Axiom Paceline Deluxe Reflex Bike Fenders

The Paceline Deluxe Reflex Fenders by Axiom will serve commuter cyclists well who ride in all types of weather and in a variety of lighting conditions. The fenders are generally well made and the reflective material built into the fenders is a great safety feature. But be prepared to wing it if you're going to be installing these yourself - the lack of included mounting instructions was a drawback, but you can find them here.

If you're looking for a good pair of commuter fenders, the Paceline Deluxe Reflex Fenders fit the bill. The fenders are priced appropriately in line with other decent, upper-end general purpose fenders. That means they aren't the cheapest thing you'll find out there but have more durable construction so they'll last much longer than cheapie, entry-level fenders that crack easily along stress points or which shatter when the temperature gets too cold. And this happens, too, as I experienced firsthand with a pair of cut-rate SKS fenders that I should have taken a pass on.

First what I liked about them, then the downside. The Paceline Deluxe Reflex Fenders have a built in reflective strip that appears a natty charcoal gray in the daytime, but at night bounces back as a bright white reflected light. It's an awesome feature that I haven't seen duplicated anywhere else, and having a reflector that goes the length of the fender in both front and back is incredibly valuable to any cyclist who may ride at night.

The downside? The package lacked included installation instructions on how to install the fenders (but you can find them here). I'm fairly competent with working on bikes and have installed fenders before, but always feel better when using instructions to put components on a bike, particularly when you think you have to do something like cut the struts to fit, which you get only one chance to do right. When I asked Axiom about this, they seemed surprised I was attempting this myself and wouldn't I naturally be using a bike shop to do this. Well, actually, no, many people will do this themselves, and later they kindly passed along installation instructions to me, which can be found here.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.