Some folks asked for a more rugged VO fender; perhaps they ride on rocky trails or leave their bikes outside on busy city streets. So our super popular 45mm smooth fenders is now available in polished stainless steel. Of course, the stainless steel fenders are heavier than our regular alloy model, but they are also far more dent resistant. And the highly polished finish looks great. The hardware is identical to that used in our other VO fenders and they are undrilled.We've also received many requests for a fender to fit 26" wheels. The new 26" VO fender is alloy, 60mm wide, undrilled, and comes with the usual VO hardware.
We are also working on a new style of fender stay. This stay will bolt directly to the fender with two small button-head screws, instead of using eyelet bolts. The rational is that it eliminates possible toe clip overlap on some frames. The tooling in now being made for these new stays and we should have them in a couple of months. Initially we'll have them as an option, but we may make them the standard stay on some models. The downside of this design is that it does not allow the stay to "swivel" when mounted in a less than optimal location.Also, all models of VO brand fenders are in stock again.
If possible, I would like to see slotted holes on that revised fender stay. I would use the same holes I drill in my fenders for my Berthoud fender flap to mount the stay, but this requires that the holes line up.
ReplyDeleteSign me up for one of those stays when it comes out, i've got the toe-clip problem.
Great! My Berthoud stainless fenders have been bulletproof over many miles of unpaved roads, but I was always wishing they were a little longer, especially the front.
ReplyDeleteNot only do they not dent/fatigue as easily, they stay shiny forever (almost).
For ease of installation, I'm a big fan of the VO single mount stays, but the flush mount approach does have a nice sleek & finished look.
Hi Chris,
ReplyDeleteThanks for offering the new SS fenders. I'm just wondering if those heavier fenders might need stainless rather than aluminum stays--the stainless stays I have on my dutch commuter are significantly more rigid than the aluminum stays on my VO fenders. I have the sense that the steel fenders may need those more rigid stays.
Any chance for 700c 60mm aluminum fenders, hammered or otherwise? I am liking my Schwalbe Big Apple 50-622's!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely gorgeous! I have an original pair of "GW" stainless fenders on my French Astra citybike from 1971, and they are still shiny and dent-free, despite some abuse and exposure to Florida weather.
ReplyDeleteI think Darren's "slotted hole" idea is a great one...it will give a bit more mounting flexibility for misaligned mounting points.
For those of you asking Chris to change the design and make the holes slotted, could you not just employ a file?
ReplyDeleteThe slotted holes are a good idea, but the tooling has aready been ordered. Obviously, you guys have to start anticipating new products.
ReplyDeleteDon't slot the holes on the stay, that would ruin the clean look. Slot the holes that one drills in the fender, this then gets hidden by the stay.
ReplyDeleteAnother, better trick to mounting the 2 hole stays is first just to drill one hole, mount the stay on the fender with that, then put the assembly on the bike, do the usual fussing/fidgeting to get nice fender line, then drill the second hole where indicated by the location of the fender stay hole.
That way you still get the flexibility of a single mount during fit up. It isn't quite as convenient as the single mount in the middle of the fender, and will still constitutes a moment arm, but is a lot better than trying to drill/fit both holes in advance.
You still may have to adjust hole location a little, depending how much of a perfectionist you are, but it is a lot less.
anon asks,
ReplyDeleteThanks for offering the new SS fenders. I'm just wondering if those heavier fenders might need stainless rather than aluminum stays--the stainless stays I have on my dutch commuter are significantly more rigid than the aluminum stays on my VO fenders. I have the sense that the steel fenders may need those more rigid stays.
The Berthoud stainless fenders work just fine with aluminum stays. The VO stays look a lot like the Berthouds.
top ten! Oh, never mind. This isn't a racing blog...
ReplyDelete26" fenders yay! 60 mm, not so yay. At least not for my application, which has 32 mm wide tires. I may be the only person interested in a narrower 26" fender ( say, 40-45 mm) or maybe not. But I thought I'd run it up the flag pole and see if anyone salutes. Maybe there'd be enough interest to make a run of narrower fenders feasible.
ReplyDeleteI've got a pair of fluted 40mm Honjo's on my 26" wheeled Atlantis. They were hard to get though. I picked them up in Japan. But Honjo do make such a thing.
ReplyDeletei am also interested in some narrower 26" fenders (fluted please!). It is also for a smaller Atlantis, and it has been tough to find nice narrow fenders.
ReplyDeleteI also need a set of narrow 26 in fenders for my "coffee bike".
ReplyDeletei am also interested in some narrower 26" fenders
ReplyDeleteI'm late to the party, but I'm also interested in narrow 26 inch fenders.
ReplyDeleteBy golly I do not even have a 26" wheeled bike but I would just feel all happy inside knowing that these wonderful shorter people had a set of shinny new 26" stainless steel fenders...with stainless stays and optional slots and second screw holes. Make em smile!
ReplyDeleteThe Skinnyfisk