group riding - lights and fenders - recommendations

[gab]

Any suggestions on lights and fenders for group riding in the winter?

Specifically, advice around good fenders which don't require much clearance would be especially appreciated. For lights, I'm assuming we need something a little more powerful than the $12 special? Thanks.

[Rolf]

I've used these fenders for two winters. They come on an off fairly easily with the tension straps and have never slipped. Once you figure out the no-rub sweet spot for strap positioning, you're all set. Unless you wash your bike, of course.

If you don't mind them being semi-permanent (i.e. screwed on), then these ones offer better protection, if you have the clearance. But you'd have to get rid of those useless little flaps and get a proper crapflap. A proper crapflap is one that is mere inches from the ground, and rigid and wide enough to ensure you're not unduly moistening your fellow riders.

As for lights, use 100 lumens as a starting point. (This looks like a decent deal at $89, on sale.) Anything less than 100 and when you come to pull at the front, everyone's brighter lights behind you create a kooky shadowplay of phantom legs in front of you, causing you to run into racoons, miss pointing out potholes, etc.

More good end-of-summer discussion from last year here, including crapflappage tips.

[DavidB]

I don't know if Jenny lurks around here, but in my panic yesterday, I ran to Obb and she sold me some pretty good ones, based on one ride.

[John D]

A proper crapflap is one that is mere inches from the ground, and rigid and wide enough to ensure you're not unduly moistening your fellow riders.

I made one of these http://www.phred.org/~alex/bikes/fendermudflap.html from a rubber stair tread for my commuter bike a few years ago. Works like a charm and I and haven't taken it off since.

In terms of what NOT to buy, don't by the CRUD Roadracer Mk2. Paid $60 for them last year. They were so narrow and flimsy that they just flipped back and forth across my rear wheel, so I alternately sprayed the person behind me on the left, right, left, right, etc. I believe Mark had the same ones and one broke off and jammed in his spokes on the way down from King George Terrace!

John

[gab]

Thanks guys, this is exactly the type of info I was looking for -- much appreciated.

The "not what to get" is also quite helpful because I had been considering the Crud fenders :s

[sylvan]

I had this thing in the pic below on my rear fender last year and then screwed a half water bottle onto the bottom of that. The whole thing came within 3 cm of the ground and I got lots of positive feedback on it from most groups I rode with. Go for serious solid heavy-duty fenders. That plus some good Tripleshot winter riding kit and you'll be highly motivated to bang out regular off-season, bad-weather 100-milers along with the weekday morning rides which will make you extremely hard and grizzled and indefatigable come spring. I had to do some surgery to make the fenders clear the triangle areas and lots of zip-ties were required, but the results were good. Every once in awhile the fender would crack where I'd drilled them for ties, but duct tape fixed that no problem, like it does with most repairs. The fenders were the basic bike shop units, not the chic nouveau racing units which are really marginal for bad conditions. Try surgery and MacGyver mods on real fenders before resorting to those suckers.

[sylvan]

Those MEC units Rolf has been using are decent, but I'd agree that these suckers here are the ones to go for if you can MacGyver them on and that's where I was shopping. They're just a bit more heavy-duty with more coverage in the back for your friends and in the front to help keep yourself a bit dryer, too. Either or, though, both will work as long as crap-flap coverage is sufficient and virtually all bike shops will have semi-identical units.

[Lister Farrar]

Any suggestions on lights and fenders for group riding in the winter?

Specifically, advice around good fenders which don't require much clearance would be especially appreciated. For lights, I'm assuming we need something a little more powerful than the $12 special? Thanks.

Our Cygolight from mec has been great, 250 lumen's for $100. Nite rider minewt also good, but it was $250 for 200 lumen's afew years ago. But good service when it needed it from Fairfield, and a more versatile attachment (works on winged bars, cygolite doesn't.)

Re frame clearances, Gabor at Fort St does nice work fitting fenders where none should be able to fit. He cuts the fenders and uses a stainless steel rack mount to connect the two halves and go over the rear brake, and extend the front off the front brake. Slightly less coverage (your brake isn't protected), but solid and otherwise full coverage.

For removable fenders on road bikes, try these http://problemsolversbike.com/products/ ... nder_nuts/. Once the fenders are set-up, the more time-consuming step, three bolts allow you to remove and replace your fenders in 5 minutes. Only a bit longer than elastic-attached fenders, but more secure and less likely to do the pulse-shower thing to those following. They also allow a crown mount cable stop on the fork of a cross bike to address front brake shudder.

[Lister Farrar]

As for lights, use 100 lumens as a starting point. (This looks like a decent deal at $89, on sale.) Anything less than 100 and when you come to pull at the front, everyone's brighter lights behind you create a kooky shadowplay of phantom legs in front of you, causing you to run into racoons, miss pointing out potholes, etc.

Dunno if it's my older eyes, but I think 200 lumens is more like a minimum. Thought I heard others saying that too. 600 lumens like Geoff's is great, but then there's this big black hole in front of you when he's behind!

L

[John D]

600 lumens like Geoff's is great, but then there's this big black hole in front of you when he's behind!

Actually I made a point of trying to ride right in front of #38 whenever possible last year. He probably thought I was stalking him, but that krieg light of his kept my back warm on cold winter mornings.

JD

[Rolf]

Not only warm, but I swear I get a tailwind-like boost from all those photons.

Lister: I agree 200 lumens is a better minimum, and $/lumen keeps coming down, but I guess it's a balancing act with safety and asking people to spend a ton of money.

[wonger]

600 lumens like Geoff's is great, but then there's this big black hole in front of you when he's behind!

L

That's 1,500 lumens. I'm considering the upgrade kit to take it to a cool 1,900...

[AlW]

I used the strap on Freddy Fenders from MEC when I only had one bike. Worked great and easy to take off pre-ride if you see dry roads. Only downside I found was that they flopped around a bit when I added the crap flap, so choose your flap materials carefully if you got that route.

Went to permanent fenders when I got a winter bike. Also had to do the over-the-brake method due to extremely tight clearances. I got the bracket at Fort St. Cycles (no charge )

fender.jpg

As for lights, have to agree with Lister and Rolf regarding the 200 lumen minimum. I started with a Cygolite Mitycross 350. Great light, but after I had 2 fail, I gave up and went to the Cygolite Expillion (250 lumens). Plenty of light, but it's starting to act up on me (turns itself on for no apparent reason), so it may be going back as well (I see that the Cygolite products are noticeably absent from the web site, so it may be that others we having similar experiences)

The Light & Motion 200L looks pretty good, so I may try that next. If anyone has one, I'd be interested in your opinion of it.

[AndreaR]

Hey all, I need to buy a new light this year after my Magiclight failed on me after 2 or 3 uses. I've done some research but maybe someone can weigh in on whether I should buy the Nightrider MiniNewt (350 lumens - $120) or the BLT Firewire 4.0 (4W LED - $60ish). There's a ton of information out there and my non-engineering brain can't seem to get a handle on it all.

Cheers,
Andrea

[arfenarf]

For removable fenders on road bikes, try these http://problemsolversbike.com/products/ ... nder_nuts/. Once the fenders are set-up, the more time-consuming step, three bolts allow you to remove and replace your fenders in 5 minutes. Only a bit longer than elastic-attached fenders, but more secure and less likely to do the pulse-shower thing to those following. They also allow a crown mount cable stop on the fork of a cross bike to address front brake shudder.

I think I'm going to order a set of these. Except they only ship to the US. So they'll have to be routed through my mom.

If I'm going to that kind of trouble, does anyone else want to ride along on the order?

Kate

[Rolf]

The latest and greatest on bike lights:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/int ... e-powerful

Sounds like the industry's hitting Peak Lumens, where if things get any brighter they'll have to introduce liquid-cooling systems. 3,000 lumens? That's more lumens than most car headlamps, though it seems there are problems with comparing different performance figures due to measurement geometries.

[John D]

Niterider's line is topped by the new Pro 3000 LED, which as the name suggests, pumps out an astounding 3000 lumens (claimed) via two trios of Cree XML emitters.

But wait, there's more....should you happen to get lost while mountain biking, this puppy can also be used to (i) boil/sterilize/strip the hydrogen atoms from water, (ii) jacklight deer, (iii) scare off cougars/bears/hillbillies, (iv) ignite a fire, (v) communicate with rescue aircraft, and (vi) cauterize wounds!

I hear that #38 has already ordered two.

J.

[Lister Farrar]

For removable fenders on road bikes, try these http://problemsolversbike.com/products/ ... nder_nuts/. Once the fenders are set-up, the more time-consuming step, three bolts allow you to remove and replace your fenders in 5 minutes. Only a bit longer than elastic-attached fenders, but more secure and less likely to do the pulse-shower thing to those following. They also allow a crown mount cable stop on the fork of a cross bike to address front brake shudder.

I think I'm going to order a set of these. Except they only ship to the US. So they'll have to be routed through my mom.

If I'm going to that kind of trouble, does anyone else want to ride along on the order?

Kate

Yes, two sets please. Thanks!

[arfenarf]

OK. Here's the deal. I'll order as many sets of Fender Nuts as requested by close of business on Friday and we'll split the shipping on a per-set basis. I may have a line on a Canadian distributor near Niagara, which would make things Much Betterer. Maybe they'll toss in zip ties and some electrical tape for good measure

Me: 2
Glenowyn: 1
Lister: 2
Eric: 2
Alan 1

Anybody else?

Kate Weber

Edited to Add: I have to confess that I have not scoured every. single. shop. in Victoria. Is there a possibility, those of you who might know these things, that someone here is already bringing them in? Is there a single small-weird-bike-parts-rep in the area?

[EricS]

2 sets for Eric please.

Thanks Kate.