Commuting - Mudguards

Now I remember why my bike has guards.

I took mine off last night (broken) and rode in this morning in fine Scottish drizzly rainy weather.

There was not a bit of me below the waist which was dry, my Goretex top was spattered in mud front and rear, and my Vittoria shoes filled up with water.

LBS this weekend I think.

So that's why it's finally rained here - you took off your mudguards. You could have taken them off last week, I'm trying to seed a new lawn ;)

Richard

Chewa, assuming you bought new guards for the bike, what sort did you get and what experience did you bring to bear in making your decision? I have a stiff-framed mtb (Specialized) and would like to continue commuting at least through the autumn, but having got a thorough soaking last week I see the need for mudguards. Thing is, I have a friend who rides regularly and claims nothing works other than the full wrap-around guards, yet the shops I've visited or rung seem to want to sell me clip-on part-guards which they claim are as effective. Full mudguards on an mtb is not an appealing thought, but on the other hand I dont' want to compromise on protection since I have to arrive at work in a reasonable state. Your views appreciated.

Full mudguards on an mtb is not an appealing thought,

Rigid, you're right!! I agree totally. What I have done is picked up another MTB for $100 from a friend and am converting my old MTB bike to commuter with fenders, slicks, lights, etc. The gearing is better on the old bike for road travel and the new bike is 8 pounds lighter and better for trails.

It's very difficult to find 1 bike that'll do everything you need it to.

Originally posted by Rigid
Chewa, assuming you bought new guards for the bike, what sort did you get and what experience did you bring to bear in making your decision? I have a stiff-framed mtb (Specialized) and would like to continue commuting at least through the autumn, but having got a thorough soaking last week I see the need for mudguards. Thing is, I have a friend who rides regularly and claims nothing works other than the full wrap-around guards, yet the shops I've visited or rung seem to want to sell me clip-on part-guards which they claim are as effective. Full mudguards on an mtb is not an appealing thought, but on the other hand I dont' want to compromise on protection since I have to arrive at work in a reasonable state. Your views appreciated.

I bought some Zefal plastic clip on fenders at REI for ~$11. They work great for commuting and I can put them on in an instant when it looks like rain.

Your friend is right and your bike shops are wrong. Clip on models are nowhere near as effective as proper mudguards for road riding.

If you are looking at full length guards, then SKS chromoplastic are the only ones worth considering. They do 26"MTB ones in a number of widths. They work best when there is about 5mm clearance between guard and tyre, but most MTB forks have too much clearance at the top.

For extra protection, you can rivet a plastic splashguard to the bottom of your front mudguard. This used to come as standard with ESGE mudguards, but since SKS took over the brand, they have dropped that feature. Washing-up liquid bottles are a good source of plastic.
The rear mudguard is a good place for fixing reflectors and lights.
If you mix a rack and fenders on a single threaded eyelet, put the rack on first. This will save the bolts from extra stress.
A fully rigged winter commuter is not really compatable with sport off-road riding.

Originally posted by MichaelW
Washing-up liquid bottles are a good source of plastic.

My Audax bike has full mudguards and I've noticed when riding behind others in the rain, that even full mudguards don't prevent water splashing up.

Its no longer compulsory, but still considered bad form in Audax to have no mudguards in a "peleton" on a wet day. Muddy miscreants are kindly requested to stay at the back or pull ahead.

Its a lovely relief when the bike in front has a big mudflap too. I also like the reverse chic of the home-made variety and I plan to add a 2 litre coke bottle version onto mine.

Stew

I got SKS Chromoplastics even though I don't think they are as good as they used to be when they were made by ESGE.

However, I put Salmon Profils on my Flying Scot (narrow aluminium guards). They look great but don't stop the cr*p coming off the side of the tyre as they only cover the central strip.

True - my winter (commuter) road bike has salmon guards and although they stop most bqackwards splash there's still a lot of sideways stuff comes flying off the front wheel.

Unfortunately they're about the only option if your road bike doesn't have the clearance for guards.

As soon as I can afford it I'm going to replace the frame with a winter trainer that has sufficient clearance and put SKS guards on.

Stew

My 531c Audax frame (now with front lowrider bosses, extra guard eyes and extra bottle bosses) is now back in the shop after having been refinished by Bob Jackson

I'll be fitting Chromoplastics to it and not relying on profils through the winter.

Can't wait to see how it looks!! Just have to save up for the new wheels, brakes, stem, seat post, chainset etc etc!!

Planet Bike, hardcore freddie fenders on my commuter and touring bike. They are light weight, don't rattle, keep all the crap off the bike and me, and never break. I've been riding them for many, many miles.

Interesting comments! The SKS guards are the ones I was recommended and they seem to go for about £25 a pair, although one web site was advertising them for a tad under £20 the other day (hope I can find it again). I think it's the way to go, but the thought appalls me!

I'm currently running PlanetBike Freddy Fenders also. I've made fenders from 2L bottles in the past, and they worked fairly well but did scratch the frame. Duct tape can easily be added to the bottom of almost anything to make a wider flap. I have a little rattle, but it is drowned out by the rattle from the SLA battery in my water bottle carrier. By the way, slipping a bit of old inner tube onto the cage helps cut down that noise too.

Originally posted by JDP


I bought some Zefal plastic clip on fenders at REI for ~$11. They work great for commuting and I can put them on in an instant when it looks like rain. How about a helmet?:rolleyes:


I like my Topeak Defenders - easy on easy off.

Originally posted by Raiyn
How about a helmet?:rolleyes:


I'm glad you're so concerned for my well being. I did buy a helmet for riding my freebord so I usually wear it while riding my bike too. I bought a Pro- Tec BMX helmet because I couldn't bring myself to spend good money on a piece of styrofoam with a colorful paper shell covering the top of it. Not that the Pro- Tec is much better but the hard plastic shell and better padding adds a little more value to it.