Extending mud guards

[Amheirchion]

Is there an easy way of doing this? I did have a brief look using the search function, but didn't find anything. My bike has just lost the little rubber flap on the front mudguard, it wasn't long enough anyway so I was already considering extending it.

On the ride home today I found an old mountain bike tyre some scum had thrown into some scrub in the park, in places it was worn through and bald from skidding. I picked it up and brought it home with an eye to using it to extend the mudguard and actually offer some protection to my chainring. I cut a small section out and realised it wasn't going to work as is, as the tyre held its shape so it wouldn't fit nicely. Is there a good way of flattening a tyre out for use?

Secondary question, what would be a good way of fastening it to the mudguard, my original thinking was to punch some holes in the current rubber flap, but that broke off.

Cheers for your time.

 

[tyred]

A long strip of rubber (Thick mat from a car boot?) or pieces of plastic bottle make excellent mudflaps and cost nothing. You can attach to the guard with small pop-rivets, small bolts (M3 with washer) or quality double sided tape.

Personally, I take a 500ml Lucozade bottle and cut the ends of it, then split it down the centre and stick to the back of the mudguard with double sided tape. It should retain the bottle shape which is ideal shape for a mudflap. Just trim it a little is it's rubbing something. Doing this won't damage your mudguards and should last a long time if you're careful, but the beauty is that even if you do knock it off, it's easy and cheap to replace.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

A section of margerine tub works well too. Just pop rivet it to the mudguard with some washers to prevent the rivets tearing through the plastic.

 

[Moodyman]

Plastic milk cartons are pretty good.

Drill two holes in the bottom of your mudguard and attached with a thick zip tie or the washer/rivet route as mentioned above.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I usually use old plastic washing up liquid bottles, squash bottles or similar, its one way of recycling these things.

 

[Amheirchion]

Thanks for the advice everyone, it seems plastic bottles are the way forwards.. Now to dig through the recycling pile.

 

[ColinJ]

Here's one I made earlier...

That's a strip cut from an old Maxim carbo-powder bottle.

 

[Davidc]

None fitted at the moment, but I've found 1.5l Coca Cola plastic bottles cut out have just the right curvature. Fitting as ColinJ's picture.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Yep - plastic stuff. Last ones I made came from washing up bottles (the white flexible kind). Annoyingly Fairy Liquid now comes in the wrong kind of plastic.

 

[potsy]

Do people then paint the make shift guard or leave it au naturel?

I used a piece of an old mudguard and bolted it to my Raceblade to make a longer front one, looks OK I think.

 

[ColinJ]

Do people then paint the make shift guard or leave it au naturel?

I chose the blue Maxim bottle because the colour of the plastic was similar to that of my bike!

 

[Danny]

My bike has just lost the little rubber flap on the front mudguard, it wasn't long enough anyway so I was already considering extending it.

I don't understand why the manufacturers can't find a way of getting the rubber flaps to last longer - mine always fall off long before the mudguard wears out.

 

[snailracer]

I attach or stick a reflector or reflective tape to the bottom of the rear mudflap - the lower location is illuminated earlier and more brightly by dipped car headlights.

 

[heliphil]

the plastic from 4 or 6 pint milk bottles is also very good for this...

 

[Davidc]

Do people then paint the make shift guard or leave it au naturel?

I used a piece of an old mudguard and bolted it to my Raceblade to make a longer front one, looks OK I think.

ColinJ obviously finds matching botles, I try to find a clear bit - first time in the rain and it's dirt coloured!