the Cost of Maintenance for Road Bikes

We went to the local bike shop to buy new fenders and have them installed. The cost for the installation was $26 because the bike had holes in all the right places, so no custom work was necessary.

Though the mechanic we talked to was a bit gruff, she definitely knew what she was doing. She looked at the bike and gave us an estimate for how long it would take to install the fenders, given the bike.

It took about 3 hours, but I don't think they were working on the bike the whole time.

We already knew what kind of fenders we wanted, since we had been through a few different ineffective versions. Trust me: you should take the bike shop's advice on what kind of fenders to buy, no matter the price. Bad fenders cost some money and kind of do the job, but in the end, if your back has a stripe of mud running down it, then whatever small amount you spent was wasted.

Getting them installed is a good option, too, since in most cases it requires you to remove the front brakes which can be kind of a hassle. It's possible for someone who knows their way around a bike to do it themselves, but there's always the time spent learning and fixing mistakes that I'd rather spend in a coffee shop while someone else does it right the first time.