Last week, I briefly covered my Raleigh Detour 6.5’s switch from a fully geared 24 speed bike to a 1×8 IGH setup. The swap was really simple, and although I may do a how-to article at some later date, anyone with a bit of and money could easily do this in an afternoon, once all the correct parts are sourced. Although it was intended as a fun bike for short trips around town, it was done with commuting or light shopping duties in mind as well, so a rack was added. Since nothing completes a commuter bike like fenders, SKS provided a set of their Velo 42 Urban models to finish it. SKS offers this pair of fenders with a retail price of only $20, but we suggest you pony up the extra $10 or so for the optional u-stay kit, as shown.

Find your Shimano Nexus Inter 8 on Amazon.com

Unlike the last set of SKS fenders we installed, we were able to start with the wheels still on the bike. The rear fender bolts to the bridge at the brake stays, and the molded plastic clamp attaches without tools on the lower portion of the seat tube. Note that this could possibly hit the front derailleur mount on some bikes. Rather than a pair of v-shaped stays, the fenders came with a single stainless steel stay, bent into an inverted “u”. It snaps into a clip on the underside of the rear-most portion of the fender, and slides into the mounts at the frame’s rear wheel dropouts. These mounts offer a bit of vertical adjustment, depending on how far the stay is inserted before the the clamp’s bolt is snugged down. On the plus side, this rear fender is extremely simple to install. A minor aesthetic drawback is that it doesn’t follow the contour of the wheel perfectly at the front, but staying dry is more important than looks on most commuters.

Moving to the front wheel, things were just as easy, with the fender being attached to the fork by running a bolt through a hole in the crown. The stay snapped into place in the fender, and we threaded the included hardware through the mounts and into the eyelets on the fork, behind the dropouts. Once we set the fender height over the wheel, the clamps and mounting hardware were tightened, and everything was double-checked. Since it lined up properly, there was no need for further adjustments, and we were ready to go. Note that the SKS designers had some ribbing molded into the underside of the fenders, to give them a bit of extra rigidity. In theory, this would allow you to cut your install time and expenses by ordering the fenders without the u-stay kit, but they are so much more solidly mounted with them, the added durability easily outweighs any savings in time or money. And they look cool.

With the bike now complete, I threw on a Detours Sodo handlebar bag, along with their D2R large pannier set. I also borrowed a D2R trunk bag for the photo shoot. The Sodo has a total volume of 330 cubic inches, and includes a waterproof flap on the top with a clear window so you can see your phone, a map, or a photo of your puppy. It also has a quick release mounting system which makes it easy to remove take with you. At 800 cubic inches, the D2R trunk bag holds plenty when commuting, or carry more home from the store. For the biggest loads, their D2R large pannier set swallows 2,125 cubic inches of cargo. Any more than that, and I’d be inclined to hook up the trailer.

Additional photos below.

– Brian