Clip-on mudguards for Carbon Fibre Racer??!!!

Arequipa

Hi! I have a Cube Agree GTC Carbon Racer.
There are no attachment points for mudguards.
The last few days i have been out in North Dublin & have returned covered in muck.

Could you recommend a good, light, durable clip-on mudguard?
(that wont look too bad on a carbon frame!!)
I appreciate your advice!!

Radial

A set of Raceblades should do the job for you.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=25796

Beasty

or the Crud Roadracer Mk2

John37

Are they easy to fit or would you be better off asking the folks in the bike shop to fit them?

Seweryn

John37 wrote: »

Are they easy to fit or would you be better off asking the folks in the bike shop to fit them?

I would rather do it myself. Easy enough job.

colm_gti

John37 wrote: »

Are they easy to fit or would you be better off asking the folks in the bike shop to fit them?

If they'll do it for free, feck it, let them at it

C3PO

I'd put some copter tape around the fork/seat stays - you'll mark them otherwise!

fat bloke

First of all -forget about looking good. They won't. Mudguards look sh1t and that's all there is to it.

So, which mudguards you're going to choose to ruin the clean svelte looks of your lovely bike is all that matters. I got the crud racers last year and I nearly threw the bike out the window in anger trying to get them to fit and not rub.

Those race blades linked to above are good BUT, as mentioned, they'll leave a mark on whatever they're attached to over the course of a winter, so you need to be careful.

Or!

Buy these: the new raceblade longs http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=82995

They're only new out and they're expensive, but I picked up a pair last month, and they are brilliant. Not too hard to fit and they have a clever quick release/attach system so you can whip them on and off. Also, they seem well made and sturdy, much more so than the crud racers. Once I got the crudracers on they worked well but I found it hard to get them off again without breaking them so they were a one-season only piece of kit, and they weren't cheap either. Every single bike you see with crudracers has a piece at the back duct-taped on from where it cracked:)

So - definitely get mudguards, they're the only job, and I highly recommend those raceblade longs. I got mine in Hollingsworth cycles kilmacud, 'twas he recommended them to me initially.

Seweryn

fat bloke wrote: »

Buy these: the new raceblade longs http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=82995

They're only new out and they're expensive, but I picked up a pair last month, and they are brilliant.

Hi Bloke,

Any chance of a photo of your bike with the guards on? I am quite happy with the Cruds, but wouldn't mind trying on something new.

Plastik

Aye, get a picture up Fatty. I like how they come off by quick release but leave the attachment on so that they're exactly repositional. Have been through various bits of Crudguards recently, unfortunately.

Popoutman

My bike with Crud raceguards. Most people when they see the bike don't realise that it has mudguards on it at all, until I point it out. You'd be hard pressed to see the mudguards, as they follow closely the curve of the tyre.

I've transferred them to the commuter singlespeed for the moment, but I've not had any real trouble with taking them off and reattaching them at any stage.

Thoroughly recommend putting them on your carbon bike - the comfort level increase for cost is fantastic, and the safety benefit of not having crap from the road into your eyes and face is brilliant.

Lusk Doyle

Race blades go on in 30 seconds with rubber stays. Easy.

cdaly_

The race blades don't protect the bike, only the rider. Your calipers and front mech get mucky. OTOH, the cruds keep the crap off the mech at the cost of some fiddly setup. I reckon I have mine working nicely now though I did break (and replace) the front guard pushing the bike into a car. I found the race blades required regular fiddling to keep them right.

billyhead

I have SKS raceblades on my flat bar commuter. They came fitted when I got the bike and look well on it. I was thinking of getting another for the road bike but I have read contrasting views on other sites about problems ocuring once their fitted such as rubbing off the wheels and not enough clearance etc. Has anyone else had these problems?

C3PO

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

Race blades go on in 30 seconds with rubber stays. Easy.

They may "go on" in 30 seconds but then I have to spend 20 minutes adjusting them to stop the wheel rub!

Lusk Doyle

C3PO wrote: »

They may "go on" in 30 seconds but then I have to spend 20 minutes adjusting them to stop the wheel rub!

Something wrong with you so. Maybe ask a real man to put them on for you!!!

fat bloke

Plastik wrote: »

Aye, get a picture up Fatty.

Seeing as you asked so nicely, pics on the way



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doozerie

I thought the Race Blade Long mudguards had been around for a while, I'm sure I read about them last year, however this positive review from January talks of them being fairly new to the market at the time. One thing to beware of though, as mentioned in that review, is that the shape of the dropout might mean they won't work for you. One of the photos shows the "cowled" rear dropout on a Genesis bike and the mount for the mudguard stays won't fit with such dropouts. My own bike has exactly the same kind of dropout too so these mudguards wouldn't work with it.

Personally I'm a fan of the CrudRacer Mk 2 (I wouldn't go for the Mk 1, which I've seen on sale at discount prices at times). As cdaly_ mentions, they protect the calipers, front mech and chainset and your feet too. I had a pair on one bike for about a year and then transferred them to another bike and they've worked well on that for the best part of another year already. I didn't find taking them on and off much hassle, you end up cutting one small small ziptie on each mudguard but those are easy to replace. About the only issue I have with them is that they make it tricky to fit 25mm tyres - they will work with them I think but it'll take some fiddling of the fit to make sure they don't rub (mainly at the very front of the rear mudguard). But that'll depend on your bike though, on a bike with more clearance than mine that issue might not arise at all.

fat bloke

doozerie wrote: »

I thought the Race Blade Long mudguards had been around for a while, I'm sure I read about them last year, however this positive review from January talks of them being fairly new to the market at the time.

It's a new version of them. They always sort of clipped in with the skewer, but to take the wheel out then was a bit more of a faff, you'd have to take the skewer out completely to free the wheel from the arms of the mudguard. The new design has a quick release clip just where the arm of the guard meets the skewer mounting, so if you get a puncture or whatever, the skewer no longer needs to be removed. It's hard to see on the front wheel in the pic of my bike above, but you can see it clearly on the back wheel. The silver arms meet at a black clip and the grey bit is a button you depress to release the connection

Arequipa

Hey! Thanks a mil for all the replies! I am just finished washing my bike & degreasing the chain, cassette etc: was covered in cr**!
I was driving out by my local bike shop & called in & picked up ' Tortec Razor Guards' ..
Hope they are as good as the ones u mentioned!!
Think its always good to support your local bike shop!

Arequipa.

Wishbone Ash

fat bloke wrote:

Every single bike you see with crudracers has a piece at the back duct-taped on from where it cracked

So true! The plastic seems to become brittle over the winter months.

cdaly_ wrote: »

I found the race blades required regular fiddling to keep them right.

+1 - especially the rear one. I seem to have to adjust it before each spin and often mid-spin.

Radial

I found with Raceblades that if I marked the position of the front and rear fittings on the fork and seatstays when correctly fitted i.e. no wheelrub, that they went back on subsequently usually without any problems.

Agree they can drive you mad trying to get them right though.

RO 06

My bike with the cruds mk1. Used them on a few different bikes and still all the original pieces. Takes about 20 mins to fit

Rew

Beasty wrote: »

or the Crud Roadracer Mk2

Had these on my Cube Agree GTC, they work but I found them to be a massive pain in the hole and rub a lot of the time. From what I've seen of the race blades I think id prefer those. Took off the crud catchers for a race and havent bothered putting them back on

Arequipa

I have fitted the tortec razor blades to the back wheel of my bike. I still have to fit the rubber end. They go just about half way down the backwheel (about 55-57cm from the back brakes!)
I am slightly concerned that the lads on club rides might get covered in mud.
Maybe I should have gone for longer mudguards?

Thank you!!

cdaly_

Arequipa wrote: »

I have fitted the tortec razor blades to the back wheel of my bike. I still have to fit the rubber end. They go just about half way down the backwheel (about 55-57cm from the back brakes!)
I am slightly concerned that the lads on club rides might get covered in mud.
Maybe I should have gone for longer mudguards?

Thank you!!

I wouldn't worry too hard. Most of the mudguards I've seen in groups have been too short to protect the rider behind and nobody seems bothered. Only full length guards like the cruds will do that.

blorg

My own experience with the Cruds is that they are very sensitive to your particular bike and the clearances. On many of my bikes they simply wouldn't go on at all, in fact none with 700x25c tyres (and why would you use 700x23c in the sort of conditions requiring mudguards?) SKS Raceblades by contrast will work on anything. YMMV.

J Madone

Personally i hate being drenched by someone elses rear wheel, I think it is inconsiderate and can be dangerous when you cant see from being blinded by a rooster tail. Whats the point in having them in a group spin if they dont protect the people behind them?
Most in my club are full length raceblades/ Crud racers for this time of year

Seweryn

J Madone wrote: »

Most in my club are full length raceblades/ Crud racers for this time of year

Very good practice. One of the reasons I prefer cycling on my own is that I have my mudguards on the bike all the time, while others don't seem to care about it.

Arequipa

Thank u for replies!
Do you think the Crud MK2 mudguards would fit my Cube Agree Carbon bike?

blorg

Arequipa wrote: »

Thank u for replies!
Do you think the Crud MK2 mudguards would fit my Cube Agree Carbon bike?

Really no way to tell unless someone has that exact bike. Do you have 700x23c or 25c? They are more likely to fit the 23c.

Note also my experience was with the original Cruds, so maybe they are better now. I found them completely useless though, as I use 25c in winter for the improved traction. Raceblades by contrast work on anything (and are on and off in seconds- which the Cruds most certainly are not, figure at least half an hour to the end of the universe to get it working without rub.)

Arequipa

Hey! They are 23mm tyres.
Testing the tortec razor blades now & they seem fine; just pity they're a bit short!
And the roads are fairly dry today!

ibebanging

Arequipa wrote: »

Thank u for replies!
Do you think the Crud MK2 mudguards would fit my Cube Agree Carbon bike?

I have them on a carbon-fibre with 700X23C and there perfect, easy to fit and great protection.