Question:
"Can I put fenders and wide tires on this bike?"

Out in the bicycle world, most manufacturers haven't caught on yet that some folks (like us out here in Seattle) like to run a little wider tire and maybe some fenders. Of course we still want a light-weight, high performance bike (not a hybrid), but everyone seems to make their high-end bikes for short reach brakes with no room for fenders.

For this reason, a lot people who would really like a 'go-fast' road bike compromise and choose a Cyclocross bike or a Touring bike so they can run fenders.

Why compromise? At Rodriguez, we make all types of bikes, including 'go-fast' road bikes that easily accept fenders and wide tires.

The Rainier and the Navigator:
For those of you who want 'fast and fendered', we've gone the distance when it comes to high performance bicycles designed for fenders and wider tires. We've designed and imported our own specific carbon fiber forks that allow easy installation of full fenders and wider tires. This keeps the overall bike weights very low, while at the same time allowing us to use a long reach brake.

The maximum tire width is 32c. If you are going to run full fenders, then the tire width that we recommend is 28c. The bike shown on the Rainier description is using 700 X 28 with full fenders.

Competition Series and The Limited:
For the rest of you, our Competition series and our Limited run the traditional short reach brakes and common length carbon fiber forks like the other brands do. This makes these bikes a bit less expensive for those of you who don't want to run full length fenders and wide tires.

On the 2010 Competition series, we're running Alph Q G20 forks all around. This is a fantastically light, high-performance fork.

Tandems:
Since every Rodriguez tandem is built custom to order, your tire width can be anything you like. Just let us know what width you want to be able to install, and we'll design your frame accordingly.
No more compromise, the choice is yours!

To Fender, or Not to Fender....you make the call.