Honjos

[William]

I have been a very enthusiastic advocate of the quality for the price of plastic fenders.  I dismiss the claims that all metal fenders are the only suitable option for a quality bicycle.  That said, I had the opportunity to get a used set of plastics onto a new bike and found myself in need for another set of 650B fenders.  I went ahead and tried my luck at Jitensha studio and fate had it that Hiroshi had one and only one set of Honjos on hand that would be suitable for my Hilsen, so I went for it.  I've picked at it for the last couple of days and finally have the installation complete.  I can't say that I did the install perfectly, nor can I say that my opinion about the best VALUE in fenders has changed.  But I can say that I appreciate all metal fenders and the quality of workmanship that has gone into Honjos.  Furthermore, I can say that I think my Hilsen looks pretty swank with a set of featherlight hammered Honjos on it, and I hope it will look this nicely for years to come. 

Pics prove it was hard work:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45758191@N04/sets/72157630131488386/

[Manuel Acosta]

I can attest to the installation of honjo fenders. It's similar to wrestling a wool sweater on an alligator. While it's sounds impossible it really is. The bike looks good. The dents and scratches will add character to the fenders.

[René Sterental]

Je je je!!! You won't be able to go back... But you'll get better at the installation of the metal fenders... ;-)

René (who only uses metal fenders)

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[Steve Palincsar]

On Thu, 2012-06-14 at 22:49 -0700, Manuel Acosta wrote:
> I can attest to the installation of honjo fenders. It's similar to
> wrestling a wool sweater on an alligator.

That sounds so violent. The reality is far different... although I will
admit, the first time it brought recollections of Matthew 19:24 to mind
("And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of
God.")

[Michael Hechmer]

Nice job.  Often times I have found patience and thinking get better results than swearing!  I think you will like how much better metal fenders stay in alignment than plastic ones. Hopefully you wont have any need to become more experienced at installation.  I've had good luck with the hammered honjos on my Ram since 2005 but cracked two of them commuting on my Ebisu before switching to steel. 

Michael

[Matthew J]

Looks good.  I prefer the Berthoud mounting hardware to Honjo.  Easier to fix dents in aluminum though.

[robert peterson]

I put Honjos on my Saluki about 5 years ago and so far no problems. I'm no great mechanic but I managed to get them on by going V E R Y  S L O W. The dreaded stick jamming the wheel has not happened yet. Aside from the handsome look the best thing is a nice solid and logical place to put a proper tail light and reflector. Mine came with a sliding rear bracket and it rattled until I squirted some clear silicon caulk between the fender and bracket.  William, your bicycle looks great.

On Friday, June 15, 2012 12:15:06 AM UTC-5, William wrote:

On Friday, June 15, 2012 12:15:06 AM UTC-5, William wrote:

[William]

I took the slow and patient route and would advise the same to others.  It's one of those things that I can imagine one could do with far less wasted motion with repetition.  I envision experts like JPWeigle doing an install in the middle of a conversation about the 1975 RedSox, while the awestruck observer just stares in appreciation "this is worth the price of admission"

[Joe Bunik]

I think your first time with metal fenders, it's the swearing and
frustration. Second time round, it's all patience and a smooth drink.
=- Joe Bunik
Walnut Creek, CA

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[PATRICK MOORE]

Hiroshi has, or used to have, very detailed instructions on mounting
Honjos on his website. I followed those and, despite my natural
Klutziness, managed to do an acceptable job in an hour or so with
little cussing. Also, Jan Heine had even more detailed instructions in
a back issue of BQ from last year.

On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 10:46 AM, Joe Bunik <jbu...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I think your first time with metal fenders, it's the swearing and
> frustration. Second time round, it's all patience and a smooth drink.
> =- Joe Bunik
> Walnut Creek, CA
>

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"Push back against the age as hard as it pushes against you."

Flannery O'Connor

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Patrick Moore, Albuquerque, NM, USA
For professional resumes, contact Patrick Moore, ACRW
http://resumespecialties.com/index.html
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[Peter Morgano]

Having done this job 4 times I can say that repetition does make it easier, with less cursing.  Although getting the "just right" fenderline does take more finessing than just offering up the fenders and hoping for the best. Realizing the how much tension in the stays will distort the fender for the better or worse is the art of it all for me, you want some tension so they hold a good shape I find but you obviously dont want them under a ton of tension all the time so it is a balancing act. 

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[Jan Heine]

On Friday, June 15, 2012 9:01:00 AM UTC-7, William wrote:

I took the slow and patient route and would advise the same to others.  It's one of those things that I can imagine one could do with far less wasted motion with repetition.  I envision experts like JPWeigle doing an install in the middle of a conversation about the 1975 RedSox, while the awestruck observer just stares in appreciation "this is worth the price of admission"

Peter Weigle has an easy job of it. His bikes are designed for fenders, so they drop right in. Not only are the bridges equidistant, he also has threaded holes where the fenders go. He drills a few holes, maybe manipulates the diameter a bit, and off he goes. Even so, it takes some time.

Having installed fenders on bikes that "had adequate clearances" and on bikes that actually were designed with fenders in mind, there is a huge difference. I was surprised how simple it was to install fenders in my new René Herse. The only tough job was indenting the fenders so they fit beween the chainstays. (The Grand Bois fenders are exactly the right diameter for Grand Bois Hetre tires, so no massaging needed to get them to fit just right.)

By the way, the fender should be under no tension from the stays. Basically, when you loosen the stays, the fender should not move. Otherwise, your fender will break prematurely from the inbuilt stresses. Well-mounted aluminum fenders should last at least 30 years and 100,000 miles in normal use, unlike plastic fenders, which cannot be mounted without inbuilt stresses, and thus will break after a couple of years.

[RonLau]

To add to Jan's comment.  Now I don't put fenders on bike if it is not design for metal fenders (bridge placement, braze on...) I don't like the voodoo I had to do when I change a flat and when I clean my bike.

For me, a bike design for metal fenders, you should be able to remove them in 5 minutes and re-install in 10 minutes. Metal fenders is not rare anymore and we should demand more from builders to do the job correctly the first time.  Unless they promise to do the fenders voodoo for you when you have a flat, 1am, cold with a strong wind, and yes, you only have one borrow tube left.

[Steve Palincsar]

On Fri, 2012-06-15 at 19:58 -0700, RonLau wrote:
> we should demand more from builders to do the job correctly the first
> time.

+1

[Eric Platt]

It is not that important to all.  While I have fenders on all my bikes it just isn't an issue if I need to spend some extra time to make a bracket or spacer.  More concerned whether I can fit 50mm tires with side knobs on 60mm fenders.  Not an issue with plastic but pretty important with metal due to the rolled edge.

Eric Platt
St. Paul, MN