I used to avoid biking in the rain. It was a hassle being caught in the rain without the proper rain gear. I'd arrive in school/office/wherever dripping wet, without the proper change of clothes and just feeling absolutely miserable.
Unfortunately, the only other option was commuting, which seemed like a horrible alternative. It was impossible to get a ride in rush hour, traffic is horrible, jeeps are impssibly hot and stuffy, MRT crowds are pushy and impatient. In other words, it would be a miserable experience.
But I always knew that every time I'm not on my bke, I'd look wistfully out the window at some biker in the rain and wish I was out there, dripping wet and all.
So I made some adjustments. I got myself heavy duty rain bags (a Timbuk2 messenger bag and an Outdry backpack), a lightweight waterproof rainjacket and carried 3 extra sets of clothes with me.
Except for wet butt and striped back moments from the rain spray, wet season became my friend. I cleaned and regreased/oiled my bike more often but I didn't shy away from the rain anymore.
Until my wet butt and striped back started to bother me. I want to arrive in my destinations with a nice, warm butt. I needed bike fenders. Unfortunately, the pretty bike fenders online were expensive and I didn't want to wait
So, I searched for bike fender tutorials. Bike hacks and instructables gave me some inspiration, and my friend gave me the suggestion of using plastic folders as fenders.
On one rainy Wednesday, I rummaged through old school supplies and found an old plastic folder that I could use. I made some rough measurements The result was 2 flimsy pieces of plastic that I attached using zip ties. They are ugly to look at and look extremely flimsy, but guess what, they did their job well. My butt has now remained rain-free the past few weeks.
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| Plastic folder fender prototype 0.000001 |
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