If you question whether you need full coverage fat bike fenders then the answer is “yes”. You and your bike both needs fenders – irrespective to your bike type. You need some good quality full coverage bike fenders if you have a fat bike, and even if you have an electric bike or a road bike having small tires.
The whole bike riding community is divided in two sects. One sect believes that bike fenders are necessary and others are in opposition. They doubt the need of bike fenders and especially full coverage fenders.
Let us look at all the positives and negatives of your bike having fenders. And then will review some of the most good quality and cost effective full coverage fat bike fenders available in the market.
Why does your fat tire bike need full coverage bike fenders?
Fenders are important for your bike. They act as a protective gear for the tires. for the bike and for the rider as well. Let us look at the positives of buying full coverage bike fenders especially if you have 26 inches tires or larger than this size. For example a Max4out Mountain Bike or an Addmotor 1000 Watts Electric Bike.
Prevents you from getting wet
Fenders are a must in rainy seasons when the roads are wet and when the puddles are filled with water. Especially if you are riding a large wheel size bike.
When the wheels rotate they fling water forward. If you are riding with speed (and that is the reason you are riding a fat tire bike) the water will spray out – forward by the front wheel – and will arc up back at you.
Several large tire riders experience this problem. It worsens on windy days. In windy days the water flung by the forward wheel gets back at you when it is forced back by drift or air resistance. And fenders decreases water’s fling.
In rainy seasons – Front Fenders and that too full coverage ones – become a necessity for your safety.
Prevents Riders Behind You from Getting Wet
As you need front fenders for yourself – likewise you need rear full coverage fat bike fenders in order to prevent the riders behind you from getting water sprayed by your bike.
If you don’t do – then there is a high chance of you getting into fights on the road with fellow riders. This sometimes turn into a serious matter. I vaguely remember being threatened by the rider. He was about to sue me for this very reason. Luckily my apologies worked on him.
The water jettisoned by rear wheels has a higher propulsion force than the front wheel. Your tires pressure against the water in the puddle, wind force and waters natural movement – all increases its backward fling. And fenders decreases their motion.
For this rear full coverage fender becomes more necessary than the front fenders for the fellow riders safety and for yours too against quarrels and on road fights.
Safeguards you from debris and pebbles
Fenders are necessary not just in rainy seasons but in dry climatic zones too. Road debris and dust flows the same way as water flings back. This happens a lot when you are riding in hilly and dusty terrains.
Fenders absorb a lot dust and debris that your tires propel back. Importantly they absorb small pebbles and fine dust particles too – which can severely harm you.
Remember – that on dusty terrains – only full coverage bike fenders are not enough – you will need dirt bike goggles and a good helmet too
Maintains the Health of Your Bike
This is one of the most important aspect to consider when you ask yourself whether you need full coverage fat bike fenders or not.
No doubt that fenders are designed to protect the rider from all the above mentions – but its primary role is to maintain and preserve your fat tire bike’s parts.
There are a number of parts – which can get affected if you don’t have good rear and front fenders. Let us look at the ones which can get the worst affected.
Tires
Tires are the first ones to receive all the dirt, mud and pebbles as they are closest to the ground. Fenders reduce this to almost 75 percent. If your bike is equipped with full coverage fenders then the tires are exposed to only a minimum of 25 percent of dirt and other debris.
This affects the tires performance and its longevity. Less dirty and muddy tires will run smooth and you will not need to replace them in short intervals.
Drive Chain
Second important part of your bike which can get a hard beating from dust and mud – is the drive chain of your fat tire bike. Drive Chain is suspended very low and hence receives a lot of dust or water (depending upon the weather conditions).
If your bike has fat tires, then the dust’s ratio increases – which settles on the drive chain. This leaves the chain less greasy and more clogged. And there is nothing more frustrating then adjusting and oiling the drive chain constantly during your rides.
Headset, Bottom Racket and Cables
Tires and cables are not the only ones to get affected. All the bikes parts which lie low – will go through the same problem if the bike lacks fenders.
The headset and bottom racket are mostly metal – and in rainy seasons when these are not well protected they can get rusty.
If you are riding fat tire electric bike – like the Motan 750 Watts or a powerful 5000 watt electric bike like the Ebike Beach Cruiser – then you need to ensure the health of the cables.
Mud, pebbles deprive cables condition – some times leaving small crack and opening. Then comes rain – and if the cables receive any water droplets – then the chances of short circuits increase.
Short Circuits can harm the battery, the motor and all electrical equipment of your costly electric bike. Sometimes it can harm you too!
Mud and Dirt is responsible mostly for defecting all these parts. But there are other debris too, especially when you are biking within city boundaries. City water is mostly sewage and garbage run off.
This makes the lower part of your bike a collecting point for all the germs and bacteria. Fenders will not completely eradicate these microbes – but at least they will keep the bike clean and hygienic comparatively.
Full Coverage Bike Fenders Enhance the Look of Your Bike
Many riders believe that fenders especially the full coverage ones gives a dignified look to a bike. The bike might not look racy – but the fenders make a bike complete.
Secondly as they keep the bike clean – the fenders are responsible for the overall look of your bike. The stuff on the rear rack does not get dusty or greasy.
The panniers remain clean and most of the lower body of a bike – does not loose its shine.
The Anti Fenders Community
As there are some riders who will never ride their bike without fenders, there is a community against using fenders too. The Anti Fenders community have their own logic to how fenders should not be used in a bike. Some of which are discussed below:
Fenders Add Weight to a Lightweight Bike
As the market asks for some of the lightest folding bikes – a fender adds weight. They believe that fender is not a necessity. The bike will perform well – even without front and rear fenders. So then why increase the weight of the bike – when you payed so many dollars just to buy a lightweight bike.
Some of the lightweight bikes weigh less than 15 pounds! If you buy good quality fenders then you end up increasing the weight of the bike. And lesser the wight more is its portability.
So eventually they believe that portability matters a lot more than the protection of some of the parts of the bike.
Foldability is affected
Second important aspect which affects the portability of a bike – is how easily it can be folded. And how small its folded size is – in comparison to its standing size.
If you add fenders than fold-ability of the bike is affected. Fenders and especially full coverage fenders don’t fit in the folded size of a bike.
And you cannot attach rear and front fenders whenever you are unfolding the bike and then again detach them while folding it. This can get seriously annoying.
Fenders provide minimal to no protection from dust and water
The anti fenders group do not believe that the bike is protected from dust and water. They say that full coverage fenders do offer protection – but other than the full coverage ones – all rear and front fenders are not of much use.
If the bike has half fenders than they most of the water and dust – gets to the lower part of the bike. And this too when the roads are heavily puddled with water.
Mostly road water either stays mostly grounded if you are not riding very fast on the bike. And if you are very fast then the water flies out to the sides.
Fenders are dirty and unhygienic
Fenders get clogged with mud and pebbles. And cleaning them is a tedious task. Secondly if the pebbles are caught between fenders and tires – the bike rattles – which is very unpleasing.
Although we really cannot understand the above logic from the anti-fenders group. The very fenders meant to keep the bike clean will undoubtedly get dirty.
And if they get dirty they need cleaning! Even the rattling point seems absurd because the pebble stuck in a fender is safe than it being hit on the face or getting in the eyes!
Fenders increase the cost of the bike
The anti fenders group again accuse the fenders as being expensive. They believe that they do not offer value for the money.
There are fenders which are available for less than 10 – 20 dollars! So if they really want to buy one – the fenders will not leave a hole in their pockets. In fact we have reviewed some of the most economic fenders in the review section below.
And secondly you cannot put a price on something which is directly or indirectly keeping you clean and hygienic. Although not completely – but full coverage fenders do protect the riders from dust, mud and unwanted splashes of dirty waters.
You will also find reviews for some of the full coverage fat bike fenders which are expensive – but they are the best out in the market. And they undoubtedly give you full value for your dollar.
Best Full Coverage Fat Bike Fenders
1. Planet Bike Cascadia ALX Bike Fenders
Cascadia ALX aluminium fenders are a popular option for the riders. Primarily the manufacturer “Planet Bike” has maintained a good reputation in the market.
Planet Bike mostly deals in Bike’s parts and accessories – and this product the – Cascadia ALX Bike Fenders are known for quality.
ALX Bike Fenders are one of the longest available fenders. They are especially designed for touring bikes – and can fit 29er wheels. The fenders are disk brake compatible.
The fenders are made up of Rugged 6061 aluminum which is anti corrosion. For aluminum bikes – these fenders feature a sturdy frame.
They came with 100mm mudflaps – to envelope the rear portion of the bike completely. The mudflaps are double riveted for enhanced durability.
These full coverage fat bike fenders are a best fit for 2.00″ to 2.40″ tires. However Planet Bike recommends a maximum of 2.00″ size – but if you position the fenders a little higher than they can cover 2.4″ tires too.
Cascadia Fenders are available in 6 sizes.
The fenders are available in silver and black. And all the accessories come pre-installed which means you just have to mount the fenders on the bike.
The above features show that Planet Bike Cascadia ALX Bike Fenders are worth the dollars. They are crafted material and hence you will have no problem in regards to quality and durability.
2. SKS Bluemels Reflective Bicycle Fender Set
Second in the list is the SKS manufactured Bluemels 75 mm wide fenders. SKS is again a quality manufacturer and has some good publicity in Bike’s accessories market. The manufacturer is Germany based.
The Bluemels Reflective Bicycle Fender set is a recent release from SKS. Available in Matte Black Color – fenders are a perfect combinations for mountain bikes and even on high voltage electric road bikes.
Bluemels Fender set includes:
- Mudguard
- Front Fender – size – 780mm
- Rear Fender – size – 1285 mm
These full coverage fat bike fenders are a perfect fit for fat tires. Fenders size is 45mm – 700×38-42.
They can envelope 700 x 28 tires and even 700 x 38 tires perfectly. SKS recommends the fenders for 2.60″ tires but they should suit even wider 3.00″ tires.
The quality of the fenders is remarkable. Constructed with Aluminum these fenders feature Reflective Piping for rear reflections. This increases the safety for the bike and the rider.
Bluemels Fender set is cheaper than the above reviewed Planet Bike Cascadia ALX Bike Fenders. This set costs you around 40$. And taking the quality and the build into account – fenders have value for the dollars spent.
Check prices on Amazon
3. SKS P50 Chromoplastic Longboard Bicycle Fenders
The third most bought full coverage fenders are again from the same manufacturer – SKS. We already talked about SKS when we reviewed Bluemels Reflective Bicycle Fender Set.
In short this Germany based manufacturer – has all its excellency in manufacturing some of the most demanded fenders worldwide.
The SKS P50 Chromoplatic Longboard Fenders are a quality product. The set is a best seller on Amazon and is widely publicized for its quality and durability.
The frame of these full size fenders are made from stainless steel. This frame makes the fenders a perfect fit for fat tire heavy bikes. The fenders are Disc brake compatible too.
The fenders size is 50mm and fits 29er or 700 x 38-45 size wheels. These full size fenders are among the longest fenders and are longer than the SKS Bluemels Reflective Fenders.
These full coverage fender set comes with 6 mudflaps attached to the front and rear fender and offers maximum protection from mud and water sprays.
For added safety of the rider SKS has introduced Secu-clip Break-away front clips. These are the ones to get hit and break away from the bike during a collision – reducing the impact of the collision on the wheels.
SKS Longboard Fenders are covered with a layer of CAB plastic. This plastic reflects off UV rays and keeps the lower part of the bike cool in extreme temperatures. In hot days there is always a risk for tires getting puncture if they over heat. CAB plastic prevents the tires from high degrees.
These fenders are available in 2 colors – Black and Silver. The silver one looks very cool and can actually reflect more UV rays than the Black ones.
Check prices on Amazon
4. Wald Balloon 962 Fenders – 81mm Wide
Wald – a prime manufacturer in many aluminum based products – is a well known producer in many households. Wald Products are cheaper than others and guarantee quality.
Wald Balloon 962 full coverage fenders are a great buy. The design was originally constructed for cruisers and high speed riders.
Which means if you are riding some high voltage powerful bike like a 1000 watts Addmotor Motan than these fenders will be a great assistance. For off road bikes too – the fenders are a good match.
These full coverage fat bike fenders perfectly fits 26×3.00″ tires. If you have a cruiser style bike than the fenders can envelope 2″-2.125″ tires. The fenders are 4 inches wide.
Fenders are black and the built is good. Secondly all mounting hardware comes pre-installed. You just have to fit the fenders on the bike.
Check prices on Amazon
5. Mucky Nutz Face Fender
If you are looking for full coverage bike fenders than choose from the above 4 fenders reviewed above.
Mucky Nutz Face Fenders are NOT full coverage fenders for fat tires bikes’. But they are in this list – because The Mucky Nutz XL – covers most of the portions of the wheel.
Mucky Nutz Face Fenders are the most popular fenders. You will get thousands of results on Google for these fenders. And these results show their popularity and high demand.
The latest version – The Mucky Nutz XL – are the long version of the original Mucky Nutz. These fenders are one of the most flexible and lightweight products which offers great coverage both in front and behind the wheel.
The XL Mucky Nuts can give you much improved spray containment although they do let a little of the water – through – as they don’t follow the contour of the wheel like the other 4 full coverage bike fenders.
These fenders are made of robust plastic which makes them very flexible. Thy fit almost all fork designs and bends back to shape easily.
Secondly there’s plenty of clearance between the wheel and the fenders frame, which makes these fenders less clogged up because of dirt and mud.
However the best part about Mucky Nutz Fenders is that you can easily switch them between bikes. They are just 37 grams and they are fastened with Velcro straps!
All the earlier reviewed fenders are bulky and get fastened by zip ties and nuts. Switching them between bikes is a lot difficult.
The fenders are available in a variety of colors. They give a sporty look to your fast bikes.
