Fenders for a fat bike: what are they, how to choose and install?

The main purpose of a fat bike is to ride through mud, puddles and snow. And because of the wide tires with a developed tread, the rider gets much more dirt than when riding a mountain bike. Therefore, wings on a fat bike are an important necessity.

When selling fat bikes, they are rarely equipped with mud flaps. For the correct choice of this necessary accessory, you should familiarize yourself with the different types of wings. Below are their main differences.

• Material - mud flaps are plastic and metal. Plastic have less weight, but also less strength. Steel fenders are stronger, but they are heavy, can rattle and corrode. Aluminum are devoid of these drawbacks, they are lighter, but much more expensive and are rarely found in stores. The best option is metal-plastic, they are light, durable, have an acceptable cost and, as a result, are very popular.

• The size - there are full-size and short ones. The former are better at protecting you and your bike from dirt, the latter are lighter in weight and easier to install.

• Installation method. Shortened fenders are often called quick-change fenders due to their ease of installation. Full size mudguards are stationary.

Steel fenders are available on a budget. In all other cases, it is desirable to give preference to plastic or metal-plastic.

When choosing, be sure to take into account the conditions of use of the bike... For frequent rides in mud, snow, or bad weather, choose a full-size mudguard. To travel on difficult terrain, they must be strong, as contact with bushes and other obstacles is possible.

Anyway the mudguard should be slightly wider than the wheel. General advice when selecting - be guided by the degree of dirtiness of your clothes after riding.

When buying a set of fenders, fasteners come with them, which will deprive you of problems during installation. Frame and fork must have holes or lugs to fit full size mudguards. If they are, there will be no problems. If they are not there, you will have to use homemade clamps that can be cut from soft sheet metal - tin is good. In the absence of mounts, shortened wings are usually used.

The quick-change wing is attached by a screw and nut to the gorilla (the bridge between the fork legs) or to the head tube. In the latter case, a special sleeve is attached to the mudguard, which is then inserted into the hole between the fork stays and wedged with a screw. To mount in this way, the front wheel must be removed.

It should be noted that the fastening is cantilever, and it is difficult to achieve the required rigidity on 26-inch wheels. In this regard, the mudguard is made shortened, and often an additional protective screen is placed on the lower tube of the frame with the help of clamps. The clamps must be rubber, as plastic can damage the paint.

The stationary wing is attached in the same way at the top point, and at the bottom - using a special wire bracket. On the one hand, the bracket is fixed to the fender, on the other - on the wheel hub or in the eyes on the fork.

The rear quick-change fender is attached to the seatpost with a clamp or eccentric clip. Sometimes there is an additional attachment to the lintel connecting the rear frame stays.

The stationary mudguard is attached to the rear triangle lintels and by means of a bracket to the lugs on the frame. These actions are carried out using screws.

In any case, it is necessary to trace so that there is no contact between the wheels and the mud flaps... Also, there should be a gap of 1–2 cm between the wheel and the wing. It is needed so that the adhering dirt does not rub against the wing.