I always wondered about that... back when all racing bikes came with fenders, why the front fender only was made in two sections. I've concluded that, back in the days of dirt roads, the separate little section of front fender probably helped keep some of the mud and muck from being thrown onto the water bottles, headset, and rider's face.
Aldo Ross
Middletown, OH, USA
Aldo Ross showed us a picture:
> Seventy-One Years Ago
>
> Milan - San Remo, 1936. Sheltered beneath a spectator's umbrella,
> Learco Guerra (g.s. Legnano) waits in vain for a new wheel.
> [snip]
> http://www.wooljersey.com/
Looks like Guerra's Legnano has the little front fender that only extends forward of the fork crown. I suppose the idea is, that's the part needed to prevent the mud that flings into the riders eyes? Anyone know the real rationale from period accounts?
It sure doesn't weigh much or slow a racer down, it's just strange to these modern eyes to see any fender on a pro racer's bike on race day.
Mark Bulgier
Seattle WA USA