Mudguards

2wheelzgood

I am thinking of raplcing the crudcatchers with somethign mroe appropraite. SKS fulls cost a bit and it's just bling I'm getting so cannot justify it.

I've seen KF blisters http://www.bonthronebikes.co.uk/490-472648 for 700c hybrids both narrow and normal.. But I can't find what siz tyre they fit (i'm 28).

Has anyone used these or know a bit more abou tthem? I'm sure I've seen somethign KF banded in my garage before but can;t think what and whether it was good.

dammit memory!

ta

alfablue

Sorry, not used the KF's but i have SKS, they are superb and worth the premium (can be had for £24).

2wheelzgood

True I have seen them cheap (21 shipped IIRC) and can be confident about getting a size that just fits my tyres... however I'm being a cheapskate and looking on one of the few sites that sell another item I'm after.. a smaller rear cog..

daniel_b

2wheelzgood wrote:

I am thinking of raplcing the crudcatchers with somethign mroe appropraite. SKS fulls cost a bit and it's just bling I'm getting so cannot justify it.

Don't know whether you have 26" or 700c wheels, or even if that will make much difference......

I bought mine for about £12 a while back, they have since gone up a bit, but IF you are spending £50 or over, you will get them for £12.74.
Postage IIRC is £3.50, so worst case you end up paying £18.49.
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/productdetail.asp?productcatalogue=SKSAMUDR200


Fittings are stonking quality, and I have now fitted three sets of these, 60mm, 45mm, and my 35mm ones, and i can now fit a set in around 45 minutes - could probably do it quicker next time, it's really easy, and very sturdy.

Can't tell what tyre size you are running either, as your size says 28) so I am guessing that means 28mm?
In which case, with the sks 35mm ones, they are designed for 20-28mm tyres, that combination is what I am running on my Marin Highway One, ie 35mm guards with 28mm vittorio tyres.

To cut the metal poles down to size, show it up to the bike, clamp it in a pair of molegrips, and using the molegrips as a guide, hacksaw the metal, about 50 'saws' does the job.
Leave the moleys in situ, either get another pair, or just pliers, and bend the top bit one way, then the other, and it snaps off, nice and easy.

I bought all of mine in black by the way, I think they look much better than silver ones - personal opinion of course.

Dan

WeeJimmy

As much as going to Halfords seems like anathema to most informed cyclists, have you considered their Dirt Monkey road mud guard set? I think it's around £15 for a front and rear set.

As far I can see they are exactly the same as the Halfords branded equivalent which mysteriously retail for around twice the price. I have these (I have since spotted the DM equivalent) and they work really well and look quite good have been (positively) commented on by collegues.

daniel_b

I bought a pair of those dirt monkey guards from the person i bought my carrera from.

Perhaps they have changed the design now, but these ones were rubbish.

I could not get them to clear the tyres no matter what I did, and the worrying thing is the guy bought them at the same time he bought the bike, just hadn't gotten around to fitting them.

These ones had what I can only describe as a claw that clamped onto the edge of the mudguard, 2 each side, but it was flexible, so it basically bent wherever it wanted to.

The SKS ones have a strong metal rod that goes through a metal eyelet on the mudguard, so it physically can't go anywhere else - it's a simple, but wonderfully effective fixing system.

As I say, perhaps the design has since changed, mine would have been from around 2005, but for the extra £3.49, it would be the sks guards for me everytime.

Dan

2wheelzgood

Cheers for the tips.
I can't find the monkey ones on the halfrauds site and as much as I made myself out to be a tight rsed so and so, I don't realyl fancy the idea of chopping (50 strikes!? what are you using a bala wood saw?) some cheap one.

I was only gonna by them for looks really and I have off road ones on atm anyway which work. Kinda.

Probably, you're right Daniel, if I'm getting em to look goo dand be the best solution, may as well shell out. But why did you have to cut the cheap SKSs? what was wrong with em?

I have seen some sleek looking SKS "bluemels".. very nice but not many places, I guess they are as older model? (I normally don't go for that but hey)

When SKS says up to 28mm tyres, do they mean it? I am on 28s so nice and tight , but how much play does one get?

alfablue

Hi Twowheelz

As far as I know most proper mudguards will require cutting because they are made with some adaptability to different wheel and tyre combinations.

28's should fit 28 tyres with adequate clearance though anoher limiting factor may be the depth of the forks and the drop of the brakes. If you are on a hybrid you may well have v-brakes so brake drop not an issue really, and I would expect forks to have plenty of clearance.

daniel_b

2wheelzgood wrote:

why did you have to cut the cheap SKSs? what was wrong with em?

When SKS says up to 28mm tyres, do they mean it? I am on 28s so nice and tight , but how much play does one get?

Hiya,

I have bought blumels ones as well, and you have to cut them all - that is the metal supports rather than the guard itself, there's defo nothing wrong with them.

Each mudguard has two V shaped pieces of metal that screw into each side of the bottom of the fork, and then attaches to/through the mudguard.

They make them adjustable, so they will fit a greater variety of bikes, and for an example, of my Carrera I had oodles of space, so ended up leaving quite a big gap, so if mud, stones/twigs got under there, they wouldn't necessarily jam, on this bike I didn't have to cut much metal off at all.
However on my gf's ridgeback commuter, the clearance was restricted by the space we had available, which was minimal, so I cut more off the metal struts, and consequently it sits a lot closer to the wheel, the whole way round.

They come with little rubber hoods that you pop over the cut ends, so it all looks nice and neat, I would recommend leaving around 1/2 an inch or more sticking out, as it gives you some room for manoeuvre should you decide to go for a higher profile or treaded tyre instead.

Having said that, if I manage t post the pics of the Marin, you will see i have not follwoed my own advice, and cut them somewhat shorter than I intended :oops:

Other things I have noticed when fitting guards:
On the ridgeback, the hole on the bridge across the rear stays, was vertical, instead of horizontal, and due to the lack of space my only choice was to dripp through the mudguard at that point, and screw it straight into the bike, no bracket required - worked fine, but didn't anticipate it. if the hole on your stay-bridge (What is it called?!) is horizontal, then the bracket they come with will work fine, no drilling required.

On the same bike, the brake arms were quite short, so I could fir the mudguards, but the rubber bushes on the cables were rubbing sufficiently to make them dangerous.
Luckily I had some long arm brakes from my Marin sitting around doing nothing, so these were duly fitted, but CRC had suitable replacements from around £6 for each end.

With regards to the widths, and tyres they accept, the SKS ones I linked too, defo said on the box: 35mm - suitable for upto 28mm tyres
And I think the 45mm were listed as being for 28-38mm, and so on.

I'll double check tonight (I still have the packaging) when I get home, and if I can find a camera (Mine appears to be lost at the moment) I will take a pic of my Marin with the guards fitted, and post it up for you if that is helpful - you can see the difference between guard and tyre width then as well.

Cheers

Dan

secretsam

SKS, end of, I've had a few different pairs and they are totally the best there is. Only pain is cutting the stays, they're made of girders but a frenzied attack with a hacksaw should sort that.

Mine on my sirrus (for 28mm tyres) have been utterly faultless and am contemplating treating the aged 531 to a pair, thereby trebling its value.

And get black ones, silver looks naff.

daniel_b

Apologies, could not locate either mine, or my gf's camera last night.

I did measure the overlap of my 35mm guards over my 28 mm tyres, and it was 4mm each side - which makes sense.

I guess I could have got away with a 32mm version, but I think 28 would be cutting it too fine - IMHO.

Dan

2wheelzgood

thanks for that into.. yeo want black and as thin as poss 8)

daniel_b

I can't seem to find 32mm sks guards anywhere, could have sworn I saw them previously, but perhaps I imagined it.

If I were you, I would go for the 35's.

When are you going to place the order?

I'll see if I can find a camera tonight, or more likely tomorrow, as am out for a ride tonight after work.

Cheers

Dan

alfablue

P35's are the smallest SKS guards

2wheelzgood

I think I'll get the cheap ones you posted the link to.. seem same as the £21 bluemels or whatever for the full roads.. I think I've read the 35's are meant to be the best fit for up to 28 tyres.. I wish I could find a place that also sells that 14 t rear cog too.. grr

2wheelzgood

Just bit the bullet and bought em for £18.50 hopefulyl I have a good enough saw!
Thanks Dan.
I've ordered the cog to collect from my Edinburgh coop as I refuse to pay shipping of £4+ on a £3 sprocket (no sks selling sites had a shimano cog).

I went out with the local fixies and singlies last night.. I need to make my bike look nicer!. and quickly! 8)

jedster

SKS, end of, I've had a few different pairs and they are totally the best there is. Only pain is cutting the stays, they're made of girders but a frenzied attack with a hacksaw should sort that.

Everything about that is exactly right. I've had guards by two other manufacturers and the comaprison is night and day. Basically you have two options
1. buy sks
2. buy something else, get wound up by them for months then buy sks

Tip on the stays. Go to your LBS after you've fitted them, buy a couple of inner tubes or similar token gesture, ask if they wouldn't mind snipping with what ever bolt cutters/snips they have lieing around in the workshop. You do have to get pretty frenzied with a junior hacksaw...

One other thing, the rear guards come with a bracket that should bolt to the bridge on the seat stays. The threaded holes on my bikes point intowards the wheel hub (radially, I guess) but the bracket is designed to work with a hole that points at a tangent to the wheel (90 degrees from radial). IME, the best way of dealing with this is to drill a hole through the mudguard - it's actually much neater than using a bracket.

graham_g

Sh!t, didn't think to say that I've got a spare pair of P35's banging around which you could've had for a fiver or so. Sorry!