Why no mudguards for road bikes

[Chris James]

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.

What a faff. How long does that take you?

I leave my guards on all year. That way I won't gte soaked even if I get caught out with the weather.

But I have an audax bike, or as my LBS described it when I bought it, a 'sensible' bike!

 

[Joe24]

Yeh, i understand that FFFF. Its not bad at the moment, i take them off and can go a few days without putting them back on. The fixed will probably have full guards on, but might end up taking them off in the summer. The race blades dont give enough protection sometimes i dont think.

Faf? Have you ever done it? I wipped my chain, oiled it, wiped the excess of then put the race blades on in under 5 mins. I can put the race blades on in less then 2, and thats with making them be on square.

 

[Chris James]

Faf? Have you ever done it? I wipped my chain, oiled it, wiped the excess of then put the race blades on in under 5 mins. I can put the race blades on in less then 2, and thats with making them be on square.

Nope, have never fitted raceblades. Don't need to as I have full guards, so I just get on my bike and ride it, thereby saving the two minutes completely. I doubt the mudguards slow me down by two minutes on my rides and I still have a nice dry arse and clean chain!

 

[4F]

Nope, have never fitted raceblades. Don't need to as I have full guards, so I just get on my bike and ride it, thereby saving the two minutes completely. I doubt the mudguards slow me down by two minutes on my rides and I still have a nice dry arse and clean chain!

Absolutely

 

[zimzum42]

Just get wet, you'll be a little mucky, but your bike will look so much better.

Mudguards are for old codgers who go on CTC rides.....

 

[Joe24]

Just get wet, you'll be a little mucky, but your bike will look so much better.

Mudguards are for old codgers who go on CTC rides.....

I have a nice dry arse with race blades. I still clean my chain after a ride, which is what i normally do after a ride. The 2 mins i will just go faster for, or save it while people with mudguards are still packing away their waterproofs, or putting them on incase it rains.
I think you should take them off one time and go splashing around in the rain, get completely wet then go home. You will be amazed how good it feels really.

 

[zimzum42]

I just ride in shorts and a vest, they get soaked with sweat anyway, so why worry about rain and road muck?

 

[Chris James]

I think you should take them off one time and go splashing around in the rain, get completely wet then go home. You will be amazed how good it feels really.

Most of my cycling is up on Pennine moors. If I get totally soaked through then I'll just give myself hypothermia in winter.

I've been wet plenty of times in the past and it doesn't do much for me

I can't see the point in taking the guards off my bike. I may not look like a pro with them, but then again my triple chainset doesn't look very professional either. Nor my Brooks saddle and slow riding speed.

Mostly the objections to mudguards, like triple chainsets, are aesthetic rather than functional.

Guards can't weigh one down too much as on the recent Northern Rock Cyclone when we got to the first Ryal climb then all the full on roadies I was with (carbon frames, double chainsets and definitely no guards) all got off an walked up the hill whereas I cycled up it and didn't see them again!

 

[GrahamG]

You saying that i am a fair weather cyclist because my bike doesnt have mudguards on then?

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, I'm saying you're mad

OK, when my new frame arrives (the non-commuter one!) I'll leave the guards off until the autumn weather is miserable enough to justify them full-time. Maybe I'll be happy in the knowledge that the bike looks a little bit more pimp without them

 

[fossyant]

No room on mine...........

Or this one.............

Just wait till I get pics up of my commuter MTB with it's new wheels and tyres (arrived today) - rather too much gap with the mudguards......

 

[gavintc]

Mudguards go on when the weather gets cold. Until then, wet arse is completely acceptable. I hate mudguards and only put them on my commuter when I have to.

 

[4F]

I have a nice dry arse with race blades. I still clean my chain after a ride, which is what i normally do after a ride. The 2 mins i will just go faster for, or save it while people with mudguards are still packing away their waterproofs, or putting them on incase it rains.
I think you should take them off one time and go splashing around in the rain, get completely wet then go home. You will be amazed how good it feels really.

Joe, I experimented earlier in the year and left them off for 4 weeks.

Quite frankly I didn't enjoy the go faster stripe up my back nor did I enjoy wiping off the crud that had been sprayed onto my bald patch grade 1 hairstyle when I got to work.

It did not feel amazing, it felt rubbish which is why I put them back on.

 

[RedBike]

I hate having mud-guards on my bike. They slow it down, they rub the tyres and they look ugly; but there's no way i'm taking them off. I hate having a cold water sprayed up my backside and into my shoes more!

I've no intentions of putting guards on my carbon bike. Then again, I don't deliberately take it out when it's raining (been caught out a few times).

 

[Joe24]

Joe, I experimented earlier in the year and left them off for 4 weeks.

Quite frankly I didn't enjoy the go faster stripe up my back nor did I enjoy wiping off the crud that had been sprayed onto my bald patch grade 1 hairstyle when I got to work.

It did not feel amazing, it felt rubbish which is why I put them back on.

I respect you, i would of just put my race blades back on. Infact, staying for 4 weeks with them off is a tad strange, in the winter i sacrificed a hi-vis, and the dirt still hasnt washed off. But at the moment, i dont see the need for them, there isnt as much dirt and other rubbish being put on the roads as there was in winter.
GrahamG, thats the way. Make sure it is always clean, with lots of shiny bits. Remeber to look cool, and if anyone says you ride, say you dont ride, you roll with the best

 

[Keith Oates]

I wouldn't dream of putting mudguards on the C40 of TCR,(even if it were possible) they are racing bikes and should be ridden and treated as such, but for fast commuter bikes then having mudguards makes some sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!