Do new bikes usually come with mudguards

[Bimble]

I just wondered if I need to budget for some mudguards or whether they come with a new bike?

I assume they are fairly easy to fit?

 

[youngoldbloke]

- it all depends ... best look at the specifications of the bike/s you are interested in before you buy, they usually tell you. most MTBs no, Road bikes - ''sporty' - no, (and the frames may not have 'eyes' for fixing - but then you might be able to use 'RaceBlades', 'Race Guards' or similar) tourers maybe, Hybrids - maybe. Probably best to budget for them. Yes. fairly easy to fit, but can be fiddly, check the frame for fixing points ('eyes'), and get the right size guards for your bike.

 

[Piemaster]

Probably not. Bikes sold as city / commuting may do, but the answer really is have a look at the spec for it.
Have a word with wherever you are getting the bike from and try to get a deal with them included and fitted if they are not, they will be able to tell you - more likely to get success on that from a lbs (Local Bike Shop) than an big online retailer or somewhere like Halfords.

They aren't particularly difficult to fit normally if the bike has 'braze-ons' (small threaded bosses) on the frame but it depends on the bike as some frames may have small clearances between the frame and tyre that cause difficulties. There is also the 'crud-catcher' type guards which will keep the worst off but are no where near as good as full length guards though they are a very quick fit.

Which bike are you looking at?


edit:yob can type faster than me :-)

 

[CanucksTraveller]

You're probably going to have to budget for them, about £25 does it.

They're not hard to fit, just slightly fiddly but you shouldn't have any problems. You will however need a strong cutting tool to trim the stays... they're the thin silvery rods which support the mudguard in the right position... they are always a bit longer than you need to allow for adjustment, so the ends need cutting off to stop you catching them all the time.

The bike shop where I bought mine trimmed them for me with their bolt croppers. I thought my pair of wire cutters would get through them but those stays are tougher than you think.

 

[I like Skol]

I spotted this - Ridgeback mens hybrid 2010 while I was looking for bikes in your budget for your other question. It comes with rear pannier rack and full mudguards as standard. I will leave others to comment on the spec but at first glance it appears to satisfy commuting requirements on most levels.

 

[Cheryl L]

I used to use these on my road bikes .....

http://www.awcycles.co.uk/popups/9671/1/index.aspx

They fit onto almost anything and can easily be removed and put onto other bikes. Not the cheapest of options out there but I thought they worked pretty well

 

[mcshroom]

Hi Bimble.

Unfortunately guards do not come as standard on all bikes. However depending on what sort of bike you want many do come fitted with mudguards and even pannier racks fitted. These tend to be labelled as City bikes or Trekking Hybrids (if labelled at all).

Examples being things like the Claud Butler Classic and the Dawes Sonoran.

Most bikes have holes on the frame for fitting mudguards.

 

[WJHall]

I just wondered if I need to budget for some mudguards or whether they come with a new bike?

I assume they are fairly easy to fit?

The short answer to your question is no, you do not need to budget for mudguards as an extra, if you need a bike with mudguards you should buy one that is supplied with them fitted. (Mudguards are a good idea for touring and commuting, where the aim is usually to avoid getting wet and muddy, so are often fitted to bikes for this purpose, for mountainbiking and racing where the object is to get wet and muddy mudguards are commonly not fitted.)

As a second best, if your eye, for some reason, has fallen on a bike without mudguards ask the shop what the price is including mudguards fitted.

As some people have mentioned, not all bikes have the necessary drillings for mudguards, and there can be other things that can foul guards like front derailleurs, or clearances under the fork, so if you are buying a bike it is best to get these things sorted out before deciding to buy it. This kind of consideration just emphasises that if you want a bike with mudguards it is usually best to buy one being marketed with mudguards.

Now, about lights....

 

[Piemaster]

The short answer to your question is no, you do not need to budget for mudguards as an extra, if you need a bike with mudguards you should buy one that is supplied with them fitted. (Mudguards are a good idea for touring and commuting, where the aim is usually to avoid getting wet and muddy, so are often fitted to bikes for this purpose, for mountainbiking and racing where the object is to get wet and muddy mudguards are commonly not fitted.)

As a second best, if your eye, for some reason, has fallen on a bike without mudguards ask the shop what the price is including mudguards fitted.

As some people have mentioned, not all bikes have the necessary drillings for mudguards, and there can be other things that can foul guards like front derailleurs, or clearances under the fork, so if you are buying a bike it is best to get these things sorted out before deciding to buy it. This kind of consideration just emphasises that if you want a bike with mudguards it is usually best to buy one being marketed with mudguards.

Now, about lights....

Unfortunately there are a lot of bikes that really should come with them but don't. This for example, a hybrid 'ready for the city streets' or a Carrera Subway. Cost cutting and I suspect it may also be down to them being easier to ship without the guards (more in the same container) as guards are more likely to get bent/damaged in transit than pretty much anything else on a bike.

+1 on buying it with them if you need them though - even if its the lbs that fits them

 

[WJHall]

Unfortunately there are a lot of bikes that really should come with them but don't. This for example, a hybrid 'ready for the city streets' or a Carrera Subway. Cost cutting and I suspect it may also be down to them being easier to ship without the guards (more in the same container) as guards are more likely to get bent/damaged in transit than pretty much anything else on a bike.

+1 on buying it with them if you need them though - even if its the lbs that fits them

And when we see bikes that really should come with mudguards but do not, we should really go to another manufacturer and buy something that really is 'ready for the city streets' or as Dawes say 'ready for wet weather and fitting pannier bags': their Discovery 201 eq for example. (The manufacturer you mentioned also does ranges with mudguards.)

As you conclude the important principle is to go out and buy what you actually need, not a kit of parts that might or might not fit successfully.

Now about lights....

 

[youngoldbloke]

And when we see bikes that really should come with mudguards but do not, we should really go to another manufacturer and buy something that really is 'ready for the city streets' or as Dawes say 'ready for wet weather and fitting pannier bags': their Discovery 201 eq for example. (The manufacturer you mentioned also does ranges with mudguards.)

As you conclude the important principle is to go out and buy what you actually need, not a kit of parts that might or might not fit successfully.

Now about lights....

- you seem to be assuming that the OP wants this sort of bike - perhaps correctly, but what if he is after a lighter, sportier bike? Then it is likely that he will need to budget for Raceguards or similar. And - 'Now about lights....' if you are suggesting that if we wish to ride in conditions requiring lights we should look for bikes that are sold ready equipped with them .... we will have a hell of a long search!

 

[WJHall]

- .... And - 'Now about lights....' if you are suggesting that if we wish to ride in conditions requiring lights we should look for bikes that are sold ready equipped with them .... we will have a hell of a long search!

Exactly, we have to hold the line at missing lights, and in fact lamp brackets, otherwise manufacturers will start leaving off other things that they should include, and we will be back in the 1950s situation, when I believe keen cyclists bought the frame and all the parts for a new bike separately, for tax reasons.

WJH

 

[Piemaster]

Exactly, we have to hold the line at missing lights, and in fact lamp brackets, otherwise manufacturers will start leaving off other things that they should include, and we will be back in the 1950s situation, when I believe keen cyclists bought the frame and all the parts for a new bike separately, for tax reasons.

WJH

Errr....quite a few forumites are still doing this anyway. Like me.

 

[WJHall]

Errr....quite a few forumites are still doing this anyway. Like me.

Errr ... for tax reasons?

Obviously, for a keen cyclist, building exactly the bike you want may be great fun, but keen cyclists do not ask questions like 'Do new bikes usually come with mudguards' so I suspect this topic is really concerned with the domain of the ordinary buyer, for whom a bike delivered entire, in working order by the shop and ready to ride in the dark and the rain is really the best aim.

WJH

 

[youngoldbloke]

...... otherwise manufacturers will start leaving off other things that they should include, and we will be back in the 1950s situation, when I believe keen cyclists bought the frame and all the parts for a new bike separately, for tax reasons.

WJH

I can't really imagine what else you could leave off, and still have a rideable bike.....? ...... and wouldn't it be wonderful if we could buy the component parts VAT free! (although I imagine you are referring to 'purchase tax' levied at that time?)