Fenders.
Since I ride in the rain more often than some people, I try to at least make some adaptations so that I'm not completely miserable while I'm out there. Jackets, cycling caps, shoe covers... I'm going to get wet eventually, but I try to delay it a bit and make sure that once I do I'm not chilled to the bone. I've done enough of those rides.
At the top of my list of "must-haves" is a decent set of fenders. Unfortunately, the majority of my bikes don't allow "full-coverage" fenders because of tire and caliper brake clearance, so usually I just settle for "kinda-sorta, mostly covered-ish" fenders. I opt for the temporary mount style, held on by a couple rubber straps, because most race-oriented bikes don't have the mounts for more stable/long-term mounting. They slip out of alignment every ride, and are usually jettisoned as soon as the roads are mostly dry. Again, they're a compromise.
The gravel bike, unlike the vast majority of the quiver, has ample room for full fenders. So much room that I feel compelled to mount semi-permanent fenders on there for aesthetic reasons alone. It has the mounting points, and a cleanly-executed set of fenders wouldn't compel me to yank them off every time the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. This isn't a race bike- it's a bike for less-than ideal conditions and roads, where staying upright often trumps going fast and making quick turns.
I'm thinking a nice set of metal fenders like the ones from Portland Design Works or Velo Orange would look really cool, stay aligned, and keep me dry-ish-er. No more rubber bands and plastic fenders. No more zing-zing-zing when they accidentally get shoved to one side.
I have time. We're rolling into the driest part of the riding season, so other than dodging puddles from snowmelt and piles of sand, I don't need to be riding a foul-weather bike. What I need, more than anything else, is just a lot of miles and a return to some semblance of health.
When the rain comes, and it almost always does, I'll be ready.
At the top of my list of "must-haves" is a decent set of fenders. Unfortunately, the majority of my bikes don't allow "full-coverage" fenders because of tire and caliper brake clearance, so usually I just settle for "kinda-sorta, mostly covered-ish" fenders. I opt for the temporary mount style, held on by a couple rubber straps, because most race-oriented bikes don't have the mounts for more stable/long-term mounting. They slip out of alignment every ride, and are usually jettisoned as soon as the roads are mostly dry. Again, they're a compromise.
The gravel bike, unlike the vast majority of the quiver, has ample room for full fenders. So much room that I feel compelled to mount semi-permanent fenders on there for aesthetic reasons alone. It has the mounting points, and a cleanly-executed set of fenders wouldn't compel me to yank them off every time the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. This isn't a race bike- it's a bike for less-than ideal conditions and roads, where staying upright often trumps going fast and making quick turns.
I'm thinking a nice set of metal fenders like the ones from Portland Design Works or Velo Orange would look really cool, stay aligned, and keep me dry-ish-er. No more rubber bands and plastic fenders. No more zing-zing-zing when they accidentally get shoved to one side.
I have time. We're rolling into the driest part of the riding season, so other than dodging puddles from snowmelt and piles of sand, I don't need to be riding a foul-weather bike. What I need, more than anything else, is just a lot of miles and a return to some semblance of health.
When the rain comes, and it almost always does, I'll be ready.
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