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
You forgot the other reason; it’s a real pain to take them off, store them somewhere, and put them on.
When I ride on our chunky roads I can hear the gravel pinging and rattling under the fenders. The fact that they look good on the bike is gravy.
All of these reasons and more! I run fenders year-round because
- Getting out right after a rain, when the air is dry but the ground is still wet, is often the most lovely time to ride and lets you capitalize on even short breaks in the rain
- A short-cut through the grass? Watch out for goose and dog poop! Fenders will keep that off of you, and off your bottles so you don’t get sick when you drink from their nozzle
- Dog poop is an ever-present danger on the shared forest trails that I like to ride, too
My preferred setup is to rotate the front fender forward about 4" from what the factory holes suggest, and run a flexible flap on the front (love the Gurp flaps, if they are still around?) to take up the lost coverage. This way it’s nearly impossible to hit the metal fender on anything – I ride down stairs, over big roots, pretty much anything without worry. I also like to add PDW’s safety tabs to my VO fenders in case I do snag them.
I have VO fenders on my custom hand built mixte 3 speed. The rear fender doesn’t fit well on my truck’s Kuat rack and I cringe every time I mount it. Jeff Bock is building rando for my wife. Do you think shortening the fender and using a mud flap would help?
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