Every Season is Fender Season
Every fall, as the days shorten and the leaves turn slick under our tires, a familiar caption starts showing up in our social feeds: “fender season!”.
But it’s interesting when you think about it: why should fenders be treated as a seasonal accessory at all? The rain doesn’t always arrive on schedule and neither does that gross looking puddle. A fender'd bike isn’t just for surviving winter; it’s for enjoying every ride, year-round. At Velo Orange, every season is fender season.
A Little History
The truth is, there was a time when all good bikes had fenders. In the mid-20th century (the "golden age" of cycling craftsmanship) they were considered part of a complete build, not an optional accessory. French constructeur bikes, English club machines, and touring rigs all wore them proudly. Read this blog post about Fender Fest 2025 to really nerd out on some cool vintage and modern bikes we saw in Germany earlier this year.
It wasn’t until contemporary racing culture began to dominate the market that fenders started to disappear. Bikes got stripped down in the pursuit of speed, and “serious” riders were expected to brave the elements bare. "Rule #5: harden the f*** up". I'm currently at that age where I care about comfort and utility more than appearances to others.
More Than Just Rain Protection
Fenders are often seen as purely functional - something you bolt on when you have to, not because you want to. But once you’ve ridden with a good set of full-coverage fenders, it’s hard to go back.
In shoulder seasons, when mornings start damp and afternoons end dry, fenders quietly do their job without asking you to plan around the weather. They’re the unsung heroes of everyday riding: invisible when the roads are perfect, indispensable when they aren’t.
Even on dry roads, fenders earn their keep. They block the dust and grit that gets kicked up by your tires — the same stuff that coats your frame, chain, and legs after just a few miles. They keep your drivetrain cleaner, your bike looking fresher, and your friends continue wanting to ride with you.
I took this picture in Puerto Rico a clear day. There was a small stream of questionable water across the bike lane. Luckily I saw it in time and was able to safely stop my bike and carry it over without getting a stinky stripe on me.
And when the inevitable surprise summer shower hits? You’ll be the one without the skunk tail up your back. This was in June at Eurobike, by the way. Our butts? Clean as a whistle.
The Setup Factor
The secret to loving your fenders is installation. A poorly fit set can rattle, rub, or collect debris. A well-fit pair, on the other hand, should disappear. Take the time to get the lines right: consistent clearances, centered over the tire, and solid connection points. Of course it helps if your frame is designed for fenders (like a VO frameset), so make sure you look at your frame's documentation for fender fitting details. Or send us an email with photos of your bike and we'll give you our best answer with hardware suggestions to make it work.
We try to give our readers as much info as possible for fenders, so check out some of these resources for fender fitment:
- This is Why You Need Fenders - A Spray Analysis
- Installing VO Fenders
- Fenders on Disc Brake Bikes
- How to Install Mudflaps
- Re-Radiusing Fenders
- FenderFest 2025 - no documentation, but a fantastic collection of fenders on beautiful bikes!
- French Fender Days past
I recommend to support the front fender forward section with a strut if using to commute on buses often. Also, lock the front brake if the bus rack lacks a surrounding cage that prevents the wheel moving back and forth. Not all bus racks have well enough spring tension on the clamping arm.
Thinking about fenders could also include thoughts about rain, but even in dry weather, smooth dirt, gravel, and the sides along paved roads can also be dirty and/or dusty and fenders, with a low-hanging flap on the back of a front fender, can help to keep you and your bike’s gear train cleaner.
Jason F – That’s a good idea, and I might try it for a different reason. I have a Polyvalent Lowkicker like the one in the top picture (built more or less as a flat-bar gravel bike). Even with the large fork offset (like 60 mm?), toe overlap is almost a problem WITHOUT fenders. If I had only a rubber flap to hit instead of a more rigid metal or plastic fender on those rare occasions when foot and fender align, that would be less of an issue when they meet up unexpectedly. With a size medium frame, 170 mm cranks, 27.5×1.75 tires, and size 9.5 shoes, it’s very close, so I use a mud guard that clips onto the down tube instead of regular fenders, which are more effective. I also use MKS metal half toe clips, in part to keep me from getting sloppy and putting my foot too far forward where toe could meet tire, and I even had to bend the clips slightly for them to miss.)
Note that VO is on the east coast, where it can rain any day year round. When I lived in the SF Bay Area there was about 7-8 months every year where it didn’t rain, and if it did, we just didn’t ride that day. Moving to the PNW there’s only 3 dry months, so it doesn’t make sense to remove your fenders, so we typically keep them on year round.
For John Bolton, Jeff Bock knows what he’s doing, just address your concerns to him and he’ll sort it out. Pretty much any fendered bike should have a mud flap on it up front to keep your feet and bottom bracket area clean, and one in the back to protect the rider behind you. These should reach down fairly close to the ground, maybe an inch or two clearance.
Year ‘round, no question. Once they’re mounted right, that’s the end of it.
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