Mudguards

[giropaul]

Sneaked out for a quick hour's ride today and came across a small group of  2 local pros (one in a European team) and an Elite (current Divisional Champ). They stopped briefly for a chat (and a quick pee - I'm not that important!)

They all had mudguards fitted!

If they can do this why can't the neverwas/neverwillbe poseurs in my club follow suite?

[mattc]

Cos they're worried they'll go even slower.

[Rhys W]

Pros (and anybody who's got up to a high level in the sport) know what's good for them. This is why you find them in long-sleeve jerseys and legwarmers in the spring long after the wannabees have started wearing shorts at every opportunity.

 It really pisses me off that so many people will actually buy a winter bike yet refuse to fit mudguards, presumably on the basis that it "isn't cool". That attitude would be kind of endearing in an 8-year old, but from an adult? They also are often seen riding their multi-thousand pound carbon "racing" bike all through the winter because their other bike "isn't light enough".

 

[rogerzilla]

Mudguards, or those that are normally foisted upon us, are crap.  They break too soon (I reckon on a year or two's hard use before they crack right across their width), they rattle and they are a pig to fit neatly.  Added to that, most "race" bikes have no provision for them.

Four out of my five bikes have mudguards, but I can see why people won't use them.

[Rhys W]

Well of course they'll be crap if you buy them from Halfords, Roger. 

You do have a point there, but you must have been unlucky. SKS ones used to survive 4-5 hard winters for me, and then they'd invariably break where I'd butchered them to fit under the fork crown. These Tortec ones are going into their 3rd winter with no signs of wear. They also fit very neatly, mainly this is the first frame I've had which has been designed to take them. They don't rattle, because I've fitted them to a threaded stud that protrudes from the brake bridge, rather than the clip you clamp on with pliers (another classic breaking point).

[Wowbagger]

Wow! A thread that hasn't been updated for 9 years 11 months!

I have just ordered some new mudguards for my Thorn. SJS Cycles themselves suggested that what was fitted to mine were the SKS Chromoplastic in black, designed for 700c wheels, despite the fact that mine are 26*1.5. It's the 45mm width that gives them away, so that's what I bought. I am hoping that all of the bridges (is that what they are called?) will be in the same place on the new ones so that I can just fit the new ones to the old stays.

I visited the LBS and they had some Bontrager ones in stock with rather clever adjustable stays so that you don't have to get the hacksaw out - just an allen key.

But I'm a bit disappointed that my old ones have started to disintegrate. They are touted as "virtually indestructible" but they only laster 13 years and haven't passed 39000 miles yet!