SKS-Germany X-Blade Fender

I live in Oregon, where wet winters and random light rain is the norm.I have a 2017 Trek Stache 9.6, (a hardtail,) which is all matte-black with gloss-black accent, so this fender fits the "murdered-out" look wonderfully. It was pretty easy to mount and set up, and covers the rear tire well. It's marked for a maximum tire width of 2.5", but I'm not sure why... the main span of blade seems to cover at least 95% of the width of my WTB Ranger 3.0" tires just fine. (The broad spade at the end *definitely* covers at least the full width.)SKS makes several similar models, and I've seen some gripes in other reviews that the clamp strap is excessively fidgety to adjust properly, but I found it straightforward. I had to adjust the strap a couple times to get the tension just right, but it's a one-time job (or should be - we'll see.) Slightly more fidgety was the alignment of the blade, as the action of clamping it on would swing it a couple degrees sideways, so you have to pre-compensate. I did not find either of these factors bothersome for initial setup.The color difference is more subtle in person: more like black on black, rather than the front and rear inserts being "charcoal" or something (as the photo looks to me). You can certainly see a difference, but it's more like a texture difference than color, and the whole blade is approximately equally flexible.The hinge next to the seat-post clamp is toothed, so it doesn't take much torque to make sure that joint won't move without forcing it. One may wish for slightly finer adjustment, but I don't see how they could make the teeth much smaller. Looks like a well-considered engineering compromise. Certainly won't make it hard to fit - I just wanted it a tiny bit tighter to the tire.The hinges at the bottom of the wishbone are more of a friction-fit, and part of one of the "lighter-black" inserts seems to act as a rubbery friction-washer. While the rear insert is firmly molded in place, the front one is a separate piece, and can be angled down from the default position shown. (I'm not clear why you'd want or need to, but there it is.) I have not yet put miles on the bike with the fender in place, so I cannot speak to how much it does or doesn't migrate. But the curvature of the fender is much flatter than the my 29"+ 3.0 wheel/tire, so even if it droops, it's going to contact on the middle of the fender, and not jam up with the end in the tire tread. Will revise this review in the future as necessary.Over all, it's as-described, good-looking on an all-black and/or "stealth" bike, and appears to deliver coverage as promised. For me, that would normally garner 5 stars.So here's why I dropped a star:It arrived with a twist. It's not much, but the fender came zip-tied to a hang-card, and not in any box of its own. It seems like it must have sat on some shelf long enough to develop a slight twist, end-to-end, in the pliable, rubbery plastic of the blade. This is enough to throw off the line of the fender, out of alignment over the wheel. Like, if the clamp-end and "wishbone" is centered, the rear tip of the blade is about half an inch to the right of where it should be, and slanted to the side. I was able to compensate the mount angle to cover the tire without looking too odd, but any look at the bike from direct rear or front and you'll see it's askew. It does not look like a manufacturing flaw, but just from no protection against laying about on a shelf or under another item. I imagine if you lean your bike up against a wall every day where you park, and it pushes the blade to the side, eventually it will probably take a set from that, and not quite spring back to square.I'll come back to this review after hitting some puddles, rattling some fillings, and general hooligan-commuting, and report on any discovered flaws, or perks, and if that twist works itself out. Time will tell. I'm not sending it back, though; for the price I can live with a small twist.[UPDATE, a couple months later] Seems like our wet spring is about done, and I've taken the fender off. It stayed in place just fine, and the twist seemed to relax out after about a week. The wishbone friction hinge is much more robust than I expected, and when I made an adjustment to the fender, it was surprisingly hard to move. It sure never migrated out of place on its own! This may be due to how tight I made the screws, so YMMV, but as far as I can tell, it can definitely be rock solid.Upgrading review from 4 stars to 5! =)

Hit all the marks in fit, form, and function.

Due to the pandemic I've been biking much more than I had before. I picked up the SKS rear fender because I didn't want to skip a ride just because the roads might be wet or because of a little rain.Installation takes about 90 seconds, including adjustment.. The brace attaches to the seat post with an adjustable cloth strap and a camlock lever. Adjustment of the fender position is done with two (4mm?) socket head cap screws (common on any bike pouch repair kit). Both angle and position have a wide range of adjustment. Once the fender is installed and adjusted, it stays put. I've put about 500 miles on mine and it hasn't budged at all. Once initial setup is complete, removal takes about 2 seconds, installation about 5. It couldn't be easier to use.I haven't been caught in a rainstorm yet, but I've been on a few wet morning rides and have remained completely dry. As most bikers know, even damp pavement will leave you with wet feet, spray covered legs, and a dirty/soaked backside. This fender completely prevented the wet back, and it helps keep my bike much cleaner. Coupled with the SKS front fender, I now stay dry even on soaked pavement and puddles. I was skeptical because of how slim the fender is, but it has worked flawlessly. I'm about 50% commute and 50% pleasure/workout rides on the weekend and the extra protection provided is very much worth it. If there is even a chance of rain I toss the fender on, it's so light and aerodynamic (for what it is) that it doesn't affect my rides in a negative way.I'd recommend this to ANYONE committed to putting more miles on their bike. This will go a long way to helping me meet my goal of keeping my road bike active for 10 months out of the year in Wisconsin.

Easy to install and very sturdy. Has never fallen off in 2 years of midwest biking. Definitely recommend. This was a little pricier than the other options when I got it but I didn't want a piece of junk. Really happy with how it's held up! Would get again.

The SKS Germany X Blade fender was very easy to install. It is made of lightweight material and it gets the job done. No longer do I come home with a muddy stripe up my backside!

This blade/fender is a clever, sturdy and effective solution to the problem faced by a lot of mountain bike riders: Water and dirt thrown up by a fender-less back tire. This lightweight blade mounted easily and has remained in alignment quite nicely during the several late autumn weeks I've been using it. The attachment system is a quick release, allowing you to easily remove it. The X-Blade Fender is rugged and has survived some significant hits on my suburban commute, and probably can work as well on trails. The price was very reasonable and I found it a worthwhile investment, enough so to recommend it. I have attached photos showing profile and top-down views, as well as a closeup of the mounting device where it meets the seat post.

I installed this on my 2002 StumpJumper. It goes on and off super easy. The attachment point is a hard plastic collar with a strap that wraps around the rest of the seat post and tightens by snapping the tensioning strap closed. The hard plastic collar is 1 11/16 inches (43 mm) high, so you will need that much space between the top of the seat tube on the frame and the bottom / underside of the seat. Not a ton to say functionally about it...I mean, it keeps the mud and spray from trashing your backside as would anything hanging over the tire. It is well made with two adjustment points that I believe would fit pretty much any bike or configuration one would want in a rear fender. If it gets knocked off center it's really easy to straighten and tighten back up.

These are essential for autumn and winter to keep your back dry and free from mud.This is the second one I’ve had as the first was lost during off roading on the mountain bike yesterday, only noticed when I got home.Having fitted this new one, I’ve also added a cable zip tie around the closing mechanism to make sure it doesn’t come off when riding as extra peace of mind.

Very good quality and covers all the wheel 29 inch unlike some brands take time to set it up and it won't move

Easy to fit and easy to do

Really good, would buy again

Easy to attach and detachable great product