This winter, I decided that I needed to do whatever I could to protect my chain, downtube, and bottom bracket from all the salt and road spray.
So, I rigged up a DIY fender extender and have been riding with it for months now.
After every ride, I do tend to wipe my chain and any parts that got sprayed, but I'm blown away by how clean the bike stays simply by having that front fender extender.
The photo shows the fender extender, held in place using duct tape (didn't want to drill holes in the fender, although, some fenders are designed so fender extenders can be put on easily). It's held like this through numerous puddles and all kinds of weather, so "it works". Make it out of a plastic file folder, which I got from Walmart for a few dollars. I can probably make another 3 out of the single file folder.
The only downside I see, which can probably be tweaked by trimming the extender to mitigate it, is that it causes more drag as it acts like a mini sail that's always working against you. LOL I'm not racing with this bike, so it's a small sacrifice for keeping it clean! I'm sure someone more crafty could come up with a design that could be easily removed, although, my setup only requires you to pull the tape off. Easy enough.
Yes. You can see the rear wheel in the background ๐
The fender supports don't interfere with the extender on my bike. Some fender supports are designed differently, so they can be used to help fix the extender to the fender.
Wind, even riding in 40km+ headwind, has not bent this extender back. The curved shape keeps it strong. If I were to go over a curb, it will bend back before returning to its original shape. So it's designed not to break (or over stress the fender if you hit it), but also to not bend when it's not desired.
Yeah, I've just had cheaper/ crappier fenders get pushed back, and then the rubbery bits got pulled into the wheel.
It needs to be shaped like a scoop, and not a flap. A slightly more rigid material (i.e. thin plastic sheet) would be better than something softer.
Most fender extenders you can buy are rubber, but they aren't nearly as long as the one I made, and thus, not nearly as effective.