Topic Title

So, whilst I am far from skilled , I'd like to think I have a reasonable amount of dexterity when fixing my bike. SO why the hell are mudguards causing me such a problem?

Could anyone tell me which ones to buy that
a) I can Fit without losing my temper, and/or swearing at my boyfriend
b) that actually work & don't get constantly stuck on my wheel.

Spent £30 on some (which probably isn't anyway near enough I guess) plastic ones - Have spent 2 hours this week trying to fit the damn things (which, if I am honest is FAR more time than is necessary or healthy).

Having lost the will to live this evening I am thinking of two options, one - I get a cheap winter bike that has them fitted. or two, I take it to a bike shop and make them do it.

Is there an easier way? Or did I just buy the wrong ones. Advice please!

Hi Jess

What make are the mudguards and do you know if they are suitable for racing bikes with little clearance between the frams/forks and the tyre ?

Ian H

Hi Ian,

The ones I bought are crud roadracer - suitable for minimum clearance, apparently. Though I have just been looking on other forums & it seems that my Giant has very little clearance at all & this is a common problem.

Will maybe have to take it to cycle heaven or something

Jess

Unless you have space issues having a second winter bike always makes more sense. I wouldnt even go as far as saying "unless you can't afford it" as you would be spreading the wear over 2 bikes and potentially saving the wear on a more expensive race bike. I have never not had a winter/training/touring/commuting machine. Once was the time you had one of these and then went on and bought a lighter race bike. The other advantage is if you are having work done on one machine you still have another to ride. Also you dont have to look after a winter bike. As I write this I can hear mine gently fizzing under a layer of salt in the corner of the room. My previous bike I got off ebay for under £300 quid. When I'd destroyed that I put all the components on a Ribble frame and forks which I got cheap. I'll just ride it into the ground.
Course the BIG advantage is you suffer like a dog until you get your race bike out in February...... and then have the last laugh!

Jess
Its possible they could be modified so they fit, shave a bit off here and there. I think the guys at Cycleworks sell and use them so that might be a good place to pick brains.
I agree with everything Paul said, and a shed of a winter bike can be had for the price of a Garmin.

The Crud mudguards can be fitted to a Giant Defy - a friend recently bought one with them shop-fitted - but they do look awfully tight. SKS Raceblades (and any similar ones) fit okay because they don't attempt to pass under the brake callipers. The flipside is they don't give as much protection to the rider, but the angle of the seatstays on the Defy means that anything's going to still leave a fair bit of back wheel spraying crap into the air.

Just to make sure the "as many theories as riders" nature of the club is maintained, I'll put the "no winter bike" case. I ride the same one all year as I don't have space for a winter bike, plus when the weather's really grim I need all the encouragement I can get to put the miles in. I have a set of winter wheels (rims wear out quickly), but chains and sprockets will wear out at the same rate whichever bike they're on. Better-quality groupsets generally have better seals and more resilient materials; when I swapped to SRAM I flogged my four-year-old all-year-round Dura-Ace stuff to Mark A and to the best of my knowledge it's still working fine. No bike is zero-maintenance - neglect it and you stand a fair chance of something falling apart on a long winter ride. Point taken about the extra winter kilos, but I just bulk up Jan Ullrich style over winter and shed it in spring - same effect, more fun!

If you bought the mudguards from Cycleheaven, then take them and your bike to the shop, and the workshop will do their best to fit them for you.

Bought the new Cruds yesterday myself but the wouldn't fit my Bianchi either, absolutely no room between the down tube of the seat post and the rear wheel, had to bring them back to Evans and make my own mudflap which I was hoping to show all this morning - bloody snow

Thanks for the tips guys - good to know it's not just me struggling with these things.

May well take them up to cycle heaven & see what they can do, though I *think* I may have damaged them, so we'll see.

Totally get the winter bike thing - trouble is, my Giant was a cheap entry level model in April this year, so the plan was to run that into the ground over the winter & then buy something new & shiny in the spring.

Sadly looks like I'll have to re-think that plan! Will get searching on ebay.

Giant sell specific "fenders" for their Defy and Avail models...

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/par ... 343/36241/

Note the Meccano-like construction to bypass the tight clearence under the brakes (although that means they won't be protected from road grit.) They aren't widenly known because they won't fit any other bike. But a Giant dealer such as Cyclesense in Tadcaster could probably order them in.

For proper winter bikes (although not 28mm tyres, which is what put me off) these look good...

http://www.dotbike.com/ProductsP3617.aspx

The ready-made flaps should be long enough to win kudos-points from your fellow riders, without all that dangerous mucking about with Dremels. Dotbike are good (they used to be my LBS.)

For proper winter bikes (although not 28mm tyres, which is what put me off) these look good...

http://www.dotbike.com/ProductsP3617.aspx

The ready-made flaps should be long enough to win kudos-points from your fellow riders, without all that dangerous mucking about with Dremels. Dotbike are good (they used to be my LBS.)

Yes they look the business but I guess they will only fit bikes that have the proper clearance for mudguards plus the suitable eyelets for attachment to the frame!

Yes they look the business but I guess they will only fit bikes that have the proper clearance for mudguards plus the suitable eyelets for attachment to the frame!

...which brings us back to the winter-bike-versus-no-winter-bike debate. My vote is pro-winter-bike. Storage space is obviously a limiting factor. Although I have got one of these I have been meaning to sell (free tip: put the cr*p-covered winter bike on the bottom.)