Commuting - mud guard advice..

hi all

ive just got myself a bike (at last).. and am almost ready to go.. i got an almost brand new giant sedona from a guy who was going to start a bike hire place but never got around to it..

now all i need is to get myself some lights, decent locks and mud guards...
i want full on old fashioned mud guards in black.. can anyone tell me what will work with my bike and what sort of price i should be looking at for them?

thanks!

ps. im in the uk
pps. any comments on my debate between an abus chain lock and d lock?

SKS chromoplastic are the best mudguards. You can sometimes find them in black but usually its silver.

Zéfal is just as good and looks better;) Dunno what size/model fits the bike, though.

From pics on the net it seems to me that the sedona has no eyelets neither front, nor back. That'll make it tougher to fit full fenders.

Definitely go D (=U) with the lock. They are just as safe as chains, but are smaller and weigh and cost less. Only reason why you would want a chain is if you need to lock to lampposts.

when you say eyelets do you mean little holes in the frame above where the frame meets the wheel? coz it has those!

I'd go SKS or Zefal, I have Zefals myself.
I didn't like the PlanetBike ones I had.

If you need any recommendations for the taillight, the Cateye LD1000 is a powerful one :)

I have a Sedona and it has two rear eyelets, but none up front. Unless they changed the design over time, you should find two drilled threaded holes by the quick release hub in the back where you can attach fenders or a rack.

For mud guards, I'm not sure if it's a UK/US language difference for fenders, mud flaps or both. If for fenders, I have a pair of Planet Bike ones that cost about $25 US which work ok and have mud flaps built in. Rear installation was easy enough, but a little tricky up front.

http://www.planetbike.com/fenders.html#

i think mudguards = fenders

im knew to this but i dont think my bike has a quick release hub at the back... it has a quick release front wheel and saddle.. both of which i'd like to change to standard so they arent as easily stolen.. trying to figure out how i do that is a whole different thread i think!

Mudguards are what we 'Muricans call fenders, yes.

I have a Sedona and it has two rear eyelets, but none up front. Unless they changed the design over time, you should find two drilled threaded holes by the quick release hub in the back where you can attach fenders or a rack.

For mud guards, I'm not sure if it's a UK/US language difference for fenders, mud flaps or both. If for fenders, I have a pair of Planet Bike ones that cost about $25 US which work ok and have mud flaps built in. Rear installation was easy enough, but a little tricky up front.

http://www.planetbike.com/fenders.html#

can you send me pics of your sedona and its fenders?

Order mudguards SKS chromoplastics from Settle Cycles - free postage and good price. They have both colors in a variety of widths. I'm not 100% sure it's size for MTB tyres though. I got 2 pairs from them for my road bike (700c) wheels.
http://www.settlecycles.co.uk/shop/

Man, that's an old photo. Forgot what it looked like before I covered it with reflective tape.

...for fenders, I have a pair of Planet Bike ones that cost about $25 US which work ok and have mud flaps built in. Rear installation was easy enough, but a little tricky up front.

http://www.planetbike.com/fenders.html#

I gotta second this one. I have them on my commuter and I love them. Make sure to get the full coverage fenders and not the snap-ons.

thanks for the pic!
i was under the impression that full 'fenders' wouldnt fit on my sedona.. that the fenders with stays just wouldnt work... was i told wrong?

Does your Sedona have disc or rim brakes? If it has rim brakes,any of the standard SKS or Freddy Fenders will work. If it has discs(like mine),you'll need to use a seatpost mount fender. The front requires a MTB fender because there are no eyelets.

I went with a set of Topeak DeFenders(http://www.topeak.com/products/fender_001.html ) backed up with a pair of mudboards(http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=1237&subcategory_ID=6700) mounted to the seatpost and downtube to catch what the fenders missed. This combo has worked really well as this is my rain(and now snow) bike.

Does your Sedona have disc or rim brakes?


um... i have no idea... what's the difference?

edit: i think maybe... rim
are there lots of very different sedona's out there?
this looks like its mine...
http://www.giant-bicycle.com/uk/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?model=10233

Rim brakes;they're straight-pulls,also known as V-brakes. Disc brakes have a rotor mounted to the wheel and a caliper on the fork(think motorcycle brake).

I couldn't tell whether you've got front eyelets or not. The two holes on the left fork leg,one above the other,are for a disc brake. If you have fender eyelets,they'll be at the base of the fork near the axle. If not,you'll need a MTB front fender,which mounts with a plug that goes up into the underside of the fork bridge. You should have rear eyelets,just above the rear axle,so any standard commuter fender of the proper width for the tire should fit.

Couple bits of advice. Ditch the stock tires;Sedonas are heavy bikes to begin with and the OEM Kendas have alot of rolling resistance. If you're going to ride on the street,I'd go with a set of 1.5" wide WTB Slickasauruses. If you're going to do a mixture of street and trails,1.75" wide Vittoria Randonneurs. (I'm running 1.95" Michelin Transworld Cities,but then I'm doing snow.) I'd also recommend swapping the seatpost quick release for a bolt model. My seatpost kept slipping with the QR,and the bolt will give you some protection from seatpost/saddle theft. Finally,once you get the bars positioned where you want them,put some Loctite thread locker on the headset adjuster bolt to keep that from slipping.

All-in-all,I'm pretty happy with my Sedona. I just wish it was lighter.

(edit:I guess they don't have my model in the UK. This is mine:http://www.giant-bicycle.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?year=2005&model=11045)

i was under the impression that full 'fenders' wouldnt fit on my sedona.. that the fenders with stays just wouldnt work... was i told wrong?

Maybe if you have the suspension forks there could be a problem. But it can be rigged. I used a worm clamp (sometimes called a hose clamp) and zip ties. Wrapped a section of old inner tube around the fork, then the clamp and put in a zip tie before I completely tightened the clamp. It's held up since August or September so far.

what is this hole for?
can i attach fenders to this?
(pic of front of my bike attached)

That hole is for attaching fenders. Smaller fender sets('clip-ons') will mount their front with that hole only. I tried a set of these,and was disappointed by the coverage. Full fenders will also use that as a top attachment point,but you'll need eyelets at the bottom of the fork for the struts.

FULL fenders on a MTB with front suspension, high clearance for snow.

Maybe if you have the suspension forks there could be a problem. But it can be rigged. I used a worm clamp (sometimes called a hose clamp) and zip ties. Wrapped a section of old inner tube around the fork, then the clamp and put in a zip tie before I completely tightened the clamp. It's held up since August or September so far.


Nice work-around. Good thinkin' ;)

FULL fenders on a MTB with front suspension, high clearance for snow.
WTF? A clean winter commuter rig???

WTF? A clean winter commuter rig???


:) I guess I'm OC without the P.

It only goes if there is ice or snow. I leave the studded tires on it all the time. If the road is clear I use another bike. The fenders make it very easy to clean too.

That hole is for attaching fenders. Smaller fender sets('clip-ons') will mount their front with that hole only. I tried a set of these,and was disappointed by the coverage. Full fenders will also use that as a top attachment point,but you'll need eyelets at the bottom of the fork for the struts.


the front forks only have eyelets on one side... (see pic 1)

the rear forks have eyelets on both so should be okay i assume.. (see pic 2)


i want to have full fenders if at all possible!

Those front holes are for a disc brake caliper. I'd go with the MTB fender/mudboard combo up front.

Back should be no prob,just order a rear ATB Freddy Fender(you can get just a rear).

I'll have to take pics of mine tonight and post them.

what's ATB stand for?
im not sure freddy fender gear is available in the UK but SKS is.. can someone point me in the right direction of SKS full rear fender that'll fit....

im still a little confused about the front.. can i stil get a front fender that attaches via the eyelet as im not a fan of those clip on to the seatpost style ones...

ATB=MTB,it's just one of the designations Planet Bike has for it's fenders(like Hybrid and Road). I'd be amazed if they didn't have them over there. Nothing wrong with SKS,it's just that I think you have to buy the full set and the front's not much use to you without some serious MacGuyvering.

For the front;you have no eyelets. Standard front fenders will not work without modification on your part. Your best bet is the front from a clip-on set,or a MTB fender.

I'll take some pics tonight and post them to clarify. Right now it's time to go home.

A quick crawl through Google and I found fender sets that came with add-on widgets for bikes that do not have needed bolt holes and such. I use Planet Bike fenders for budget reasons. Bruce Gordon makes some beautiful carbon fiber ones. Priced about like his titanium frame fit pumos.

the front forks only have eyelets on one side... (see pic 1)

the rear forks have eyelets on both so should be okay i assume.. (see pic 2)


i want to have full fenders if at all possible!

You don't need to have any eyelets to mount full fenders on your bike. Using perforated strapping from the building supply store you can make a strap that goes around the fork anywhere you want. And you can use the same fender stays that you have and the same bolts and bolt them on. You can do that on the back too. No need for eyelets.

Look at the picture of my bike I posted. There are NO front fender stays on that bike. The mudguard goes almost to the ground. There are infinite options.

Ok,here's the pics. First is the Sedona with fenders and mudboards. Second is a close-up of the front fender and mudboard. Notice the disc brake;that is what those holes on your left side are for.