Portland Design Works

The PDW full metal fenders work well and look good! Installation took longer than expected -- take their advice that if you don't have the proper tools and patience, you may be better off asking your local bike shop to install these. I did it myself and am still trying to get them dialed in just perfect, but overall I'm happy with the fenders. They keep me dry, which is the top priority. The rear mud flap comes down pretty low and could make it difficult to store the bike upright, if that's your preference. I've heard the fenders work fine without the mudflap, too, though and may consider removing it in the future.

I had little hope for these until today: the other fenders I tried failed. I opened the bag, and took out the front fender. It had a few simple diagrams showing how to strap its bracket to the down tube. Minutes later, bracket on, fender snapped to it, and I'm pretty sure it will block spray from the front tire. I got the rear fender. A few more parts, screws, and I'm thinking, "Here it comes." But again, a few simple diagrams, parts that matched the diagrams, who knew it was possible! I followed the sequence and a few minutes later, it was on, snugly, no cable ties, no mangling the fender to make it fit. The support attaches to the base of the seat tube (dropper post in my case) with a soft and tough strap that gets snugged up with a cam lever. The fender snaps to the support. I adjusted mine to hover 1 cm above the rear tire.

I took it for a short ride. The fenders are out of the way. They don't get in the way when I hang the bike on its hook, as with other bikes. They're both just quietly waiting for the next ride in a downpour. I rode in one 5 days ago, and everything got soaked. These will help,

A cool part of the design is that the rear fender can be removed by releasing the cam lever. The front fender can be removed by loosening its straps. If you're feeling lucky you can leave them off until it's going to rain. I'm leaving them on. I won't accidentally tear them off like I did previous fenders.

I commute on a daily basis quite early, before sunrise, and want a light to see where I'm going on trails that are poorly lit. I have used various solutions including lights not specifically for biking attached to my helmet but I thought I would try a handlebar mounted approach. The last handlebar light I had with a similar design (but a different manufacturer) I see with some research was more than 10 years ago, so happily there has been good progress with this one. It is less then 2/3 the weight and the light is well directed so it is easy to avoid blinding oncoming riders while seeing the trail reasonably clearly. At bike commuter speed the amount of light is fine; I suppose if I was riding a class 3 e-bike I would want more. I'm not sure about the handlebar bracket's rubber attachment system; will it age well? Because the light unit is not heavy the bracket keeps the light from moving around. I only use this on the high setting; according to the info provided it should get two hours from a full charge at that setting. My commute is about 50 minutes and I keep an eye on the power gauge; my strong impression is that the battery doesn't hold an initial charge well, by which I mean if I charge it on Friday evening by Monday morning the battery will have lost 5%. That surprises me but basically for my purposes this should work fine, charging it after each use. Pluses: enough light, not expensive, doesn't blind others.

Great product. These fenders are well designed, well made and nicely packaged. I found it easier to mount these than other brands I've mounted. I especially like the way the stays slide in/out of the plastic fixtures where they attach to the frame which provides a much cleaner look and avoids having to trim the stays as required for another major brand. The flat black color doesn't distract from other bling on my bike. They feel solid, and don't vibrate or rattle.