# Mudguards & rack for my CX bike which won't make it look like it belongs to my mum?



## Boris Bike (2 Sep 2011)

Sorry for all the "please recommend me a..." posts I've been wacking up; just bought a new bike and have been pimping it up.

Got a Boardman CX Team and I'm toying with the idea of putting mudguards and a rack on it (yeah, yeah, I know). I use it for commuting so it would be good to get the back off my back, but I don't want to make my bike look rubbish.

Does anyone have any suggestions of how I can do this and still keep the bike looking good?

What this person has done with their tricross doesn't look too bad (would prefer a black rack though) - http://www.pbase.com/niblue/image/94206654/original.jpg


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## lejogger (2 Sep 2011)

I have the exact same bike as you... obviously with guards and a rack as it's my commuter/tourer...

Guards are dependant on whether you've changed the tyres over. I've got 700x25 Schwalbe Marathon so I can fit some slim ones on. I went for the SKS chromoplastics. They look pretty smart. The only issue you'll have is that due to the clearance the front one sits quite high over the tyre. It doesn't affect the effectiveness, it just could look better. Obviously if you're handy you could make or find some sort of extention to bring it down a bit. I'll try to post some pics when i get home so you can see what I mean. 

For the rack I went for the Tubus Vega. Nice and slim and light, easy to fit. Looks nice in black.


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## GrumpyGregry (2 Sep 2011)

Tubus fly and tortecs is what I run and what I attempt to fit on anything else.


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## lejogger (2 Sep 2011)

Ok... pics attached as promised. 

Apologies for the poor quality of the first. That's the laden bike in full touring mode. 

In the second pic you can see where a lengthened link or some kind of extension would lower it more neatly down to the tyre. It's not a huge problem... only if you're picky. Also, i think due to the clearance you'd probably get this problem with most guards

Third pick shows the rear rack. Obviously I've got the ortlieb adapter for the trunk bag on there too. It's a bit bulky and weighty, but taking the rack bag off with one push of a button is very handy!


Forgot to mention too that you may have a bit of difficulty with the front disc brake unit as it's right in the way of where the stay needs to go. I've seen people try to bend them but I just hacksawed the stay off. 3 is plenty.


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## lejogger (2 Sep 2011)

Here's the picture of the missing stay, and the full bike without the panniers. 

Hope this helps.


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## lejogger (2 Sep 2011)

GregCollins said:


> Tubus fly and tortecs is what I run and what I attempt to fit on anything else.



I would have gone for the fly, but with the 2 rack bolts on the CX I went for a rack with 2 fittings, the Vega is very similar if not identical apart from the fittings isn't it?


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## Andrew_P (2 Sep 2011)

lejogger said:


> Here's the picture of the missing stay, and the full bike without the panniers.
> 
> Hope this helps.



Front one is a bit high, can you make or get an extension?

How are you getting on with the BB5, had them on a Marin and drove me mad. I am looking at the CX but the BB5 to BB7 would deffo be my first upgrade.


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## Andrew_P (2 Sep 2011)

Not sure the back one would catch all the crud either? Not being critical but as above the CX is a bike I am looking at for the winter.


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## lejogger (2 Sep 2011)

LOCO said:


> Front one is a bit high, can you make or get an extension?



If you're handy you could probably make one - I'm not sure if you can buy one, but I haven't really looked. I haven't seen it as a priority because the guard still works perfectly. It's just aesthetics that would make me try something. It's only 3 months old, so I'll probably get round to it soon.



LOCO said:


> How are you getting on with the BB5, had them on a Marin and drove me mad. I am looking at the CX but the BB5 to BB7 would deffo be my first upgrade.


They're fine. Good stopping power. Took a couple of hundred miles to bed in, and i get a tiny bit of quiet honking from the rear one when im pushing it backwards into the garage, but nothing when actually riding. 
The front makes an odd sound too when braking hard, but I'm not sure if that's just disc brakes as I've not had them before. 
So yes, potential for an upgrade in the future, but it's not a priority.


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## GrumpyGregry (2 Sep 2011)

LOCO said:


> Front one is a bit high, can you make or get an extension?
> 
> How are you getting on with the BB5, had them on a Marin and drove me mad. I am looking at the CX but the BB5 to BB7 would deffo be my first upgrade.



BB5 nearly broke my will to live.


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## lejogger (2 Sep 2011)

LOCO said:


> Not sure the back one would catch all the crud either? Not being critical but as above the CX is a bike I am looking at for the winter.



The back is catching everything. It is a bit further away from the seat stay than I would have liked, but it just needs a couple of washers and it will be much better. Again, it's just aesthetics in my opinion as I've had no problem with spray etc.


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## Friz (2 Sep 2011)

And good luck getting it NOT to look like your Mum's bike. 

Four days of the week I arrive at work looking like a hardcore, savage mountain biker. On shopping day (with the panniers attached) I get laughed at and called "Postman Pat".

You'll get used to it.


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## GrumpyGregry (2 Sep 2011)

lejogger said:


> I would have gone for the fly, but with the 2 rack bolts on the CX I went for a rack with 2 fittings, the Vega is very similar if not identical apart from the fittings isn't it?



Vega has a wider top platform than the fly I think and a single fitting but that is it.

My frame has two rack bolts, and dual pivot brakes, so I used a Tubus adapter with the fly so only use one. Plenty rigid enough with the loads a Fly can handle.


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## dellzeqq (2 Sep 2011)

Boris Bike said:


> Sorry for all the "please recommend me a..." posts I've been wacking up; just bought a new bike and have been pimping it up.
> 
> Got a Boardman CX Team and I'm toying with the idea of putting mudguards and a rack on it (yeah, yeah, *I know*).


if you know, why are you persisting..........


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## Andrew_P (2 Sep 2011)

GregCollins said:


> BB5 nearly broke my will to live.




Mine too, they either rubbed or didn't work! I can still hear and feel the regular bump bump bump and in my mind feeling it sapping my energy.


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## lejogger (2 Sep 2011)

LOCO said:


> Mine too, they either rubbed or didn't work! I can still hear and feel the regular bump bump bump and in my mind feeling it sapping my energy.



Well if it helps, I don't have that issue with mine. I made sure they set the pads properly at the 6 weeks service, although I did have the bedding in issue pretty much up to that 6 week point... I actually have a couple of good mechanics at my local Halfords.
I had cycled about 800 miles in my first 6 weeks though.


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## Boris Bike (2 Sep 2011)

lejogger said:


> I have the exact same bike as you... obviously with guards and a rack as it's my commuter/tourer...
> 
> Guards are dependant on whether you've changed the tyres over. I've got 700x25 Schwalbe Marathon so I can fit some slim ones on.


Thanks very much for all your info and photos - bike looks smart.

I've still got the nobbleys on at the moment. Probably will keep them through the winter so I'll have to look for something a little larger. Although may change my mind if I get annoyed with them. The tyres are 35mm so coupld probably go for the 45mm version of these - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/sks-chromoplastic-road-mudguard-set/


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## Boris Bike (2 Sep 2011)

dellzeqq said:


> if you know, why are you persisting..........


Because as much as I like the look of the bike, I want it to be practical too. Otherwise I'll probably end up leaving it at home if the weather is bad.


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## lejogger (2 Sep 2011)

Boris Bike said:


> Thanks very much for all your info and photos - bike looks smart.
> 
> I've still got the nobbleys on at the moment. Probably will keep them through the winter so I'll have to look for something a little larger. Although may change my mind if I get annoyed with them. The tyres are 35mm so coupld probably go for the 45mm version of these - http://www.wiggle.co...d-mudguard-set/



It's a judgement call. The wider guards would allow you to change tyre widths without problem, but if you did get narrow ones it might look a bit silly. 
I decided straight away that I'd be changing tyres so got the guards that would look the best with them. 

I would have a think about getting some more commuting-style tyres though. Despite being knobbly, the CX tyres seem very thin and lightweight to me (i.e. depth not width)... I could imagine getting a lot of puntures. They won't roll as well on the road either.


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## Boris Bike (2 Sep 2011)

lejogger said:


> Here's the picture of the missing stay, and the full bike without the panniers.
> 
> Hope this helps.


What are the Boardman bottle holders you have? I'd like some but the only ones I can see are the £35 carbon ones.


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## lejogger (2 Sep 2011)

Boris Bike said:


> What are the Boardman bottle holders you have? I'd like some but the only ones I can see are the £35 carbon ones.



They're £35 carbon ones  

I have two on my Team Carbon too! A little indulgent I know, but I liked them and I think the accessories were 3 for 2 so I got them and a Cateye computer and it worked out much more reasonable.


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## Boris Bike (2 Sep 2011)

lejogger said:


> I would have a think about getting some more commuting-style tyres though.


Yeah I've been thinking about that. I had the Schwalbe Marathon Plus on my mountain bike and liked them.

How does one decide what width to get?


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## lejogger (2 Sep 2011)

Boris Bike said:


> Yeah I've been thinking about that. I had the Schwalbe Marathon Plus on my mountain bike and liked them.
> 
> How does one decide what width to get?



I'm not an expert by any means, but I wanted something a bit more sturdy and puncture resistant than the continental slicks that I have on the road bike, but still narrow enough to roll well on the road. The Schwalbe Marathon 25s are therefore just right for me. My touring partner has them on his touring/commuter bike and did a 27:32 10 mile TT in a duathlon with them so they're not slow.
Depends what you're used to though and how confident you are on a narrower tyre. 

Many commuters on the forum favour the Marathon plus if they're in your price range. I might opt for them next time.


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## sean8997 (3 Sep 2011)

I use Marathon Plus 25's on my Merida Cyclocross, did my 1st 100 miler in 6hr 32mins earlier in the year using them, done around 1000 miles on them and they still look brand new i.e. still got the moulding rubber on them!


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## Dilbert (3 Sep 2011)

Thanks for posting those pictures. I am picking mine up this afternoon  and I have been trying to work out what mudguards to go for. Are they 35 or 45? I am fitting 28 tyres, I did not know you could go down to 25. I have gone for a Topeak rack as I already have a beam rack and bag which I want to carry on using. 

A friend has a Boardman Hybrid which he has had for 18 months with BB5 on and has not had any problems. I specifically asked him about them when I was looking at the CX.


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## lejogger (4 Sep 2011)

Dilbert said:


> Thanks for posting those pictures. I am picking mine up this afternoon  and I have been trying to work out what mudguards to go for. Are they 35 or 45? I am fitting 28 tyres, I did not know you could go down to 25. I have gone for a Topeak rack as I already have a beam rack and bag which I want to carry on using.



They're the 35. I have no plans to fit wider tyres. If I wanted to go offroad with the original CX ones then I'd probably take the guards off. 

The rims comfortably take the 700x25 tyres


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## Dilbert (4 Sep 2011)

Thanks, I am going to get some ordered today, looks like they may be needed from the long range forecast. I have already swapped the tyres over and moved my lights. Can't take it for a run out as I have got man-flu today, looks lovely though. Folks in our Halfords are OK too, but I found this last night for future reference.


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## Boris Bike (8 Sep 2011)

lejogger said:


> They're the 35. I have no plans to fit wider tyres. If I wanted to go offroad with the original CX ones then I'd probably take the guards off.
> 
> The rims comfortably take the 700x25 tyres


Think I'll go for the 45 as I'm keeping the 35 knobblies through winter, then may swap to a 28 size road tyre next year. The 45 mm guards should be able to take both.

Do you think the 45s would still fit with the rack?


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## lejogger (8 Sep 2011)

Boris Bike said:


> Think I'll go for the 45 as I'm keeping the 35 knobblies through winter, then may swap to a 28 size road tyre next year. The 45 mm guards should be able to take both.
> 
> Do you think the 45s would still fit with the rack?



The rack will be fine. My only concern is whether the forks and rear seat stays would have enough width to take an extra 10mm. 

See photos attached. Front probably ok... Rear maybe not  

It will be close, you may have to take it to the LBS and try it...


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## Boris Bike (8 Sep 2011)

lejogger said:


> The rack will be fine. My only concern is whether the forks and rear seat stays would have enough width to take an extra 10mm.
> 
> See photos attached. Front probably ok... Rear maybe not
> 
> It will be close, you may have to take it to the LBS and try it...


Cheers, and thanks for the photos.

Yeah it looks like some more investigation is needed.


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## Dilbert (8 Sep 2011)

First commute today on the CX. Only done 24 miles but so far no problems, apart from minor tweaks to seat and bar positions required. Front mech is very smooth, rear is stiffer than my SRAM Rival. Brakes were fine, no drag or noise apart from when I braked when they were wet, but they work fine. Didn't notice any difference in rolling resistance from the larger tyres but it did seem more comfortable.

Still waiting for my mudguards.


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## lejogger (9 Sep 2011)

Dilbert said:


> Brakes were fine, no drag or noise apart from when I braked when they were wet, but they work fine.



Don't expect this to last. They should get squidgier and squidgier the more you use them at first until they bed in, so they will need adjusting. You'll soon get to the point that you have to brake so hard that your shifter levers get wedged on your bars. 
That's the time to get the spanners out


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## Boris Bike (12 Sep 2011)

lejogger said:


> The rack will be fine. My only concern is whether the forks and rear seat stays would have enough width to take an extra 10mm.
> 
> See photos attached. Front probably ok... Rear maybe not
> 
> It will be close, you may have to take it to the LBS and try it...


Halfords seem to think the 45s will fit - I asked a question on this page: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_377049_langId_-1_categoryId_210163#dtab


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## CopperCyclist (5 Nov 2011)

I'm starting to consider getting mudguards for my Boardman CX Team toon- my long term plan will see it as my winter commuter. Did those 45mm mudguards fit easily enough over your 35mm CX tyres?


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## theloafer (23 Nov 2011)

Boris Bike said:


> What are the Boardman bottle holders you have? I'd like some but the only ones I can see are the £35 carbon ones.


got this one from this one off here went to see+test ride last sunday ..a round trip of 320 miles it was a bargain came with cages+bottles+guards £700 i fitted the rack+bag


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## theloafer (23 Nov 2011)

Dilbert said:


> Thanks for posting those pictures. I am picking mine up this afternoon  and I have been trying to work out what mudguards to go for. Are they 35 or 45? I am fitting 28 tyres, I did not know you could go down to 25. I have gone for a Topeak rack as I already have a beam rack and bag which I want to carry on using.
> 
> A friend has a Boardman Hybrid which he has had for 18 months with BB5 on and has not had any problems. I specifically asked him about them when I was looking at the CX.


 got my cx these were alreadt fitted by ownner seem great

http://road.cc/content/review/2716-tortec-reflector-mudguards


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## Morny (21 May 2012)

theloafer said:


> got this one from this one off here went to see+test ride last sunday ..a round trip of 320 miles it was a bargain came with cages+bottles+guards £700 i fitted the rack+bag
> View attachment 4893
> View attachment 4894


Just bought a CX - can I ask what the make of rack and bag you're using is? Is it one of those with a clip attachment for the bag? Looks like I need exactly what you've got


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## theloafer (21 May 2012)

hi morny
rack is this one this is the rack http://www.topeak.com/products/Racks/SuperTouristTubularRack_w_o_sp

and bag is this one 
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxUQ-Ep4X8w

both are great also these are the mudguards fitted
http://road.cc/content/review/2716-tortec-reflector-mudguards

larry


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## fossyant (22 May 2012)

Guards and panniers give you more SCR points !


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## Browser (26 May 2012)

Here's one I made earlier:






SKS Chromplastic 'guards and Topeak Supertourist DX rack. Have a look at the 'Show use yer aluminium' thread in the Photo Gallery section for some more be-racked and be-mudguargded machines.


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