Saturday, November 1, 2014

Best Topeak DeFender R1 & R2 Road Bike Fender Set (700C Wheels) Deals

Topeak DeFender R1 & R2 Road Bike Fender Set
Customer Ratings: 3.5 stars
List Price: $59.95
Sale Price: $48.90
Today's Bonus: 18% Off
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Contrary to what the packaging states, these fenders are too narrow to work well with 700x25 tires (at least with the Continental Grand Prixs that I have). I could get the front fender to work in the stand, but they would always rub from and shaking when I hit a bump on the road. Disappointing, as it seems like a well-thought out fender system that would be more secure than many other options out there.

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This thing is so bad that I'm not sure if this is better than half a water bottle duct-taped instead. The mounting system is terrible; the main plug is plastic, and the metal nut will strip it before the fender has a chance to get secure. The clearance is horrible with 25's barely fitting (think 1-2mm...) There is no possible way this can be a quick "attach/detach" fender, which is the only reason I bought this in the first place. The reason is again the clearance: with only so little clearance and a thin bendy pos fender, you'll be scrambling to get the alignment just right... only for it to get out of line from a soft breath, due to the cheap plastic nuts holding the metal wires.

It took longer to install these flimsy fenders than doing my incomes taxes including itemized deductions. Wtf?

Best Deals for Topeak DeFender R1 & R2 Road Bike Fender Set (700C Wheels)

I was very indecisive about picking a fender for my road bike. It has threaded holes near the rear dropout that will work for a fender, but nothing on the front fork.

It was a toss-up between this, the SKS Raceblade, or the Planet Bike SpeedEZ Road. I run a 23mm front tire and a 25mm rear tire (sounds strange, but I have my reasons). The Raceblade is made for a max width of 23 which would rub on my rear tire, and the Raceblade XL is made for 25-32 which would look really wide and dopey on my front tire.

So it came down to these or the Planet Bike. I chose these partially because they look better than the planet bike, but mainly because they offer an additional attachment point (both front and rear) than the elastic bands.

It took a bit of time to get them adjusted, but they perform very well. I've had no issues of them moving and rubbing my tire. I've been able to stay dry when the road is wet.

A note about the specs....some say these fenders allow a max tire width of 23mm (including the Topeak website!!). But the packaging says it can handle up to 25mm. I can attest that it will work with 25mm as long as you get it adjusted right.

Honest reviews on Topeak DeFender R1 & R2 Road Bike Fender Set (700C Wheels)

I saw these on a bike and decided to try them. Excellent product, and you can take them out whenever you want!

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