At the crux of this matter is the question, “How do you use your bicycle?”
On the one hand, many choose to use the bike as a toy, as a piece of exercise equipment, as a recreational device. That’s well and good. But there are other applications. It’s no secret that I like using the bike as a vehicle. I love using these wonderful machines to get to where I want to go.
That last statement has some powerful implications. If the only car at your disposal was an open roadster, with no means of putting the top up, and no fenders, you would probably develop a certain reluctance to go out in any but the nicest weather. The same can be said for the bike. Technical weather clothing helps. It’s amazing how well some of this stuff works. But face it; it’s going to rain. And fenders keep a cyclist cleaner and drier.
That part about “cleaner” is important. That technical weather clothing I mentioned? Guess what? It doesn’t work so well if it get dirty. Fabrics like Goretex™ don’t do their amazing tricks as well when they get dirty. Keeping them clean helps keep you dry! And not having the water flung up at you from below helps keep you dry too.
Of course there are drawbacks to fenders.
- Some feel they look clunky and odd.
- They increase wind drag.
- They add weight.
- Some might argue, the weight and drag are there all the time, and it only rains sometimes.
In Reply, I would say,
- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Form follows function.
- Increased weight and drag are good training loads.
- Yes it only rains sometimes, but I can only ride sometimes, and it tends to rain more when I want to ride. Fenders are good!
The rack and bag thing:
Another aspect of transportation cycling is the ability to haul stuff around. If one is going to use the bike as a transport, sooner or later it becomes necessary to find ways to bring things along. Backpacks can solve this problem, sometimes. But backpacks add a lot of weight, and the rider has to bear it. Racks and bags put the weight on the bike. One has to exert energy to move this stuff. It shouldn’t be necessary to exert more energy to support it.
I have a good rack and a very decent set of touring panniers on my commuter. Want an example of what can be done? On a recent trip, I carried my work clothes with me, along with my rain gear, and made a grocery stop on the way home. On that stop I picked up a small bunch of carrots, four large tomatoes, a box of vermicelli pasta, two cans of tomato sauce, a half gallon of milk, a pound of cheese, a jar of peanut butter, a jar of jelly, a loaf of bread, a pound of butter, a small rotisserie chicken, a dozen eggs, and a candy bar. Yes, I noticed the weight, but I didn’t burn any gas while I carried it, my trip was not noticeably longer, and I had fun doing it.
In my mind this beats the stew out of loading the bike on my truck and then driving to some place where I will ride it.
What’s your favorite accessory, and why?
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