Test: The small manufacturer Portland Design Works from - surprise: Portland - is not very well known in this country, but the Americans offer a whole range of high-quality add-on parts from mudguards to luggage racks and bottle holders to bells. Much of it handmade in Portland and with a high-quality appearance. We received a whole range of pdw add-on parts for testing - a sporty Drössiger RSA Urban Bike served as the "parts carrier".
Portland Design Works also has various mudguards in their portfolio - we took a closer look at the full metal version. And let's be honest: bicycle mudguards rarely give cause for enthusiasm. Especially on somewhat sporty bikes, they are actually more of a necessary evil than a stylish accessory. But precisely because the benefit is so much in the foreground here, it is all the more annoying that a lot of fenders fail there. Too narrow, too short, too rickety or just not up to par in terms of quality. With the Portland Design Works Full Metal Fenders you even want to convince in two points: the design and the quality.
Before we get to the details and the performance of the mudguards, first the most important key data: As the name already suggests, they are made entirely of metal, more precisely of anodized aluminum. Light, robust and protected against rust. It is available in two versions - narrow for racing bikes and tires up to 23mm wide and in a city version for tires up to 35mm wide. There is a choice of colors between light anthracite and black. Especially nice: Portland Design Works offers optional mounting material for bikes that have compatibility problems: extensions so that the disc brake caliper has space are just as much a part of it as screw eyelets that can be pushed onto the quick release - if the fork does not have the appropriate thread.
The mudguards were already installed on our test bike. We can therefore not share any first-hand experience with assembly, but if you look at the construction and the corresponding instructions and videos from Portland Design Works, it becomes clear: someone has thought about this. Anyone who has ever retrofitted mudguards to a bike probably knows that it doesn't sound difficult, but in practice it turns out to be all the more complicated. It is not uncommon for you to even have to use a drill and drill the holes for the screws on the sheet metal yourself – impractical! With the full metal fenders you can do without such assembly contortions. The details are right too: all the connection points between struts and mudguards are covered with anti-vibration film.
And the performance? immaculate. The 45mm wide version was mounted on our test bike. Officially, this is only approved for a tire width of up to 35mm, but there was no reason for complaints with our 38 Panaracer tires either. The optically inconspicuous metal sheets are firmly attached to the wheel and don't make a peep even during minutes of cobblestone rides. If the plates are really needed on wet roads and pouring rain, they reliably keep your back, legs and feet dry - thanks to their sufficient length.
If you not only want to keep your butt dry, but also want to convert your bike into a pack mule from time to time, you can't avoid a luggage rack. Again, pdw offers various solutions. The Everyday Rack, perhaps the most traditional and at the same time most versatile variant, was installed on our bike. With a maximum load of 25kg, you have a lot of space and can throw yourself into the next trekking trip. With the luggage rack, however, you don't just want to appeal to classic trekking riders and their bikes, but also to owners of sporty bikes.
The big problem: It is not uncommon for sporty bikes, whether mountain bikes or racing bikes, to lack mounting eyes for a luggage rack. The guys at pdw were of course aware of that. It is precisely for this reason that the Everyday Rack luggage rack can also be attached to such “problem bikes” without having to accept any loss of load capacity or stability. The screw holes of the mounting plates are dimensioned in such a way that a quick release also fits through. Clamps are included for the upper fixing points. Only those who are traveling with a thru-axle on the rear wheel look into the tube.
In our case, however, we were not dependent on these "makeshift solutions", but the carrier was screwed to the corresponding eyelets as usual. Visually, the Everday Rack is impressive - it is mostly made of black anodized aluminum and the bamboo plate forms a nice contrast to it. In its function, the low-lying cross braces, which keep the weight centrally and offer better handling, are particularly noticeable.
If the storage space at the rear is not enough, you can also use a front luggage rack. In the case of the pdw task basket, you won't be able to store your entire purchase here, but the chic item offers more than enough space for small errands. Matching the rear luggage rack, the bottom is made of bamboo, the rest of the rack is made of aluminum. Clever: A U-lock can be stowed away on the side. Incidentally, assembly is extremely simple and can be carried out on a wide variety of handlebars. Two robust clamps encompass the entire handlebar (31.8 or 25.4mm) and reliably hold the basket in place. At no time during our test was there even the slightest hint of a problem.
Speaking of handlebars: This is where the King of Ding II bell is located, one of the most convincing bicycle bells we have ever used, both visually and sonically. Extremely high-quality workmanship in a chic retro design, the voluminous brass bell produces a pleasant, very loud sound that can also be easily heard in the hustle and bustle of the big city. Attention racing cyclists: the bell is also available for mounting on the steerer tube under the stem - the clamp replaces a spacer.
Last but not least, there is another attachment hidden in the frame triangle: the bottle holder. This is available in different cool designs. In addition to three bird shapes (Sparrow, Owl and Bird), there is also a variant for cat fans and a classic shape. They are all made of aluminum and hold normal bike bottles very tight. Even with heavy shaking, there were no problems during the test.
