Why no mudguards for road bikes

[GoldenAxe]

Great responses. Will research and return with conclusions!

 

[John the Monkey]

Where have you been this week......

I was going to make the same comment - I don't think my kit's been dry from one day to the next!

(Bloody awful today, especially).

 

[Fab Foodie]

Where have you been this week...... I'll post my pics of my new home made splash guard - works a treat and sit's just 2 inches off the tarmac...no...it's not a coke bottle, it's a trimmed pool liner.....looks the business...and works...'cos it's been GRIM this week........

Err Abingdon and Bristol.
Not seen more than a few drops of rain. Must be why they say "it's grim up north..."

 

[bonj2]

if you want to be cycle in a suit like boris johnson and not get it dirty when you splash through puddles 'cos you're too busy yakking away on your mobile phone to avoid them and not care at all like a true 'city slicker' type cyclist, then yes you'll 'need' mudguards. But then people like Boris johnson don't have really nice carbon road bikes.
My perspective is that if it's wet, then some part of you is going to get wet anyway whether you've got mudguards or not, and if you're wearing appropriate, good quality cycling gear then it shouldn't matter. BUt that's just my opinion, it's not a matter of fact - and other people aren't necessarily 'wrong' for disagreeing with my persective.

 

[Kestevan]

F**k me.

Who are you and what have you done with Bonj?

Here i was expecting to read a hate filled missive full of the usual ranting, and I find an almost reasonable posting - I feel sadly let down....

 

[Carwash]

You don't spend thousands on a top of the range carbon fibre race bike and use it for wet weather commuting!

On the contrary, I work with someone who does exactly that. He is of course inordinately proud of the carbon-fibre beastie (apparently it's not just any carbon-fibre, but an especially rare or exclusive variety?), but he moans that he gets soaked with spray when riding in the wet. My response of, "Well, it's your own fault for not having mudguards you silly sod!" was greeted with puzzlement. Perhaps next time I shall suggest that, for his commute, he use a bike more suitable for commuting.

 

[asterix]

My audax bike has full guards. It's a bit embarrassing round here as it's mostly dry and sunny and I keep overtaking cyclists on beautiful naked road bikes. I don't think they like it

 

[Andy in Sig]

Goldenaxe,

what you have to remember is that road bikes represent the mincing, posturing end of cycling and mudguards are "simply unthinkable dahlink!"

Welcome and well done on a brave first post but for all our sakes please don't mention Shi***o or Ca******lo.

(They're for girls anyway: Rohloff is where it's at.)

 

[bonj2]

F**k me.

Who are you and what have you done with Bonj?

Here i was expecting to read a hate filled missive full of the usual ranting, and I find an almost reasonable posting - I feel sadly let down....

The "mudguards ceasefire", remember? I'm sticking to it.

 

[ColinJ]

Any snobby feelings I ever might have had about bikes were blown away on my first 200 km audax! After being overtaken and dropped by hordes of stereotypical old guys with grey hair and beards on tatty old steel-framed bikes with rattling mudguards and huge Carradice saddlebags (what do they put in them ?), I no longer judge a rider by his/her bike...

I bodged some mudguards and a rack onto my Basso and kept it like that for a year. In the end I took it all back off again because 99% of my riding is shortish local rides in the dry.

If I could afford it and had the space, I'd have a dedicated audax/touring bike with mudguards and a rack. Trouble is - I have 3 bikes already...

 

[Joe24]

Dont go by the saddle bags. The people just fill them up with helium filled balloons.

 

[tdr1nka]

The "mudguards ceasefire", remember? I'm sticking to it.

Don't worry I'm rolling with my mudguards on 'safety'.

 

[GrahamG]

With the exception of race bikes, 'summer' bikes and fair weather cyclists, you'd be mad not to have mudguards on a bike living in a country like the UK. This is coming from someone who refused to fit any for 12 months of all weather commuting - when I discovered that your arse doesn't have to be soaking wet everytime it rains or there's standing water, it was a real revelation.

 

[Joe24]

With the exception of race bikes, 'summer' bikes and fair weather cyclists, you'd be mad not to have mudguards on a bike living in a country like the UK. This is coming from someone who refused to fit any for 12 months of all weather commuting - when I discovered that your arse doesn't have to be soaking wet everytime it rains or there's standing water, it was a real revelation.

You saying that i am a fair weather cyclist because my bike doesnt have mudguards on then?
I am not a fair weather cyclist, if it rains when i'm out my arse gets wet. If its raining before i go out, race blades go on.
Infact, i went out the other day, got home soaking from the rain, even had a rear mudguard mud, feet soaked, shoes soaked.
Personally, i think you should ride with no mudguards if theres no rain. If your going somewhere and its a nice day, why have mudguards on? But if your commuting and you know you might get to work in the sun but be home and it be raining, i see the point for them.
They make you paranoid i think, you fear that if you take them off it will rain. Do some rides guardless in the rain, live a little

 

[4F]

They make you paranoid i think, you fear that if you take them off it will rain. Do some rides guardless in the rain, live a little

No paranoia Joe. I got sick and tired of the wet arse syndrome when it had stopped raining but still had surface water.

I cannot be arsed with the idea of race blades and putting them on / taking them off etc.