Anyone got an Allez with Crud mudguards?

CRAIGO5000

I'm loving my 'new to me' 2008 Allez for commuting but it obviously lacks the mounts for proper bolt on guards.

I'm after opinions on anyone using an Allez with Crud Road Racer guards.
Do they rattle?
Are they quick and easy to add and remove? (I'd like to take them off for the weeks where it certainly won't rain and for long weekend rides if possible).
What's the protection like when using them in completely wet roads with puddles etc?

A little research suggests I can't go bigger than 700x23 tyres, so I'll keep the stock Mondo's on until they wear.

Cheers,
Craig

sharky1029

They work fine with 25c's but the tailflaps must be taken off.
With 23's they work fine.

Protection is good. One of my riding buddies saw me nice and clean in comparison with his wet and muddy kit and instantly bought himself some.

My experiance with stock specialized tyres are awful though. If you cannot afford new tyres ensure they are alwaysed pumped to 110 psi minimum to avoid punctures. Ultremo's are available in many variaties including puncture resistant and are very fast and have a fairly soft compound so are grippy even in pouring rain.

CRAIGO5000

Cheers for that. I'm now ploughing through some Evans reviews and it seems they shatter quite easily, especially the rear if knocked or debris like twigs flick up etc. :?

I have some Vittoria Zaffiro tyres in 700x25 too but seeing as the bike only had 270 miles of use (including the tyres) when I bought it, I thought I'd give the Mondo's a go knowing I could swap if they proved to be sub-standard. They seem fine on the dry so far and are inflated to 8 Bar.

desweller

They are designed with weak spots so that if you get something caught in them they yield rather than snapping spokes.

Crud will replace any broken parts if you send them a suitably sized SAE.

I love mine, but they're not especially quick to remove; in fact, I'd say they're a bit of a pain as it's a bit of an art to set them up when you need to put them back on.

nich

Crud Roadracers work well, but to be honest I tend to use one that clips onto the seatpost in preference, it's just easier to put on / remove, and both keep my backside dry.

I run them with Vittoria Rubino (23mm). I'm fairly sure mine wouldn't fit with my 25mm tyres, as they only just fit with the 23 - depends what tyres I guess.

As above, I had to trim a few parts to make them fit - only the rear I think.

KonaMike

I have Roadracer 2's on my Giant Defy commuter, I run them full length and find them very effective.
They are a bit of a faff to fit though so I leave them on all year round !

iPete

I think I've got Crud Road Racers on my Allez, the rear has survived 2 winters but I snapped the front off with my foot track standing at some lights.

I've not replaced them as the front doesn't do much as most the water hits the frame and not me anyway.

KonaMike

iPete wrote:

I think I've got Crud Road Racers on my Allez, the rear has survived 2 winters but I snapped the front off with my foot track standing at some lights.

I've not replaced them as the front doesn't do much as most the water hits the frame and not me anyway.

I've come close to snapping the tail off the front whilst track standing a few times.
Thats the only fault I have found with them really !!

redvee

CRIIs and Vittoria Rubino in 25 on my Allez 08 with no problems other than small toe overlap on the front. I am using a MK1 tail on the rear as it is just too long but I'm thinking of trying to create a solution to the flapping of the overlong tail.

ste_

Have used Roadracers on my Allez since January - pleased with them, they fit fine and I don't get wet. Only minor gripe is they need a quick tweak every so often after my D-lock has been squeezing the rear one against the downtube.

gingernash

i actually found them pretty annoying on my allez as they kept on breaking i.e. o rings pinging off, arms swinging down etc. Ended up getting a few spares from Crud but have taken them off now.

Upgrade tyres if can afford to do it as the Mondos are not great. I probably did about 200 miles on them, punctured twice. Put some Conti GP4000s (so not even 4 seasons or gators) and have not punctured in about 1300 miles.

kiwimatt

Allez 2009 - Used the Crud mark II's from Feb - May on 14 mile each way run to Glasgow and was very happy with them - and it rains a wee bit up here... :roll:

I wouldn't say they were that convenient to take on and off at short notice you have to cut the cable ties - so you will need a spare batch of those at least but it's not impossible. Mine are off and staying off now for the summer

Counter view on the Spec Mondo's did 3500 happy miles on them minimal punctures (3-4?) until they got really worn. Replaced with Michelin Krylion Carbons which have been excellent so far and are a better ride overall especially cornering.

Valy

kiwimatt wrote:

Allez 2009 - Used the Crud mark II's from Feb - May on 14 mile each way run to Glasgow and was very happy with them - and it rains a wee bit up here... :roll:

I wouldn't say they were that convenient to take on and off at short notice you have to cut the cable ties - so you will need a spare batch of those at least but it's not impossible. Mine are off and staying off now for the summer

Counter view on the Spec Mondo's did 3500 happy miles on them minimal punctures (3-4?) until they got really worn. Replaced with Michelin Krylion Carbons which have been excellent so far and are a better ride overall especially cornering.

+1 on the stock tires being quite good. The grip is good and only 1 puncture in about 1000-1200kms.

MKII user here - I did not install the white brush things so they did flap about a little and the level of protection was not ideal - still got a bit wet at times, but overall they are okay.

And yeah a bit of a pain to install but TBH I think there aren't any better options out there as far as clip on mudguards go.

CRAIGO5000

Cheers for all the feedback guys, it's been informative.

I guess I'll just wait until Summer is over and see how bad things really get through Autumn and Winter.

Like you say, there aren't really any other alternatives out there apart from the SKS raceblades, but they don't look half as nice but probably perform a fair bit better and withstand more abuse.

iPete

I'd like to retract my previous statement. I have SKS raceblades (not Crud) which are very easy on/off.

Make sure you place some frame protectors under the mounting points.

gingernash

yes, pretty dismayed to see the damage to frame following removal. have bought helicopter tape off ebay and will tape my bikes to high heaven every time from now on!

ste_

Just to confirm mine are MKIIs and I'm using 700x23 Gatorskins (pic below).