Customer Reviews

Topeak DeFender M1 Mountain Bike Fender (Front)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I looked at all of the fenders on the market when outfitting my new Fuji Patrol bike, and these seemed to get pretty decent reviews and definitely had the look I was going for. My experience is as follows:

Ease of Installation: 5 of 5
Durability: 4 of 5 (so far, so good - they really seem like they will last, on or off road)
Looks: 6 of 5 (these make my bike look just plain mean)
Function: 5 of 5 (no rainwater in my face whatsoever, even in a full-on downpour)
Value: 5 of 5 (even if they break in a year or 2, what is another $15?)

Definitely the slickest fender I've seen. If you have a hybrid or mountain bike, this fender is the ticket! I'm not sure if the look would work as well for a cruiser or road bike, but on the more aggressive looking bikes, they look just plain awesome. My personal feeling is that getting there is first priority, but getting there in style is a close second. Style galore on the right bike!

I got this and the M2 (rear) fender to keep mud and water off me on rainy days for my commute.

The installation is a piece of cake -- just plug the diagonally-split cylinder into your fork, and tighten the Allen head bolt to compress it. The front and back parts literally snap right on. The soft tips are nice for when you bump into stuff; helps keep 'em from snapping.

Although I think these are great-quality, I *did* encounter an issue with the M1. It broke at the mount on the first day I had it. The customer service at Topeak is awesome though, and I got a replacement part in 2 days! I've been using the new one for several weeks now, and no problems!

I am very pleased with the design, weight and functionality of this and the rear fender of the same branding. I've hit the trails and roads with these on and it keeps both the rain and mud off your clothes while allowing a wide range of adjustment angles to accommodate different frames, tire sizes, etc. That and they are easy to remove for cleaning and storage. I highly recommend these products and am sold on the Topeak brand in general - good stuff.

The fender was fine while it lasted...But it only lasted for about 10 rides and then fatigue-cracked at the plastic mounting bracket. The fender fell off and is now worthless - $20 down the drain. Fender should be beefier at the mounting point. Do not buy!!

I purchased this fender for the purpose of commuting. I have a Stumpjumper that doesn't have braze-ons to mount fenders, so this was just what I needed to fit my rig. I've had this fender for about two months, and have had a good handful of opportunities to ride with them in wet conditions, mostly melting/slushy snow on roads. I would say it performs as I expected it to.

Since this is not a full-coverage fender, there is still a bit of spray that will hit the frame, fork, and maybe your legs (below the knee) and shoes. But, my bike is clean from the fender up. I don't have spray in my face, soaking my headlight, etc.

The mounting is a sort of tension set-up, actuated by an allen bolt. It has two general sizes that adjust for different size steerer tubes. It's simple and stays put. I do believe, though, that this model is meant to be mounted on suspension forks; a friend bought the same fender for his rigid and didn't have clearance to fit the fender.

Both sections remove easily, leaving the mount in the fork. So, if you want to ride without the fender, that's possible without tools; it comes off and snaps on very easily.

I chose this over a similar SKS model that didn't seem to have good reviews and was twice as expensive and a bunch of cheaper models that looked...cheap. It has a good rigidity to it. Some of the fenders I handled at stores were just flimsy; this one is definitely not flimsy. So far, I've found this a fender well-worth the money. It does just what I wanted it to do. I also have the DeFender for the rear, which works equally as well.

Great purchasing process, quick shipment. Fender is finally on the bike and seems to be working well after a retro-fit. The wedge clamp did not fit in the bikes fork tube and I had to perform some major grinding to the larger diameter clamp. The smaller size clamp was too small and would not hold the fender properly. Not a real big deal, took about 1/2 hour to grind it to the proper diameter and 2 minutes to install. I recommend you check your fork tube diameter before you purchase it and make sure it is compatible to manufacturer's specifications.

It was a good idea in theory- fits most forks, easy to take on and off- but in practice, this fender is basically just a flimsy piece of plastic. It snapped off the first time I tried to take it off of my bike (which was the day after I put it on). Although I like Topeak products, I would be hesitant to recommend this particular fender.

I purchased the ToPeak DeFender M1 front fork fender due to the very good reviews on Amazon. Unfortunately it does not fit my son's nor my wife's Schwinn bicycle forks. My wife's is a 26 " Schwinn Ranger mountain bike and my son's is a 24" Ranger mountain bike. Both have suspension forks and the DeFender M1 mounting piece it too big or too small (using only the small adapter) to secure the mount. Very dissapointing. Now I'm too late to return it too.

If you never hit a bump this might be a good fender but I've now broken 3 of these and have given up on them. (I'm a clearly a slow learner)

The last one I bought broke 10 minutes into my first ride after I went off a 2 foot jump. When I landed the front part of the fender snapped off.

While my riding partner thought it was very funny it didn't make me too happy.

I bought this to convert my mountain bike to a commute bike hoping I can keep my shirt and tie clean by the time I reach the office. I rode it a couple of times after heavy rain on wet road and it does keep the water and dirt off me relatively well as a fender suppose to do.

The part I am disappointed is how it doesn't hold center and require frequent tightening after a few bumpy rides. I am afraid to over tighten it because it is held under the steering bracket by couple plastic pieces and a screw. It would work much better if it has some type of aluminum or alloy bracket.

The bracket also reduces the shock aborter travel distance by about 1.5 cm, this may not sound like a lot but on my bike it hits the top of the v-brake bracket every time I put some extra push on the pedal, especially on uphill ride or when I hit a speed bump. Although it does not hinder the brake function, after a mile of uphill ride and the fender knocking against the bracket I was not a happy rider at the end of the trip.

Their concept of easy removal when you want to get mud in your face is nice, but their mounting design just too flimsy to hold it on the bike, even just for the pave road.

Look for something else if you are looking for a fender on a mountain bike.