Mudguards!

Lowlofe

Heyya all!
i am enquiring about getting some mudguards for the front of my specialized bighit 3 mainly because i take the scenic route to college and me and the bike end up getting there rather plastered in mud. i went to my local bike shop but they are useless in there and just wet themselves over the fact there is a bike worth more that £200 in there shop, they pulled out a few mudguards and they were just pointless so i declined there kind offer.
so does anyone have any suggestions for a front mudguard to mount to the fork (stock fork) which will actually be-able to take downhill?

regs
alex

nicklouse

so the fork is a? and the bike year?

Spider987

How far away is your college?:|

it would be hard to ride that more than 5 miles

grumsta

Hehe - you ride a BigHit to college? Do you leave it locked up outside?

Hate to encourage anyone to buy another bike, but you might be better off with summat a bit more sensible for riding to college. :P

Papa Smurf

grumsta wrote:

Hehe - you ride a BigHit to college? Do you leave it locked up outside?

Hate to encourage anyone to buy another bike, but you might be better off with summat a bit more sensible for riding to college. :P

+1

Even if you had very stock parts on it, still a favourable bike for many an opportunist

maximus69

dont think he wanted your opinion on what bike he rides. have you had a look at crud catcher mudguards. i think they are recommended by most . you could also cable tie an old inner tube between top of forks. its suppose to stop water and mud flicking out in front of you off the top of front tyre so you dont get it in your face.

ride_whenever

Save the money on the mudguards, they look rubbish and never work well. I've found (from experience of turn upto lectures covered in mud post coaching) that the best plan is to wear full body waterproofs. You leave to get to lectures 10 mins early, so if you flat etc. you've still got enough time, but you spend the 10mins stripping off the muddy layer and giving your face a quick wash in the loos.

You might smell a bit funky but you won't be covered in mud, which will happen with mudguards.

Other things useful for this are gore-tex shoes (I'm super pleased with mine) and clear glasses.


I'd also agree with the comments about leaving a bighit in college, new students arrive every year and the bike-thieves know this, they know where bike sheds are and how to get into them, I've had a bike taken from a cctv covered, swipe-card access bike caged and it really hurts.

Northwind

Yep, getting on your local gumtree and buying yourself something older than you are would be a very good idea at this point.

Mudguards... I remember reading in a mag that they tested the THE Pro DH mudguards (teh flexi lexan ones) by fitting them, then doing the mega. So they win, I suppose! I use a Crud raceguard on the back of mine and an SKS Shockboard on the front- it's not too hideous and very effective. I actually think it looks pretty ace, in a moto-x/supermoto way, but then I have no style whatsoever. It's fairly tough, and falls off before it breaks if you do catch it, which is quite good. Also it removes in 2 seconds, which is nice.

Crud raceguard speaks for itself, it's great and it works and the 09 one is even pretty. But tbh I don't think frame mounted front muddys are very effective, as soon as you turn the bars they stop working and you still get splash off other bits of the frame. But combine a stem mudguard like the shockboard or THE Pro, with a frame guard like the Crud race front, and you have something that keeps you as dry as anything will, and makes you look like a complete idiot.

BorisSpencer

A above, but my prsonal choice is the topeak defender:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Topea ... 220000110/

Surf-Matt

Crudguard front and rear. Probably reduces splattage by about 90% which is enough for me.



Don't care if they look gay. Hardly like any cyclist looks cool is it?!

nicklouse

Surf-Matt
Live at the top of a hill?

Surf-Matt

Nick - well observed!

About a 1 in 3 drive about 100 yards long. A killer end to every run or ride!

handful

Surf-Matt wrote:

Nick - well observed!

About a 1 in 3 drive about 100 yards long. A killer end to every run or ride!

Yeh but a cracking start 8)

Surf-Matt

Of course - as long as I don't skid into a tree/hedge/bush/dog on the way down!

Dave_P

I am after some mudguards aswell, in particular I want some that fit the frame of the bike for the rear and not the saddlestem as I dont have lots of spare stem. You Pro's dont laugh when I tell you the bike make, I am on a budget but still get muddy. Its a Mongoose Rockadile 2008.

Can anybody recommend a make thats not expensive, again on a budget.

Thanks

David

hucking_fell

Lowlofe, If your Bighit has a Marzocchi fork this might fit it. It doesn't fit the newer 888s apparently 'cos the crown's flatter. This might be the case with other newer Marzocchis so worth checking first.

I use one on my bighit's 66s when it's really muddy.

Northwind

Dave_P wrote:

I am after some mudguards aswell, in particular I want some that fit the frame of the bike for the rear and not the saddlestem as I dont have lots of spare stem.

Can anybody recommend a make thats not expensive, again on a budget.

I'm in the same boat... But I've not been very succesful so far, loads of mudguards will fit to the seat tube part of the frame below the clamp (if the bike has a space there) but the Cruds don't have enough adjustability to avoid the frame. I think that the Halfords own brand ones, and maybe the Topeaks, would do but they're pretty horrible (I hate the Topeak's mounting). Short of doing some plastic welding I've not found anything to suit yes.

Cheap... Tescos and Crud. It's mad but the crud race set can be had for less than most inferior brands. But your rear fitment might be tricky with that. I've never used the tesco ones but they're about £6 if memory serves, and how badly wrong can you go with a mudguard?

Vivid

Northwind wrote:

Dave_P wrote:

I am after some mudguards aswell, in particular I want some that fit the frame of the bike for the rear and not the saddlestem as I dont have lots of spare stem.

Can anybody recommend a make thats not expensive, again on a budget.

I'm in the same boat... But I've not been very succesful so far, loads of mudguards will fit to the seat tube part of the frame below the clamp (if the bike has a space there) but the Cruds don't have enough adjustability to avoid the frame. I think that the Halfords own brand ones, and maybe the Topeaks, would do but they're pretty horrible (I hate the Topeak's mounting). Short of doing some plastic welding I've not found anything to suit yes.

Cheap... Tescos and Crud. It's mad but the crud race set can be had for less than most inferior brands. But your rear fitment might be tricky with that. I've never used the tesco ones but they're about £6 if memory serves, and how badly wrong can you go with a mudguard?

Unsure why you don't like the Topeak Mudguard mountings, my M1 & M2 are far superior to that i have seen from other brands. Solid fittings, flexible mudguard and easy to dismount.

Northwind

Oh, it's very functional, but it's so huge and industrial. It just seems like needless complexity, it's not like it takes long to remove a crud or similiar.

I LOVE the airfender though, how cool is that? I'm not sure the world needs an inflatable mudguard but I'm glad it exists.

Lowlofe

Wow i was not expecting this many replies!
Yeah college is like 2 miles away so it aint too bad and on t he way back i can cut through a forest for a bit of fun! and it is very securely locked up! when it gets there, a insurance rated lock around a steel handle just round the corner from the security office. and its fully insured if the worst does come to the worst.

back to the mudguard. i really like the look of the marzocchi and i will be making a purchase shortly!

Regs
alex