riding in the rain and puddles. They are the best!!!!

This product is garbage. First my package didn't include all of the mounting hardware (it was missing), but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. The product did not fit my 2010 Trek 7.3FX with 17.5" frame and 700x32 tires. When conducting a test fitting, the fender stays were bending and the chainstay clip didn't fit either. In addition to this, assuming I DID have all of the mounting hardware, I would have to go to a hardware store and purchase additional hardware to install the rear fender. The instructions state "Bolt stays to outside of dropout eyelets using 14 mm bolts and washers (use lower eyelets if there are 2, use longer bolts(not included) if fender has 2 stays per side)." Well, if you KNOW there might be a need to include longer bolts, INCLUDE THEM. I am in the military and stationed in South Korea. I can't go to Home Depot and head to the nuts and bolts section to find a mystery bolt. Even if I was in the states I shouldn't have to do that. I am returning this and I will never buy another Planet Bike fender again.

The fenders were shipped promptly, they arrived three days after I placed the order, however there was a problem. The wrong fenders were sent due to Planet Bike mislabeling the fenders. I received 26 inch x 61mm fenders instead of the 700c x 45mm fenders. I emailed Niagara and they promptly sent the correct fenders with return shipping for the first set of fenders. Good company to do business with.

I've had other planet bike fenders in the past, but the rigid construction and hardware for the hardcore set is a huge improvement. I would definitely recommend these over the other types available from planet bike.

The fenders were not difficult to install, thought, I had to supply some different bolts and nuts. Not unexpected, all bikes are different in structure. A trip to the hardware store did it. I put the fenders on a Nashbar Cyclocross frame I use for daily commuting. No complaints here, though I can see where it might have to be done by a LBS if a person is not somewhat mechanicly inclined. I did have to replace the front derailleur because of clearance issues.(needed a better one anyway!) NO COMPLAINTS HERE, very sitisfied.

They arrived in just a few days and they were easy to put on my Trek Hybrid.

I decided to try these fenders after predictions of rain for the duration of my biking week in VA, OH, and IN. On my Trek FX there was really no trick to getting them on, but I did have to buy a small bolt for the chainstay bridge and two bolts for the second set of rear fender braces. I also used small nylon washers to protect the frame.

These fenders are light and effective. On an unpaved rail-trail, they kept damp trail grime out of my running gear, off my frame, off of my shoes, and out of my bags. On the road, I stayed remarkably clean in a steady rain that lasted for 8 miles or so.

Although I thought I might remove these fenders when I returned home. I will probably keep them on the bike if only to keep trail grime out of my chain, off my water bottle, and off of my shoes. They really do clean up your ride.

The only down side to these fenders is you won't look like Lance. But if you ride every day and have to face challenging weather, you won't be disappointed.

The construction is quite good on these fenders. They are not some weird day-glo yellow, which some seem to have expected and give the product a low rating for. However, they are a nice, bright yellow color, exactly what my girlfriend was hoping for, so the color is a good thing for us. The photo definitely makes them seem a bit more neon than they are. They are a poor match to the Topeak yellow pump we bought (the pump is a bit on the orange side, while the fenders a more pure yellow.) However, the fender color matches the Arkel yellow seat bag - not available on Amazon :( - perfectly!

I installed them on a Raleigh 19" Route 4.0. The fender hardware is designed for a threaded front fork, which neither the Raleigh nor my Trek 7100 have. We also purchased a pair of Planet Bike Cascadia fenders from another retailer and those came with similar hardware. So, if your front fork isn't threaded, you are going to have to make a trip to a bike shop or hardware store to pick up a set of bolts, washers, and nuts to install either of these Planet Bike products unless you want to zip-tie them. The good thing is this left an extra bolt that fit down by the chain, so I didn't have to zip tie the front of the rear fender, I was able to screw it on with the included hardware. Still, didn't enjoy the trip to the store in the middle of installation.

Installation instructions are a bit sketchy at times, which was a bit frustrating given this was the first pair of fenders I have installed, compounded with the before mentioned trip to get proper hardware. However, after figuring it out, my Cascadia fenders went on much quicker, and overall both products seem to be high quality and look good on their respective bikes. I don't have experience with other fenders, but I like these and would purchase again.