Photos and words by Morgan Taylor.

Jarrod Bunk aka @hopecyclery is committed to fat biking year round. So committed, in fact, that he saw the need for a fender that would cover up to a 5″ tire and keep the mud out of your eyes. Jarrod started making fenders in his spare time and others voiced their desire for such a product.

When I got my hands on an early D.Fender prototype last winter, a few people asked why I would even need a fender on a fat bike – they’re meant for snow riding and that’s it, right? Well, I think that’s a shortsighted viewpoint. This style of fender is ubiquitous in the greater mountain bike world, and for good reason.

Jarrod sourced a domestic production facility, and went about refining the product. Finding the right material was crucial, as these fenders were being ridden in cold temperatures and a small number of the first production run cracked at the tight radii in certain fork arches. Jarrod was quick to warranty those few, and was able to turn around another sample run before winter was up.

The result is the D.Fender V2. Tested to -25ºF, with an updated shape, a subtle graphic, and a no-questions-asked warranty for two years. Available straight from D.Fender or with a hangtag if you’d like to carry them in your shop. Along with the fat bike fender in both Bluto and rigid fork applications, D.Fender also makes a fender for regular and plus tires.

30 grams of plastic held on with four zip ties may not seem like it would do much, but the amount of water and dirt it keeps out of your eyes is amazing. If you ever find yourself in wet weather on a mountain bike, regardless of the tire size, you should give one of these a go.