
The socalled Freshman Stripe is the strip of water/mud/grease which can sometimes be seen on the back of bicycle riders after riding over wet roads or through puddles. This road grime also soils backpacks, though its easier to clean off than one might expect. It is sonamed because naive freshmen tend to forget purchasing fenders when they buy their bikes and absentminded salespeople at bicycle shops forget to mention they need them. Used bicycles often lack fenders too. This is more an issue of firsttime bicycle riders than of freshmen.

In addition to the stripe on your back watch out for water thrown back by your front tire when you turn.

see: Bicycling in Winter.

 Avoiding the Stripe 

  Buy a rear fender at a Bicycle Shops bike shop.
  Make a Recycling reuse fender out of a 2 liter bottle.
  Wear a waterproof jacket (works better for darker colors).
  Waterproof ponchos allow you to cover both you and your backpack or messenger bag.


Avoiding puddles is pretty easy to do, so I really havent had a problem with the stripe despite not having a fender.  However, every once in a while during the winter of 05 I encountered a big puddle and forgot to slow down.  Lol, safe to say my entire back became soaked with mud and water Users/PatrickSing

Walking into class with a large brown stain on the back of your jeans is not fun. Users/MattNagel

When I was a freshman, I found the biggest problem wasnt your own bike, it was everyone elses.  I had a fender that worked well to prevent my  own stripe....its the amount of people you bike past or around or even near that get you.  Either get side splashed, or whoevers in front tosses it behind them as well. Plays havoc with your pants. End up getting all around muddy, even with a rain jacket.  My back however, was always clean. Users/EdWins ES

That waterproof jacket solution would probably only work if you dont have a backpack on Users/AmyZimmerman

I think the best thing to do in the rain is just allow extra time, and walk with an umbrella.  i find it uncomfortable to bike when your forward movement causes rain to lang on your face.  But another thing to do is just not care, perhaps the stripe will be in next winter :)  Users/MattHh

20060205 16:33:47 nbsp if you go slow enough, you can avoid the stripe.  just plan ahead and give yourself some extra time to get to class. Users/PaulHarms

20060910 00:32:08 nbsp At least the stripe shows you rode your bike to campus instead of being lazy and driving. Users/JimEvans

20070429 20:06:49 nbsp I wear a complete rainsuit when I bike in the rain, stripe be damned. Also a couple of my bikes have winnar fenders. Users/StevenDaubert

20070505 18:27:26 nbsp Haha what stupid freshmen! Users/AlexNelson

20070510 14:03:16 nbsp If you need big ponchos (raincovers) that you can wear with a backpack, check out http://www.jeantex.com Its a german company with First Class bike (and sail) clothing and goodies. I have been testing the Jeantex Bergerac jacket on my bicycles (I am carless as well, but I live in NL) for over 6 months and it outperforms my North Face clothes by orders of magnitude. And jeantex is dirt cheap. Nice site! Users/JanVerhoeven

20071025 01:20:53 nbsp There should be instructions here on how to make a fender from a 2 liter bottle.  Users/BreeButler

20071025 04:27:09 nbsp well you just slit it down one side lengthwise. . .im not sure people NEED a diagram. but youre welcome to add one. Users/KellyCorcoran

20090219 17:49:27 nbsp Just a note on my edit of this page. First, thanks to the original author. Its a great page. But the previous description that bike store salespeople trick freshmen or beginning bikers to purchase bikes without fenders isnt just erroneous but foolhardy. Its erroneous because it just isnt true. Its foolhardy because if you actually walk into a bike store to purchase a bike youll find that sales associate are adamant you purchase fenders ... and for good reason! Its something else you purchase from them. Plus, the margins retailers make on accessories, like fenders, is around 4050%, whereas the margins they make on the bikes is almost nil. There are very few bike shops in town that will let you walk out of the store without encouraging you to purchase fenders. The freshman stripe is more often the result of someone purchasing a used bike, bringing a bike from a home, or refusing to pay for fenders after the sticker shock of the new bike. Users/condemned2bfree
