Mudguards on Road Bike for winter.. yes or no?

Power10

What's the general view here?

kildarecommuter

I'm going with yes as it keeps your clothes a bit cleaner and it saves you chucking road muck into the face of your buddy behind you!

AstraMonti

Power10 wrote: »

What's the general view here?

Rule no 30. ABSOLUTELY NO FORM of seatbag, frame pump, mud guard or mirror shall come within 2 meters of your bike.

Dermot Illogical

kildarecommuter wrote: »

I'm going with yes as it keeps your clothes a bit cleaner and it saves you chucking road muck into the face of your buddy behind you!

I'm not sure I'd agree with that bit. The muck that it saves you from has to go somewhere else.

Roger Hassenforder

I suggest closing this thread; before the crazy talk starts.

Big Eejit

Yes. Don't mind the wet, but road dirt is the worst - It gets everywhere. I use race blades on my only road bike, which is kept off the road during ****e season (but I'm shopping for a tourer/commuter/winter bike which will have full mudguards).

mondeo

I cycle to work so I cant afford to get my slacks covered in muck so yes I do have mud guards. I know they don't look cool but it's important for me.

Seweryn

Power10 wrote: »

What's the general view here?

I have the mudguards on all year, not just during winter. Can't see myself cycling without them.

onimpulse

Absolutely yes if you're cycling in a group. Just blatant bad manners & disregard for whoever is on your wheel not to. If you're planning on cycling only by yourself then it's just about keeping dry so up to you...

killalanerr

a defo yes for winter group rides.I am on i mission on this one at the moment if you ride in a group just get them ok .you know who you are .

C3PO

killalanerr wrote: »

a defo yes for winter group rides.I am on i mission on this one at the moment if you ride in a group just get them ok .you know who you are .

Couldn't agree more - still picking grit out of my eyes and teeth from last Thursday night! Makes it so much harder to wheelsuck in the wet ....

AmberGold

Full should be mandatory on Club rides from the end of October at the latest, full means lower than the rear axle. & forget about those I'm alright Jack short ones.

tacklemore

Got a rear one. Always have it on. Cue some slagging during the summer but couldn't care less. V handy for myself and those behind when it rains!

T-Maxx

Yes.

Function over form.

aFlabbyPanda

yes, mine are on all year. Who bothers to take them on and off with the weather in this country???

Keep_Her_Lit

tacklemore wrote: »

Got a rear one. Always have it on. Cue some slagging during the summer but couldn't care less. V handy for myself and those behind when it rains!

Indeed. But don't forget that extra bonus points are awarded to the slagee when he drops the slaggers while riding his dorky looking fred-mobile.

On my commuter, I remove the mudguards and rack for a couple of weeks or so during the summer and travel a bit lighter than usual. It's enjoyable but I wouldn't for a moment consider not using full mudguards once the mankier weather is at hand. Apart from keeping your gear cleaner, they also significantly reduce the amount of sludge thrown at moving parts, especially the bottom bracket.

Mudguards : not particularly pretty but sensible, practical and courteous to your fellow cyclists.

doozerie

Mudguards are a complete pain in the neck in so many respects (cleaning the bike, transporting the bike, storing the bike, removing a wheel to fix a puncture, etc., etc.) but if you want to minimise the water and dirt hitting you, your bike parts, and those behind you, then there is no better alternative. So yes to mudguards in winter for me, despite actively disliking them. ...actually I left the Crud RoadRacers on my "winter bike" all year round, but they are relatively low maintenance as mudguards go and I was feeling lazy, plus it gave me the luxury of reserving my "good bike" for the dry days and the winter bike for the wet days.

A lot of mudguards don't entirely protect the person behind you, mind you, the mudguard needs to be very long for that (e.g. the RoadRacers) and a lot of them are not long enough (e.g. SKS Race Blades). What tends to happen is that water and muck sprayed from the tyre accumulates on the mudguard, it then oozes and drips its way down to combine with the water that is being projected direct from the tyre at the rider behind. Less water hits the rider behind, but what does hit them is arguably more concentrated with mank.

dermabrasion

Race bike / good bike, rule number 30 strictly applies. Winterbike / Trainer and Commuter have mudguards. It is plain bad manners not to have them on for winter group rides, and be prepared to be called on it if you don't have them on.
What I'm not so sure about is those wide ones for MTB's. I don't do enough MTBing to know, but with the little I do, it seems naff to have a mudguard. I think perhaps it is a 'suck-it-up-princess' scenario: your going to get muddy. IMHO They wreck the aggressive form of a MTB.

Jawgap

It bears repeating.....

sherlok

Oh yes!

I leave mine on the commuting bike year round. My pristine appearance has converted some of my previously grit encrusted cycling workmates to the way of the mudguard

RobFowl

I always find the mudguard nazi's amusing..

That said far more pleasant to ride behind someone who has them........

Mycroft H

Front ones are great for helping keep the shoes less wet (not soaking).

Raam

I have em on my commute bike. I wouldn't put them on any of the race bikes. Although there was this one time...

lennymc

i had the crud roadracers for the past two winters, and have changed to the sks raceblade long now. I much rather the sks. They are a lot sturdier, seem to give better protection to my feet, and clip on and off in seconds.

seamus

BrianjG wrote: »

yes, mine are on all year. Who bothers to take them on and off with the weather in this country???

You can't race with them on, so most competitive cyclists will take them off in Spring.

That said, many people have a dedicated winter bike so they don't have to.

This thread reminds me that I'm planning on fitting the sks long race blades this winter, need to order them. I have huge full wraparound ones on the commuter all year round. Blinking brilliant so they are.

idiottje

Yes. For the good weekend bike, I leave the rear on for the winter, and take off for the summer. On my hybrid, I leave them on all the time for the commute, ride with the kids, etc. For my clothes, and for the people behind. The ones that clip on the seat post drive me mad on the commute. I rarely come across one that is fitted correctly, usually to far from the wheel, and more often than not, not inline with the tire as to be useless to the rider and those behind.

Surveyor11

Yep, for my commuter they're a must have. Nothing more annoying than arriving to work with a wet ar$e when the roads are wet.

the.red.baron

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

I'm not sure I'd agree with that bit. The muck that it saves you from has to go somewhere else.

Where does it go?

Spokes of Glory

For riding in a group over winter, most definitely yes. And for the really crappy weather, Boards is full of people flogging used bikes that could be turned into winter hackers.

And for those who think a bike can't look smart with mudguards, I respectively disagree.....

petethedrummer

Proper mudguards all year round (this is Ireland). Except on your race bike.

killalanerr

Whats a amusing mudguard nazi ? can they be got online

RobFowl wrote: »

I always find the mudguard nazi's amusing..

el tel

AstraMonti wrote: »

Rule no 30. ABSOLUTELY NO FORM of seatbag, frame pump, mud guard or mirror shall come within 2 meters of your bike.

Does that mean one must ride at least 2 meters apart from any cyclist who has these appendages affixed to their bike? :pac:

Dermot Illogical

the.red.baron wrote: »

Where does it go?

The last time I went on a wet winter club spin it went all over me.
I think it's probably just that the guy in front had short mudguards, but I ended up getting hit with all the sh1te that would have soaked his arse had he gone without.

Seweryn

Spokes of Glory wrote: »

For riding in a group over winter, most definitely yes. And for the really crappy weather, Boards is full of people flogging used bikes that could be turned into winter hackers.

And for those who think a bike can't look smart with mudguards, I respectively disagree.....

What mudguards are these? Would like to know how they are fixed, etc. .

padyjoe

Have a look: https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/114511/274531.jpg

Power10

As I thought...this will be my first winter cycling through so I think I'll go with... only have the 1 bike so if they're easy on easy off if can't see why not.

That said I have decent waterproofs / overshoes etc so I guess it's for the good of others in the group.

Definitely not nice being sprayed in the face with all sorts...

Thanks for all the opinions!

Roger Hassenforder

FFS, toughen up people*; didnt hear the King bleating about mudguards..

*doesnt apply to commuters, or little girls going to the shop, or old men going to mass...

RobFowl

Spokes of Glory wrote: »

For riding in a group over winter, most definitely yes. And for the really crappy weather, Boards is full of people flogging used bikes that could be turned into winter hackers.

And for those who think a bike can't look smart with mudguards, I respectively disagree.....

My eyes are burning with the amount of headtube sticking out!

pot p

I don't tink mudguards fit onto my frame, its a felt ar. Was goin to join a club last year but was told in group rides u needed mudguards or every1 wud be giving out so didn't bother

sherlok

RobFowl wrote: »

I always find the mudguard nazi's amusing..

Surely it's the ones without the mudguards who end up in brown shirts

triggermortis

I don't ride in a group but I have mudguards for winter both at home, and my commute which is in Switzerland. Keeping that bit drier makes riding that bit more enjoyable when the weather is wet.

Amirani

No. Just wear shorts and clean with a towel when at destination. If your legs are cold, cycle faster. If you can't cycle faster, urine can be used for warmth. Alternatively, fit mudguards - whatever suits.

dreamerb

No comment on club spins, not my thing - on your commuter, oh yes. Please. You don't have to be wheel-sucking to get a face-full of someone else's spray in wet conditions.