Why do people do it ??

chunkyboy

Leave crudcatchers/mud guards attached to their bikes when the bikes are on the roof/rear of their cars while bombing along motorways. The ones attached to down tubes seem to be ok, i've not seen any come off..........Yet !! I've seen several of the ones attached to seat posts come off on the motorway, some find their way straight to the hard shoulder, some hit the vehicle following behind and possibly cause damage to the vehicle (must piss people in the following vehicle right off) and some end up getting destroyed under the wheels of other vehicles.
If peolpe must leave them attached to their bikes then surely it makes sense to remove the seat post with the guard still attached and put them in the boot, rather than risk losing the guards due to the force of the wind at motorway speed and possibly damaging the vehicle of another motorist.

whyamihere

Because you don't love the baby Jesus.

Northwind

I leave mine on, it's not going to fall off in a hurry. But we do need to make sure the bike's not pointing backwards or it becomes an immense airbrake

Raymondavalon

Mudguard? WTF is a mudguard doing on an MTB? If you're too soft to get dirty, buy a roadbike..

lawman

Raymondavalon wrote:

Mudguard? WTF is a mudguard doing on an MTB? If you're too soft to get dirty, buy a roadbike..

+ potatoe

never have run any form of mudguard on any of my mtbs and never will

Northwind

Raymondavalon wrote:

Mudguard? WTF is a mudguard doing on an MTB?

Sometimes there is mud, you see. And they guard against it. Hence the name.

MrChrisP

lawman wrote:

Raymondavalon wrote:

Mudguard? WTF is a mudguard doing on an MTB? If you're too soft to get dirty, buy a roadbike..

+ potatoe

never have run any form of mudguard on any of my mtbs and never will

Agreed. If you have a mudguard on your mtb you probably also tuck your trousers into your socks.

Northwind

I always wonder when this sort of daft argument comes up, how many of the people who don't approve of mudguards do serious winter riding? I'm not spending 7 hours in sub zero conditions with frozen mud up my crack The risk of trenchfoot is high enough but trenchcock would be even worse.

MrChrisP

I go Ice climbing and have never felt the need to protect my balls with a piece of plastic curving from c0ck to crack before...

Don't see why winter riding needs be any different, although I will admit it has been a long long time since I last spent a full day riding in the snow.

GHill

Not a fan of rear guards on an MTB (simply because they look naff to me), but front ones are ok - help to keep the moose marbles out of your face.

Northwind

MrChrisP wrote:

I go Ice climbing and have never felt the need to protect my balls with a piece of plastic curving from c0ck to crack before...

Is ice climbing in any way similiar to mountain biking? Just curious like but I've done regular climbing (badly!) and I don't recall being constantly plastered with mud while I was doing it

MrChrisP

Northwind wrote:

Is ice climbing in any way similiar to mountain biking? Just curious like but I've done regular climbing (badly!) and I don't recall being constantly plastered with mud while I was doing it

Not at all, but it is cold

As I say I don't do winter riding so i'd guess there is call for mudguards then... maybe. I'll give it a go next winter and will report back with my findings.

Anyway chunkyboy's post was about people not removing them when transporting their bikes on the back of a car, not about mudguards in general. I just helped steer this post off topic so I'll try to bring it back.

If there is a chance of something falling off your bike when your transporting it then I would out of courtesy take it off the bike and put it in the car. Seems like the only decent thing to do...

Northwind

MrChrisP wrote:

If there is a chance of something falling off your bike when your transporting it then I would out of courtesy take it off the bike and put it in the car. Seems like the only decent thing to do...

That's certainly true... But any decent mudguard's no more likely to fall off than any other part of the bike really.

bails87

I know what the OP means though. I've seen people driving along with bikes on the roof, facing backwards, with the rear mudguard vertical, like, as Northwind says, a massive airbrake. They must get out of their car before every ride, dash to the cafe/toilets and when they get back every ride think "Hmmm, pesky kids moving my mudguards"

MrChrisP

Northwind wrote:

That's certainly true... But any decent mudguard's no more likely to fall off than any other part of the bike really.

That's assuming I buy decent parts for my bikes

chunkyboy

I don't think it matters how decent they are, who they are made by etc etc, they are only plastic and not designed to withstand the force of the wind created when a car is travelling at high speed. So there is every chance they will break away from the bike at some point. I totally agree with MrChrisP, the only decent thing to do is remove them totally from the bike.

Andy

Northwind wrote:

I always wonder when this sort of daft argument comes up, how many of the people who don't approve of mudguards do serious winter riding?

I do and I hate mudguards.

El Capitano

Raymondavalon wrote:

Mudguard? WTF is a mudguard doing on an MTB? If you're too soft to get dirty, buy a roadbike..

+ potato

Hercule Q

mud guard? i have never known of this thing

peter413

I do use a mud gaurd but only a Neogaurd because I am to cheap to buy lots of tear offs and can't be bothered wiping my glasses all the time.

I love getting covered in mud