Mudguards

Inquitus · 15-02-2014 3:55pm #1

Looking for something easy to fit, easy to remove to improve life in the wet for me and those behind me!

Any recommendations? To fit carbon frame road bike, no lugs, 23/25mm tyres.

killalanerr · 15-02-2014 4:05pm

I just fitted theses on my training bike,they clip off in seconds but while they will keep you dry they offer limited protection for the following rider http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/mudguards-road-bbb-roadprotector-guards/bbbamudr220
Take your pick http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/pp/road-track-bike/mudguards-road/mudr

doozerie · 15-02-2014 4:05pm

Crud Roadracers Mk2 fit that bill for me. I like them but not everyone is a fan of them. To remove them you undo (by hand) 2 small bolts for each mudguard, where they attach to the small brackets on the frame, plus cut or open one tiny zip tie attaching each mudguard to the brake caliper. For the Mk2 version there is an extra (re-usable) zip tie around the seat tube to undo, and you'll almost certainly have to partly remove the rear wheel to remove the rear guard as one piece.

Depending on your bike's clearance you may find that it's tricky to fit these mudguards with 25mm tyres. My bike has limited clearance but I just get away with 25mm tyres, no worries at all with 23mm tyres though.

Edit: Forgot to add that the big selling point for me of the Roadracers over the alternatives is that they are full length so they give very good protection to me *and* to the rider behind me. They also give good coverage at the brake calipers, which the likes of RaceBlades don't, and the Mk2's give very good protection at the seat stay too so they keep quite a lot of muck off the chainset (and my feet).

Ole Rodrigo · 15-02-2014 5:32pm

Hmm. New bike to be honest.

thebouldwhacker · 15-02-2014 5:49pm

+1 on the crud, if wheel brows were euro, they would be the only make allowed. They work, they are pretty indestructable, they are light and they are easy on,easy off.

Tenzor07 · 15-02-2014 5:59pm

SKS Raceblades: https://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=40877

Paul Kiernan · 15-02-2014 6:19pm

I find these quite good and am surprised that more people don't use them. You can take them on and off in seconds and they are very secure.

http://road.cc/content/review/50952-sks-raceblade-long-mudguards

Beasty · 15-02-2014 7:43pm

Inquitus wrote: »

Looking for something easy to fit, easy to remove to improve life in the wet for me and those behind me!

Any recommendations? To fit carbon frame road bike, no lugs, 23/25mm tyres.

Go with the earlier spin - 8.30 from Skerries - only 2 of us had mudguards on that one!

I would add I've got the Crud Roadracers Mk 2 and I find them great (well the back one - don't bother with one on the front)

detones · 15-02-2014 8:46pm

Beasty wrote: »

Go with the earlier spin - 8.30 from Skerries - only 2 of us had mudguards on that one!

I would add I've got the Crud Roadracers Mk 2 and I find them great (well the back one - don't bother with one on the front)

The crud road racers seem a good compromise as and they look ok too, I have been meaning to buy some but somebody from the 8.30 spin and well known to us all on here has said they won't speak to me again if I get them ;-)

Beasty · 15-02-2014 8:59pm

detones wrote: »

The crud road racers seem a good compromise as and they look ok too, I have been meaning to buy some but somebody from the 8.30 spin and well known to us all on here has said they won't speak to me again if I get them ;-)

If he offered me the same incentive I would snap his hands off:pac:

Wishbone Ash · 15-02-2014 9:32pm

killalanerr wrote: »

I just fitted theses on my training bike,they clip off in seconds but while they will keep you dry they offer limited protection for the following rider http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/mudguards-road-bbb-roadprotector-guards/bbbamudr220

I use those on the rear of all three bikes. No nonsense, no fiddling about, and can be installed or removed in 2 seconds. While they keep the rider dry and mud free, they wouldn't be the best at protecting those behind as they are quite short.

doozerie · 15-02-2014 9:41pm

Paul Kiernan wrote: »

I find these quite good and am surprised that more people don't use them. You can take them on and off in seconds and they are very secure.

http://road.cc/content/review/50952-sks-raceblade-long-mudguards

With the bike I have Roadracers on, the Raceblade Long's simply wouldn't work as my rear dropouts are cowled so you can't clamp the Long's mounting points there. Even if that were not the case though, I'm put off them by a few things:

* I'd expect those skewer-clamped mount points to be a pain in the neck whenever installing or removing a wheel. The bike I have guards on is my turbo bike too and I'd quickly get fed up if putting the turbo wheel on and off involved extra mucking about with the mount points.

* They don't seem to give much protection at the seat tube so my feet and chainset are likely to get more hammered than with the Roadracers.

* They don't seem to give much protection at/to the brake caliper.

* Any price I've seen for them has been more than the Roadracers.

That's not to say that the Roadracers are perfect, I know some people who find them frustrating, but my experiences with them over a few years now have been very positive and nothing else I've seen seems to offer the advantages the Roadracers offer for me.

Paul Kiernan · 16-02-2014 6:00pm

doozerie wrote: »

With the bike I have Roadracers on, the Raceblade Long's simply wouldn't work as my rear dropouts are cowled so you can't clamp the Long's mounting points there. Even if that were not the case though, I'm put off them by a few things:

* I'd expect those skewer-clamped mount points to be a pain in the neck whenever installing or removing a wheel. The bike I have guards on is my turbo bike too and I'd quickly get fed up if putting the turbo wheel on and off involved extra mucking about with the mount points.

* They don't seem to give much protection at the seat tube so my feet and chainset are likely to get more hammered than with the Roadracers.

* They don't seem to give much protection at/to the brake caliper.

* Any price I've seen for them has been more than the Roadracers.

That's not to say that the Roadracers are perfect, I know some people who find them frustrating, but my experiences with them over a few years now have been very positive and nothing else I've seen seems to offer the advantages the Roadracers offer for me.

You're right on all four points you mention. However none of them have really bothered me in the year or two I've been using them (I had Cruds before, the Mk 1's). I think if I used the bike on a trainer though it would be a dealbreaker. The disadvantages I noticed with the Cruds were the tight clearance leading to muck and dirt causing rubbing and the lack of ease in taking them on and off. They could improve the latter very easily by providing a bridge clamp that could be easily disconnected and reconnected.

TonyStark · 16-02-2014 6:51pm

doozerie wrote: »

Crud Roadracers Mk2 fit that bill for me. I like them but not everyone is a fan of them. To remove them you undo (by hand) 2 small bolts for each mudguard, where they attach to the small brackets on the frame, plus cut or open one tiny zip tie attaching each mudguard to the brake caliper. For the Mk2 version there is an extra (re-usable) zip tie around the seat tube to undo, and you'll almost certainly have to partly remove the rear wheel to remove the rear guard as one piece.

Depending on your bike's clearance you may find that it's tricky to fit these mudguards with 25mm tyres. My bike has limited clearance but I just get away with 25mm tyres, no worries at all with 23mm tyres though.

Edit: Forgot to add that the big selling point for me of the Roadracers over the alternatives is that they are full length so they give very good protection to me *and* to the rider behind me. They also give good coverage at the brake calipers, which the likes of RaceBlades don't, and the Mk2's give very good protection at the seat stay too so they keep quite a lot of muck off the chainset (and my feet).

They also have pretty good guard yoke for the front derailleur area.

AmberGold · 16-02-2014 9:42pm

Buy a winter bike with mudguard eyelets and save yourself a fortune in broken Cruds. You wont look back.

Failing this #1 on the SKS Raceblade Long Mudguards. Like Paul K said I'm also surprised more don't use these.

cdaly_ · 17-02-2014 11:12am

doozerie wrote: »

Raceblade
* They don't seem to give much protection at the seat tube so my feet and chainset are likely to get more hammered than with the Roadracers.

* They don't seem to give much protection at/to the brake caliper.

When I had raceblades, I dealt with the above by making up dedicated caliper and chainset guards from cut up water bottles:

Brake:

Chainset:

These kept the components pretty clean. I've fitted Cruds since but have kept the chainset guard ('cos it was easier than taking it off). It doesn't get anywhere near as dirty with the cruds in place so their chainset protection seems to be pretty good.

Paul Kiernan wrote: »

The disadvantages I noticed with the Cruds were the tight clearance leading to muck and dirt causing rubbing

This.

AmberGold wrote: »

Buy a winter bike with mudguard eyelets and save yourself a fortune in broken Cruds.

I seem to be going through quite a number of centre sections but I reckon it's my fault (mostly) rather than the design: Snagging a toe on the front guard, not taking the guard off along with the wheel when putting the bike in a car, maniac sons blundering about the house and ripping off the rear section.

Replacement centre pieces are GBP6.50 delivered so I'm happy enough to replace them...

CramCycle · 17-02-2014 12:07pm

I found the cruds to be next to useless, on any day that you would need mudguards, they would sieze against the wheel with dirt and then break.

I found the SKS raceblades to be the best of the temporary ones. Nothing will beat a pair of proper mudguards fitted to eyelets but these are pretty good, easy and quick to take off and quite adjustable to fit any frame I have used with a little bend. Only downside is they protect you but the rear one does not protect the frame.

Paranoid Mandroid · 17-02-2014 12:12pm

doozerie wrote: »

With the bike I have Roadracers on, the Raceblade Long's simply wouldn't work as my rear dropouts are cowled so you can't clamp the Long's mounting points there. Even if that were not the case though, I'm put off them by a few things:

Hi Doozerie, you mention 'rear dropouts are cowled'. I'm looking to get mudguards for my Ridley Orion but I'm not sure if my dropouts are cowled. I looked up my frame on google: Here. Does that have cowled dropouts? I have a voucher for cyclesuperstore, who only seem to do quick release raceblade guards so I want to make sure the guards I buy are the right ones.

Excuse my ignorance and thanks.

CramCycle · 17-02-2014 12:33pm

Paranoid Mandroid wrote: »

Hi Doozerie, you mention 'rear dropouts are cowled'. I'm looking to get mudguards for my Ridley Orion but I'm not sure if my dropouts are cowled. I looked up my frame on google: Here. Does that have cowled dropouts? I have a voucher for cyclesuperstore, who only seem to do quick release raceblade guards so I want to make sure the guards I buy are the right ones.

Excuse my ignorance and thanks.

My ones must be different than Doozeries but my ones would go on with cowled dropouts as the connection point is not near the dropout, my ones fit on with rubber straps, maybe I have the wrong name.

Mine are here: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/sks-raceblade-mudguards/rp-prod25796

They connect to the seat stays for the rear and the forks for the front.

triggermortis · 17-02-2014 12:48pm

I have a pair of cruds on my commuter bike and have SKS longs on my home bike (commuter bike is in Switzerland). I found the cruds are a close fit and always need fettling to stop annoying rubbing. The first pair wore through and then snapped when I got a small tree branch stuck in them. I only got a second pair as I needed something quick, and they were all I could find at the time.
I much prefer the SKS ones. They are tougher, sturdier and quicker to fit and remove. The only issue I have had was one or two times out in the wind, the 'flap' at the end of the frond guard has acted somewhat like a windsock and given me grief

Jabel · 17-02-2014 1:06pm

CramCycle wrote: »

My ones must be different than Doozeries but my ones would go on with cowled dropouts as the connection point is not near the dropout, my ones fit on with rubber straps, maybe I have the wrong name.

Mine are here: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/sks-raceblade-mudguards/rp-prod25796

They connect to the seat stays for the rear and the forks for the front.

I have these too.
Pretty good in my opinion, offer good protection for you and others and are easy to get on and off. I had to 'bend' them to get to fit perfectly, just make sure you put tape under the rubber on your forks as they will mark your paintwork if you don't!

mrcheez · 17-02-2014 1:14pm

Inquitus wrote: »

Looking for something easy to fit, easy to remove to improve life in the wet for me and those behind me!

Just a few general notes as I've been through several mudguards over the years.

The shorter length ones (where you rear the bike up against the wall and the wheel touches rather than the mudguard) have the advantage of not being exposed to doors slamming on them, or being dragged on the ground when manoeuvring the bike in a narrow corridor.
I've had many so called "indestructible" mudguards snap on me because of this.

Additionally the rear spray can have some advantages to prevent people dangerously tailing you in wet conditions (putting on your brakes suddenly and lots of fun ensues)

Of course probably not so much fun if it's your mate tailing you!

Inquitus · 17-02-2014 3:24pm

CramCycle wrote: »

My ones must be different than Doozeries but my ones would go on with cowled dropouts as the connection point is not near the dropout, my ones fit on with rubber straps, maybe I have the wrong name.

Mine are here: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/sks-raceblade-mudguards/rp-prod25796

They connect to the seat stays for the rear and the forks for the front.

I presume if I get 25-32 they are Grand for anything from 23 upwards?

doozerie · 17-02-2014 10:28pm

Paranoid Mandroid wrote: »

Hi Doozerie, you mention 'rear dropouts are cowled'. I'm looking to get mudguards for my Ridley Orion but I'm not sure if my dropouts are cowled. I looked up my frame on google: Here. Does that have cowled dropouts? I have a voucher for cyclesuperstore, who only seem to do quick release raceblade guards so I want to make sure the guards I buy are the right ones.

Excuse my ignorance and thanks.

Cowled dropouts are ones where there is a raised edge around part of the outer circumference of the dropout, so basically the dropout doesn't have a flat(-ish) surface across the full face of the dropout. Here is an example:

The issue arises with RaceBlade Longs, not with the regular (short) RaceBlades. The Longs are closer to full length mudguards and due to that extra length they have supports/stays which are anchored to the frame by being clamped between the skewer and the dropouts - cowled dropouts stick a raised edge in the way so in most cases (depending on the height of the edge) you probably can't get the mudguard stay in there. The regular short RaceBlades attach directly to seat stays so don't go anywhere near the dropouts.

Paranoid Mandroid · 17-02-2014 10:32pm

Ah dead on, thanks Doozerie.

doozerie · 17-02-2014 10:39pm

I've read and heard various accounts of RoadRacers failing/breaking, usually wearing through at the brake caliper or the end piece snapping off. It clearly happens but it has never happened to me and I've been using the same pair of RoadRacers across two different bikes (both with fairly tight clearance) for 2 or 3 years now. ...the rear one did snap in recent months, I must admit, but that was because someone rode into my back wheel for reasons shrouded in mystery. I' guessing that at least some of the incidents of the end pieces snapping off the rear mudguard can be accounted for by people tilting the bike up onto the back wheel, forgetting about having such a long mudguard on there until it snags on something and gets ripped off as they wheel the bike, but that's a very annoying risk that plagues all long mudguards (mudguards truly are *such* a pain in the ass!).

I guess it just goes to prove that no one product suits everyone, if it did there wouldn't be so many options on the market.

Paranoid Mandroid · 25-02-2014 11:01pm

Inquitus wrote: »

I presume if I get 25-32 they are Grand for anything from 23 upwards?

I have this question too. Does anyone know? I bought the XL race blades by mistake...i think. Perhaps I should have bought the regular ones which are for 23's. I have 700 wheels and 23mm tyres (I assume thats mm's). I'm guessing these XL's (which are 25 - 32) will look a bit crap and not work as well?

I've opened the damn packaging. I'd like to also put guards on my hardtail, would these XL's work? The tyres are Continental Sport Contact 26 x 1.3 tyres but the wheels are smaller than my road bike.

Cheers

ford2600 · 26-02-2014 10:41am

Paranoid Mandroid wrote: »

I have this question too. Does anyone know? I bought the XL race blades by mistake...i think. Perhaps I should have bought the regular ones which are for 23's. I have 700 wheels and 23mm tyres (I assume thats mm's). I'm guessing these XL's (which are 25 - 32) will look a bit crap and not work as well?

I've opened the damn packaging. I'd like to also put guards on my hardtail, would these XL's work? The tyres are Continental Sport Contact 26 x 1.3 tyres but the wheels are smaller than my road bike.

Cheers

I run 28mm and 25mm tyres so don't have clearance for standard raceblades, so I run xl. They work, i.e. keep your dry, but don't protect bike at all.

In fact they concentrate grime on brake calipers and front derailleur clamp.

I just remove calipers every so often and clean.

For long days in saddle, especially this time of year, they are essential. Dry back and warm feet

Paranoid Mandroid · 26-02-2014 10:58am

ford2600 wrote: »

I run 28mm and 25mm tyres so don't have clearance for standard raceblades, so I run xl. They work, i.e. keep your dry, but don't protect bike at all.

In fact they concentrate grime on brake calipers and front derailleur clamp.

I just remove calipers every so often and clean.

For long days in saddle, especially this time of year, they are essential. Dry back and warm feet

Thanks for that. If I used them with 23mm on my roadbike, would that work OK do you reckon? I'd imagine the ordinary size are a better option (and better looking) but I've opened the packaging on the XL's. Thanks again.

ford2600 · 26-02-2014 11:02am

Paranoid Mandroid wrote: »

Thanks for that. If I used them with 23mm on my roadbike, would that work OK do you reckon? I'd imagine the ordinary size are a better option (and better looking) but I've opened the packaging on the XL's. Thanks again.

They would work ok, the standard one would be better though.

Be sure to use frame protectors where they clamp on.

Seweryn · 26-02-2014 11:37am

Hi Guys,

Do any of ye use wheels with 23mm wide rims on a bike with the Crud Mudguards? I use these mudguards for over two years and the only issue I believe with the wider rim would be at the brushes on the stays (see the photo below).
I will appreciate your comments, as I am going to build a set of wheels and need to make sure that the wider rim will work with the Cruds. The tyres will remain 23mm.

Mudguards

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