CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

In Praise of Mudguards

(31 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from steveo

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12

  1. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Through a bout of laziness (I got a puncture on Thursday, but I was going out after work on a training thing so left the bike in the office bike park; then just took a different bike on Friday; then didn't fetch the bike at the weekend (more to do with a lost 4 hours on Sunday really :P )) I found myself riding in today on the Cross bike.

    It's loooovely. Smooth ride, faster than any of the other bikes, comfortable.... And has no mudguards. I can't believe I used to ride all the time without them - some nonsense or other in my head about thinking they spoiled the look of a bike.

    I'm disavowed of that notion now. Will ride home guardless tonight, but get lift/walk tomorrow morning to fix the puncture at lunchtime and be back to a dry backside.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. steveo
    Member

    My kingdom for mudguards!

    Never got on with the crud ones and never got round to trying the zefal ones. None of my bikes are built with such luxuries as guard eyelets.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    "never got round to trying the zefal ones. None of my bikes are build with such luxuries as guard eyelets."

    There's a new one -

    http://www.cycraguard.co.uk/road

    Anyone tried them?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. Uberuce
    Member

    Spent much of yesterday with the stripe of shame thanks to lack of mudguard on the tractor MTbeam. I thought I'd be fine since it was dry, but hadn't reckoned on the permamulch along the NEPN.

    Daily commuter's mudguards are a triumph of Bike Station bodging; crudcatcher cable-tied under the rack, front 'guard is cropped to end at the fork since ther isn't clearance for 35mm Marathon Winters. Needs further fettling for front foam, mind.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. steveo
    Member

    Anyone tried them?

    Evans sell them so I might pop in at lunch time and see if they actually have any in stock, if they look any better than the crud ones I think they'll go nicely on the Giant.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    "... and see if they actually have any in stock"

    Please tell us if they do, it will be nice to know that the End of Days is upon us.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. Smudge
    Member

    I'll be attempting to fit a set of SKS raceblades to the Audax bike today (assuming I can get off my fat behind and stop wasting time on the computer!) so should (hopefully) be able to advise on ease of fitting etc by the end of the day :-)

    Apart from racing, I cannot envisage any situation in the UK where I would choose to have a bike without some form of mudguards.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    "Apart from racing, I cannot envisage any situation in the UK where I would choose to have a bike without some form of mudguards."

    Would generally agree - not really a MTB sort of person!

    But I usually have a racer without 'guards - lighter, less wind resistance (marginal!), less chance of annoying rattles and er (perhaps) looks cooler.

    Went out on current version yesterday, roads a bit damp on places but high pressure slicks meant not much spray.

    I know there are 'no mudguards, change at work' people on here - but it can't always be fun!

    I think it's almost inevitable that drivetrains will wear quicker (can be expensive) without mudguards.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. steveo
    Member

    I'm a change at work guy out of necessity, I've never found guards that'll fit properly. Admittedly I've never tried the race blades but the thing I hate most is wet feet, I can cope with wet else, I don't think the Race blades would help with that.

    MTB guards are fine for keeping large globs of mud out your eyes off road but other wise just something else to get broken or stuck in the under growth when you foul that "one last" run.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Close-fitting guards and slick tyres can be a real pest with a claggy substrate underwheel. The muck gets under the guard, but instead of getting moved along by the wheel, it gets polished and compacted into what is effectively a big on-wheel brake block and you grind noisily to a crawl. Then a halt.

    Same happens with snow.

    Apart from that, I too wouldn't be without them!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. Smudge
    Member

    @Chdot "But I usually have a racer without 'guards - lighter, less wind resistance (marginal!), less chance of annoying rattles and er (perhaps) looks cooler."

    In order, 1. yes, but by less than the weight of a full water bottle, 2. hah, that is really clutching at straws unless you habitually wear a skinsuit ;-), 3. if fitted properly... and 4. (getting to the heart of the issue I think;-) ) hmmm.. so Edinburgh puddlemuck (shudder) sprayed all over your face and a brown/grey strip up the back is cool?
    All with no offence meant! ;-)

    My MTB has crudcatchers as they provide some protection and maintain my comfy dry bot :-), never had them break/snag, however I'm obviously not a serious/good mountain biker though, more a bimble down the paths type :-o so I'll bow to the experience of the actual MTB'ers on that front :-)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. Smudge
    Member

    @Kappers, I also discovered that, hence why my slick tyred road bike stays on the road and my LHT has plenty clearance.
    I also feel less guilty about how I use the roadbike this way! ;-)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. chdot
    Admin

    "but by less than the weight of a full water bottle"

    Oh indeed (back to your thread on weight!)

    I only half-filled my water bottle yesterday - still didn't drink it all (or eat the whole of the Stoats Bar, or use my main camera. Both were in a Timbuk2 not on the bike.)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. Smudge
    Member

    "Oh indeed (back to your thread on weight!)"

    You started it! :-p :-))

    Posted 12 years ago #

  15. Baldcyclist
    Member

    I have been converted to mud guards on my commuter, love them. But ruin the look of my lovely Road bike with them, oh no, no no no.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  16. chdot
    Admin

    "You started it!"

    Nah, it was K saying something about weighing things (don't think he went into detail).

    Posted 12 years ago #

  17. steveo
    Member

    Please tell us if they do, it will be nice to know that the End of Days is upon us.

    Some one must have been saying their hail Mary's as once again the world is safe...

    How can a store that big carry so little stock.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  18. Nelly
    Member

    @Uberuce - "Daily commuter's mudguards are a triumph of Bike Station bodging"

    They do look rather odd (in a nice way..) did occur to me after I bumped into you last week that there must be another alternative - do the winter tyres not come in 28's?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  19. Darkerside
    Member

    Discovered that the Fuego rear right mudguard eyelet has stripped clean of its threads, which might explain some odd rattles back there. After much wailing and tearing of hair, I obviously deployed cable ties.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  20. Uberuce
    Member

    @Nelly - I didn't look, since the Bike Station bodge was £3 and I doubt there's a tyre supplier which can compete.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  21. Smudge
    Member

    For those who worry about the weight of 'guards, I stuck the new SKS (long) racebledes on the scales, including all bracketry they came in at 450grammes.
    Of course these are the variety which can clip off with no tools, just leaving their mounting tabs behind, so if you were feeling particularly fashion conscious, or approaching a hill where every gramme counted you could always unclip them and hide them in your team car, saving 402 grammes and the shame of a roadbike with mudguards ;-)

    Being a little more serious for a moment, they are easy to fit, and look quite discreet, don't protect the front mech in the same way as conventional guards and I've only ridden them a few hundred yards up and down the street but on first attempt, no scuffing, rattling or rubbing, time will tell if that continues(!) I'm sure the ability to easily unclip them will also appeal to some riders.
    So not the cheapest, and final judgement is reserved until they's had some proper use, but first impressions are that they are a viable option for frames with no mudguard mounts/clearance :-)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  22. Smudge
    Member

    I'm obviously biased, but I think it looks not bad with mudguards (and incomplete without them!) :-)

    Giant OCR Zero first time outside 231112

    Posted 12 years ago #

  23. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @Smudge - nice, those look like a big improvement on original Raceblades, which rattled something awful off the brake calipers and didn't keep you that dry to boot.

    I think modern bikes can look too slight. They need a bit of beef on them, like guards, a carradice and a big old Brooks saddle.

    That's quite some angle you've got the bracket for the bar-bag set at, Smudge. Is it so you can put your newspaper in there and read it on the more boring sections of the ride? Or something to hide from the wind and rain behind.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  24. Smudge
    Member

    These are the SKS version of raceblades of course, the more common variety attaches with large rubber bands (specialized maybe? Can't remember).
    The barbag will of course settle slightly with weight in, it's unchanged from the previous frame, sets the map on top at a readable angle ;-)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  25. Smudge
    Member

    Addendum/correction, it was Crud roadracers I was thinking of, not specialized: http://road.cc/content/review/33843-crud-roadracer-mk2-mudguards
    The ones fitted are these: http://road.cc/content/review/50952-sks-raceblade-long-mudguards
    :)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  26. kaputnik
    Moderator

    The original raceblades rubber-banded onto the stays/fork and only went as far as the brake calipers, not being designed to fit underneath. It meant they would rattle off the caliper when you hit any rumbly surfaces, and that they weren't covering large portions of the spray zone.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  27. gembo
    Member

    Met Jocky outside the award winning apple pie bakery of Carnwath today. He briefly thought my jacket was assos but corrected to Aldi. He had beauty of a titanium bike with 21mm tyres and those flat steelmmudguards, the flap at the bottom looked more effective than the mudguards

    Posted 12 years ago #

  28. crowriver
    Member

    He briefly thought my jacket was assos but corrected to Aldi.

    Ha! Yeah, the Aldi jackets are quite good. I have one. The LiDL stuff has its moments too...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  29. gembo
    Member

    As Jocky pointed out , Aldi jacket good for wind not so good on rain front. Jocky finds his assos brilliant for the rain but as I discovered by enquiring - Jocky don't sweat. I am a big sweater so any jacket that stops the rain will be moist inside for me.

    I forgot to show Jocky my icebreaker base layer -£28 from leckies of Falkirk. Sweaty but not smelly.

    Had the best wee rhubarb pie in the award winning apple pie bakery of Carnwath. Had to wait as they were just out the oven

    Posted 12 years ago #

  30. crowriver
    Member

    Well I had the chance to check the waterproofness of my Jeantex rain cape again this morning, with a torrential downpour on the way to Chambers Street museum. I have to say, in really heavy rain, I prefer the rain cape to a jacket/trousers combo. No sweatiness underneath, even uphill, as the air can circulate. No.2 daughter was snug under the Hamax waterproof poncho, which is so heavy duty it can double as a child seat/saddle cover, just bungee it on and everything underneath is bone dry.

    Posted 12 years ago #

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