fender decision

What size should I get. Ugh.

After my front fender recently got banged up (thanks, shitty LBS!) and I need to get new ones. No rush, since my other two bikes have them and can take on raniy-day-duty in the mean time.

I want pink so that pretty much means I need soma. But what size? Apparently my bike can take either hybrid 45" or road 37", I'm running 28" tires, I think 700C (how do you even tell? It also says "32" on the tire, IDK)

Bigger fender for more clearance if I want bigger tires later? Or smaller fenders for a better looking ride? Will the smaller fenders fit for sure? Any other reasons? I'll probably never need bigger tires, do the smaller fenders really look that much better? I need advice : /

http://www.somafab.com/accessories/fenders
the bike in question is the black soma in my signature.

700c is the size of the tire in the French system, with a diameter of 622mm. 32 would be 32mm, the width of your tire. I have no opinion on whether you should go thin or thick...

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Originally Posted by Antaresia

I want pink so that pretty much means I need soma. But what size? Apparently my bike can take either hybrid 45" or road 37", I'm running 28" tires, I think 700C (how do you even tell? It also says "32" on the tire, IDK)

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Get fenders that match your tire width. A bike with huge wide fenders and skinny tires will look quite silly. If your tires are 700x32c, then the 37mm wide fenders would be the proper choice. The 45mm fenders are almost in the mountain bike and cruiser bike range.

A helpful blog post from the bike hermit http://biketouringnews.com/touring-g...s-an-overview/ Plan on at least 10 mm wider than the widest tire you plan to use.

so, laura* says the 37mm will be fine, but that article says I should need 42mm at least. I'm still confused.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Antaresia

so, laura* says the 37mm will be fine, but that article says I should need 42mm at least. I'm still confused.

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I just went out and measured the fenders that came stock on my folding (commute) bike: The fenders are 47mm, and the tires are also 47mm wide.
It seems to me that the bike industry does not follow the "10mm extra" rule.

I checked the Soma site, and noticed that in addition to the 37 and 45mm sizes, they also offer a 60mm size. I suggest measuring your bike - specifically the space between the fork blades and the space between your brake arms (when the brakes are applied). In case you don't have a metric ruler, 37mm is 1 1/2 inches, 45mm is 1 3/4 inches, and 60mm 2 3/8 inches.

We always ask "where are you riding said bike" Personally I would rather have a bit more clearance between my tire and fender. Coming to a complete, unexpected halt due to something getting caught between a fender and a tire isn't fun. So keep in mind where you are riding and how much stuff - twigs, leaves et al are on your path. Of course, I also hear the concern about looking a bit silly if there is too much space. we have found the 10mm rule of thumb to work well, thus the post.

My all rounder has 26 x 1.3" (32-559) and I run 35mm fenders. The attached picture shows the fender fit. I tend to run as narrow a fender as possible for the aesthetics. I will not run anything bigger than the 32mm tire on this bike.