Can anyone point me in the right direction regarding materials and methods for creating fenders for my 29er single speed? I would like to try my hand at making a custom fender set to keep things dry on a few upcoming bikepacking trips. Thanks in advance!

Don Meredith
http://lightpack.blogspot.com

coroplast fenders:

http://www.carsstink.org/peterson/FendForYourself.html

http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2007/01/tobys-coroplast-panniers-fenders.html

Edited by dag4643 on 02/14/2010 21:48:42 MST.

Don,
I assume the challenge is in the making and not the finding?

(There are plenty of 29er fenders that are light, stable, etc., and any good shop should be able to help you.)

Don,

If you just want to make them yourself, there is alot of good information on youtube.com

You can also google both amateur boat building and aircraft for info.

suppliers;

fiberlay.com
jamestowndistributors.com
aircraft spruce (google)


In addition most libraries have books on fiberglass/ composite techniques.

Greg

The Boy Scouts have a useful merit badge manual for fiber reinforced plastics.

Is there a way that one could mold carbon inside an inflated tire, between the inside of the tire and the tube? I do know that carbon techniques do include air bladders, don't know about the rest.

There's good carbon info here:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/
(I don't know what newer info it might be missing, or if Mr. Rinard is easily reachable.)

The carbon Berthoud fenders I've seen are pretty flat (no gutters, no mentionable side-to-side curve), and I find this awfully annoying in a fender (especially road). (There're some carbon fenders on a 'bent here that I'll have to get a closer look at.)

I wonder if vacuum forming a relatively light plastic would work well. (Likely depends on your conditions. I wonder if THE (Toby Henderson) fenders are vacuum formed? I hear they can be surprisingly durable.)

Edited by rbimli on 02/17/2010 21:19:37 MST.

I would think using two inflatable mold surfaces would make it very difficult to make a part. Also, don't tires have a rough inside? That would have to be made very smooth, and a coating would have to be applied to help the part release from it when it's done curing. Now if a half pipe were used, an inner tube could still probably used with a film beneath it to help it release, although I think laying the CF over the pipe would be easier. Still though, how intricate is this fender going to be? Is it simply a fraction of the outer half of a torus, or will it include things like brackets or any other complex curves? If it's going to be complex, I'd say to make it out of foam carved with a hot wire, "paint" it with something that won't melt with the epoxy/resin being used, lay up the carbon fiber and cure it, and then melt the foam out.

Deal Extreme has fenders in multiple colors for basically the shipping cost. I have made many a custom fender. There is way more geometry than is worth the while. Toroidal sections are not that easy to work with. (I do make motorcycle fenders and such if anybody is in the need) Each fender really needs to be formed to the wheel set that you are using it with.

Had to pull the fenders off yesterday. Too much snow. :):)

If it doesn't feel good, you're doing it wrong.
BJ

Edited by lilorphanbilly on 02/18/2010 01:25:56 MST.