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.
Do the same on back and be amazed how clean your back/neck/helmet stays too…it feels like whenever there is some crap on the roads/paths existing mudguards are just that little bit too short to be worth a damn
I went to a college known for large amounts of bike traffic. We called the water/mud stains on new students “The Freshman Stripe”.
I have full fenders in the rear, so I never get splashed on my back/but/head.
But I am considering putting a fender extender on the rear to keep my bike trailer from getting sprayed.
I did that. I popped off the soft flaps at the bottom of my fenders and attached longer flaps from a semi rigid plastic I had so that it almost touched the ground. Looked goofy but kept me dry.
Bike trailer? Are you joking or is that actually a thing?
No joke at all! Bike trailers come as child trailers, cargo trailers, and even pet trailers! So many brands make them, and they work with just about any bike😀
I’ve used my child trailer to haul stuff plenty. I’ve picked up car batteries, done small Costco runs, and put my kids’ bikes on as well (I “pick them up” by bringing their bikes).
10/10, would recommend a kid trailer even if you don’t have kids.
We’re looking for a child trailer, but I have a Burley Travoy (highly recommended!) and a regular cargo trailer, which is awesome for heavy grocery hauls. I also use panniers quite often, so it depends on what I’m doing and I just pick an option that’ll work best.
Most trailers you get at the retail level only have 100lbs limits, but you can get custom trailers that can haul pianos. LOL They have integrated brakes for safety, but there’s no limit to what you can haul on a bike!
But yeah, I’ve heard of people simply using child trailers to haul cargo, so that works!
100lbs has been plenty for us, but I do want something bigger, if only to “haul” my wife around (she doesn’t like to ride). That said, a rack, panniers, and a kid trailer have enabled me to do all kinds of trips.
I’ll have to look around at higher weight options. I live near a lake (<5 miles) and would love to bring a couple kayaks.
Kayak “trailers” are way more simple than you might think! Here’s one example from Wike.
Awesome! Now to see if I can carry two so my two kids can share one.
I’ve seen tandems that are recumbent in front, regular seat behind. I think that’s the best option if you want to talk with your partner while riding.
That would be awesome!
I’ve had a burley travoy, like a dolly that attaches to your seat post, and an old burley bee, it attaches to the wheel hub. They make it possible to do large infrequent grocery runs and pick up stuff I would have to rent a car to do otherwise. Much cheaper and more flexible than a cargo bike as well.
I got the travoy about a month and half ago, and use it so often! I love that I can go into a grocery store without having to worry about finding a coin to unlock their dirty shopping carts, get my stuff, and then hook it up to my bike without fiddling around with anything.
I just wish Burley toned it down with how they price the accessory bags!