Mud Hugger, Ass Saver or Butt Fender?

rolf_f

meanredspider wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

But surely if a turn is that tight (and it would need to be really, really tight) you just roll round it with cranks at 6 o'clock. If a turn is so tight as to cause overlap then you're hardly going to need to pedal around it

180 deg footpath width (4-5') hairpin turn tight enough? I also do a tight R then L "Z". And, honestly, I've been commuting for 3 years without a front guard without a second thought. I've needed 3 or 4 chains, 1 or 2 cassettes and zero bearings in that time. In fact, the only bike-related issues I've had from lack of guards is on my MTB with the front mech being in the firing line and I seem to have solved that with an off-cut of old innertube.

OK, fair enough - that's tight enough

And kudos on the drivetrain wear. I get through 3 or 4 chains a year and certainly at least a couple of cassettes despite a fairly rigorous cleaning regime. Maybe a more rural commute is gentler on the drivetrain than a largely urban one - cowshit runnof is probably less damaging than scrapyard runoff. I found riding without front mudguards meant I had to strip and regrease the rear hub after every wet ride. It was never the same again after that but once the mudguards were back on it became less of a weekly occurrence! It's not a statistically valid sample set but I also never suffer the jammed front mech syndrome so I am pretty happy that my front mudguards are doing more than just keep my feet dry.

Ben6899

Right, I was out in that rain last night. On the Dolan, using the SmartAss. Granted I wasn't using full guards so when I got home, my bike needed a good clean and my legwarmers and overshoes were filthy.

HOWEVER, the back of my bibs - by proxy my ass - and my fairly pricey Rapha rain jacket were totally free from any surface water or road grime. The SmartAss (filthy after the ride) did its job.

Happy I took a punt.

Initialised

Edinburgh Coop sell the Ass Saver cheaper than I've found online elsewhere. Probably won't last so I'mgoing to pick one uup Saturday. Those that have them are they easy to fold away?

Ben6899

Initialised wrote:

Edinburgh Coop sell the Ass Saver cheaper than I've found online elsewhere. Probably won't last so I'mgoing to pick one uup Saturday. Those that have them are they easy to fold away?

I haven't tried (it's so inconspicuous, I am happy for it to be fitted 24/7), but I imagine it would be okayish, if you make full use of the scores.