Dirty rear end

Twostage
Twostage Posts: 987
edited November 2011 in Commuting chat
Why is it that the front of my commuter stays clean but the back is caked in mud, grit and sand. The front tyre looks like I've just put it on but the rear picks up so much cr@p that the reflective strip (they are marathon pluses) has worn off. I would have thought that the front would have cleared the rubbish off the road out of the way but the opposite seems to be the case.

Comments

  • jeepie1999
    jeepie1999 Posts: 78
    Is simples.

    Bicycles are like humans, the rear is dirtier than the front
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Because the front tyre is throwing all the crap at the back (whilst the rear concentrates on throwing crap at the rider behind). On my tourer, I had some cheap wheels and no mudguards and the front kept washing the grease out of the bearings of the rear. No problems with the front at all.

    Basically, fit some mudguards - you are wrecking your drive train!
    Faster than a tent.......
  • kelsen
    kelsen Posts: 2,003
    Maybe you shat yourself mid-commute
  • Twostage
    Twostage Posts: 987
    Rolf F wrote:
    On my tourer, I had some cheap wheels and no mudguards and the front kept washing the grease out of the bearings of the rear.
    Hmmm, I do need to regrease my rear hub very often. Sometimes when I disassemble it one side is literally clean, no grease at all.
    I don't have clearance for mudguards as I'm running 28mm marathon pluses on a race frame. I doubt I could get a fag paper between the tyre and brake caliper. I had to shim the drop-outs on the back wheel to make it fit.
  • Twostage
    Twostage Posts: 987
    kelsen wrote:
    Maybe you shat yourself mid-commute
    Came close last week when a car insisted on squeezing past me through some roadworks. The roadworks went past the middle of the road and only lasted about 20 yards but Mrs. "I can't see you as I'm staring fixedly in front" had to get past even if it meant pushing me into the gutter. :evil:
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Twostage wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:
    On my tourer, I had some cheap wheels and no mudguards and the front kept washing the grease out of the bearings of the rear.
    Hmmm, I do need to regrease my rear hub very often. Sometimes when I disassemble it one side is literally clean, no grease at all.
    I don't have clearance for mudguards as I'm running 28mm marathon pluses on a race frame. I doubt I could get a fag paper between the tyre and brake caliper. I had to shim the drop-outs on the back wheel to make it fit.

    This is why I run 23s on my Ribble with Crud Racers. I have no problem with the 23s and the limited cleaning needed after wet rides is a revelation! And that's on top of the pleasant knowledge that everything isn't getting sandandcrapblasted continuously.
    Faster than a tent.......

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