As a follow up to a previous post regarding the Wald Splashguard Fenders for folks who were concerned about the fender providing enough coverage for wet weather bicycle commuting or as one fella commented "getting a bikini shower". .

Several options are available for adding leather fender mud flaps, most popular being those from Velo Orange and Brooks.  While they provide very nice products I chose to make my own since I had some pieces of leather stashed in my workshop.   

Process of making a leather fender mudflap is fairly simple.  I found a package of scrap leather a couple years ago at a local hobby and crafts supply shop for ten bucks.  I would recommend using at least 1/8" thick leather as it holds its shape after being treated with a water proofing wax which tends to considerably soften the leather.  

Photos shown here are of the Wald #90 Balloon Bolt On Bicycle Splash Guard Fender.  Photo at left shown the piece of leather to be used clamped on the fender in order to make a template.  It is the easiest way to account for the curvature of the fender.  After tracing around the fender and cutting with a utility knife the leather mud flap measures 3 1/4 inches wide by 5 1/2 inches long with an inch to an inch and a half overlay on the fender for supporting the leather mudflap underneath.    

After the piece was cut to shape two holes were punched through at 3/4" from the top edge and 3/4" from the outside edge to accommodate the hardware for mounting to the fender. 
Then I simply warmed the leather in the sun for half an hour or so before water proofing with Sno Seal.  After rubbing the wax into the leather I was fortunate enough to have an antique shoe buffer to work the wax into the leather and provide it with a solid finish.  

After drilling the fender mounting holes for the hardware it was installed onto the fender and allowed to dry. . I plan to make a rear mud flap and a set for the classy classic old Puch which has the narrower model of the Wald Splash Guard Fenders. I am really pleased with how these are performing after providing just a few inches of added protection, what me worry?
I am very pleased with how these leather mud flaps have turned out and have been asked if I am going to make them for sale.  Though I haven't decided on that yet the mud flaps do look nice and the color matches the Selle Anatomica Saddle. A nice bit of luck considering the leather came from scraps hidden away in the shop for two years.

I always knew building a bike parking rack from wood pallets would be a fun project.  After clearing some of the bamboo that lying around behind the Natural Living Country Store.  Photo above is of the newly completed bike rack for bicycle parking just in time for Earth Day.  


Bike Commuters typically need a way to park and lock their bikes while running and errands and shopping.  The bamboo pallet bike rack fits a variety of wheel and tire sizes with a large bamboo top piece for use with a cable lock.  Four Seventeen inch pieces of three quarter inch rebar were used to to secure the bike rack in the ground.  I had pre drilled the holes and used a sledge hammer to get the rebar started on the four corners of the bike rack before installing at the store.


It made for an easy, uneventful installation without the use of concrete or some other elaborate type of install.  The rack is solid enough to park six bicycles and is an elegantly funky separate piece for the store's new atmosphere and location.  

Have a fun and Safe Earth Day.

Bike commuters and folks who enjoy packing their touring bikes for a nice scenic getaway will both agree that a minimalist approach founded on common sense sure makes life easier.  Packing too much stuff on your bike can make for a rather burdensome outing where as being able to pack the bike "nicely" contributes to a more enjoyable ride.  As I have a tendency to be a bit stingy with myself I decided to look at some steel fenders for a few different bikes that wouldn't hurt my budget and yet refrain from installing anything plastic looking.  

I really like Planet Bike Fenders and the full length Cascadia fenders are excellent.  For some of the other bike builds this past year I was looking to purchase four sets of fenders which would would be easy to install with front or rear racks and for bikes without the appropriate braze ons.  When it comes to mountain bike specific fenders the choices are most typically made of some sort of petroleum based plastic and it has never made much sense to me to spend a lot of money on any type of plastic fender set.  I was tickled to find the Wald Splash Guard Fenders not only because I found another affordable quality product but because I was able to effortlessly install these fenders on a few different bikes and if I want to swap them onto another bike it's easy enough.  

The Wald #90 Balloon Bolt-On Bicycle Splash Guard Fender shown in photo above is a nice fit for a mountain bike for commuting and are available in a few different models specific to wheel and tire size of course. I have rode that bike in heavy rain while the fenders performed good enough in keeping my clothes from getting saturated with road grime and I like the look and style as opposed to plastic MTB fenders.  

For an old Puch Bergmeister (which has been a work in progress for a couple years now) the fenders I had originally installed would occasionally rub ever so slightly on the "whiskers" of the new tires and when the fender mounting bolt hole became elongated I got a pair of the Wald #80 Lightweight Fender Splash Guard which also enables me to put a fatter tire on if I choose to.  Although these fenders fit nicely with  27 x 1 1/4" wheels they also fit just as well on 700c wheels as shown in photo below of an old Fuji Frame converted to a Porteur Bike. 

If you're someone in the market looking for a nice set of quality fenders to spice up your commuter bike or simply want the practical ability of easy installation with plenty of options check out the Wald Splash Guard Fenders available in a few different sizes in either black or chrome.  

It has been quite a cold and wet winter, more typical of Oregon or Washington than here along the southern Texas Coast which is why 
I was pleasantly surprised to receive these wonderful waterproof pants earlier than expected.  Lisa mentioned something about a gift arriving for me after Christmas while they would be in Arizona and so I concluded "how nice, my Sweetie is suggesting I get out and ride more".  As my old Columbia Omni-tech pants have been around for so many years it's been a chore trying to find affordable quality pants for bike commuting and touring that are as waterproof, breathable and leisure style without compromising on performance.  

After discovering TENN Driven Cycling's waterproof trousers (from UK at half the price of what I was expecting to pay), my gal decided it was worth giving these a try for the simple fact that here is another pair of waterproof bike pants that do not have a plasticky look or feel and if they were a bit large I could have worn a belt with them if needed.  

It was kinda difficult to get a good photo showing the inner liner of these pants which provide a wicking barrier between skin surface and pants.  Apparently this helps greatly in maintaining a breathable waterproof set of pants that don't soak the rider in sweat.  Other reviews complained about the pants being harder to get off and on because of the liner but I found that simply undoing the velcro and zipper made getting my wool sock covered foot through the pants simpler.  I didn't try putting these pants on over my waterproof bike commuting boots because I don't need to.  
It seems like these days all sorts of claims are being made about a product being waterproof of course it's either not at all waterproof or it doesn't have the breathability for waterproofness to even matter.  As I mentioned it has been excellent weather for testing the functionality of Tenn Driven's Trousers so I did a side by side comparison.  After giving my several years old Columbia Pants a fair go of it I washed  them a couple times with Sport Wash to restore some of the water repellency.  By the way I love those old Columbia pants and will keep them as well as after a couple of washings they work pretty darn good considering their age.  I went for a six or seven mile ride (average commute distance) in what was a good down pouring of rain.  The bottom pant cuff of the Columbia pants tended to hold water and soaked through the fabric.  However, the rest of the pants kept me dry.    Then I did a similar ride with the Tenn Driven trousers and wow!  I can see why they refer to these as trousers rather than pants.  Not really but they are excellent.  I was pumping along at a pretty good rate as the cold rain brought pretty intense head winds but these pants not only kept the water out they also let the moisture out with excellent wicking characteristics you would expect to find from a product which would cost much more.  

Perhaps the bike commuter specific design of Tenn Driven's trousers with the adjustable velcro kept the rain from soaking the pant cuffs as the Columbia pants are not cycling specific being designed for any outdoor activities.  Which I would like to point out with Tenn Driven's pants which would also be suitable for hiking or backpacking as well. I could also use these working outside in the rain and because they have a bike commuter's leisurely appearance they're good for walking around town.  As far as packability is concerned Tenn Driven's pants are actually just as pack friendly if not more so than my old Columbia pants even though you might think the liner of the Tenn Driven's would add more bulk.  Surprisingly not so.  They are not heavy and are very fast drying which would be ideal for bike camping and touring if rain is expected. 

With reflective trim, zippered front pockets and even belt loops Tenn Driven is providing a waterproof trouser with casual style and looks for most any wet weather activity.  

I really love and appreciate Lisa for getting me these waterproof trousers as a gift and look forward to more fun wet weather riding.  

Another year gone by, out with the old, in with the new, with every ending there is a new beginning. Cyclists observing cycles of life and.....gotcha, not going to "spin off" (pun) on some philosophical "Mumbo Jumbo" which happens to be what we have come to refer to this bike build as.  I considered building a fat bike but it just isn't a necessity here along the Texas Gulf Coast.  When we went to ride the Matagorda Coast the Kenda Small Block Eights 2.35 diameter handled most of the sandy pathways just fine.  We dubbed this bike the Mumbo Jumbo when it's loaded with panniers for touring and refer to it as the "Rigmaroll" when it's used for commuting without the steel Minoura Front Pannier Rack.  

Well, I don't recall the last time I felt like a hero on a mission to save the world but I can relate somewhat to the bike as rideable art, particularly when you build it yourself.