Mudguards suitable for 25mm tyres

DaddyK3

Being a relative newbie to road riding and approaching only my second winter I was wondering what are the options, if any, available to me for mudguards that I can use with 25mm tyres?
I fitted a pair of Crud Road Racer MK2s to my Bianchi Impulso for last winter and they certainly did job (even if the front guard did rattle a fair bit on uneven surfaces) but since then I've replaced the tyres on my winter wheels with 25mm Conti Grand Prix 4 Seasons.
However, now no matter how I try I just can't seem to stop them from rubbing on the tyre. I've tried following the 'hints and tricks' on the Crud website but still no joy. Are 25mm tyres just too much rubber for the MK2 to handle and if so what alternatives do I have other than a wet, muddy backside (and bike!)?

smidsy

It is about frame clearances not mudguards. If you can not get the cruds to clear then nothing will.

I can get 25mm tyres with cruds on my CAAD5 but there are many frames that will not.

If you wish to run bigger than 23mm tyres sounds like you need a different frame (one designed to take proper guards).

ytchi

I've got raceblade longs working on my Ridley Noah with 25mm Conti Grand Prix 4 Seasons. I'm not sure if frame clearance is the deciding factor as they only have brackets under the brakes, the guards themselves stop either side, and if you haven't got clearance for the brackets then you've got one incredibly tight frame. There's a little bit of rubbing on the tyre sidewall when the guard gets bounced from side to side but it's minimal and not problem for me.

smidsy

Guards that are not continuous under the brakes are like chocolate teapots.

keef66

smidsy wrote:

Guards that are not continuous under the brakes are like chocolate teapots.

Not quite the full chocolate teapot. They are clearly better than no guard at all. However I too prefer not to give my brakes a constant dousing in salty, gritty slurry.

I'm fortunate in having chosen as a first bike a racelight Tk which is quite racy geometry but with clearance / mountings for full SKS Chromoplastic guards with 25mm GP 4 Seasons.

Bobbinogs

Yepp, Raceblade Longs work on my bikes with 25mm. I agree that the RL's are not perfect but then nor are Cruds (I got bored of constantly fannying around with them on 23's and they were a complete no-no with 25's).

Worth a try with the Cervelo but just keep on top of the brake/rim cleaning.

sparklehedgehog

i can't get them to fit with my 25's gp 4 seasons either on my felt z95 so changed to 23's and they're fine

Biomech

Hi

I'm looking at getting some good, long cover, low profile mudguards for my new bike. It's a Giant Defy 4 2014 with 25mm tyres. I like the look of these Raceblade Longs, but the guy in the shop said you have to take the brakes off to fit them - which doesn't sound right? My dad has a cheaper similar type and looking at them, you just thread them between the tyre and brake assembly.

What's the deal? And I'm assuming from the posts above that they should be fine on my 25's

Bobbinogs

The Raceblade Longs do come with brackets that attach to the brake bridge bolt so the brakes do need to be removed, bracket inserted and then then the brake 'reassembled', which may sound complex but is about a 5 minute job and can be easily tackled by anyone proficient with an allan key. I do not bother to put both brackets onto each wheel, just the rear one as the front bracket is pointless for either wheel (the gap for the brake bridge means that most tracking water is discharged at that point). Once the brackets are fitted they can stay on all year, and the guards refitted/removed as required.

It sounds like your dad has Cruds which don't tend to fit 25s very well due to the minimal clearance.

The Longs are very good (IMO) and need minimal adjustment after the initial fit. Removing/replacing them is a 5 minute job (just take out the QR skewer, remove the centering springs, clip the guard into position and then replace the QR skewer through the wheel and guard eyelets). They can suffer from too much removal as the clip mechanism is the weakest point but I personally think they are much better than Cruds, although Cruds are better than nothing. There are some big fans of Cruds though, so it can come down to personal choice/experience.

Biomech

Thanks for the reply.

Normally, I'd take the bit to pieces just to see how it works (most things don't work after :P) But being an "expensive", proper bike either everything particularly adjusted and set, I'm a little concerned that if I move the brakes etc in anyway, they won't go back how the should be afterwards

Bobbinogs

Hehe! Yepp, can understand that but this really is a simple job. Might be worth getting your dad to check before you start and help where required but it is a simple case of drop the wheel out, loosening the bolt, pushing the bracket into the right gap and then retightening the bolt. You will need to hold the brake in position whilst you tighten the bolt (as the tendency is for it to turn with the bolt). Don't overcook the torque, particularly with carbon!!

rolf_f

DaddyK3 wrote:

However, now no matter how I try I just can't seem to stop them from rubbing on the tyre. I've tried following the 'hints and tricks' on the Crud website but still no joy. Are 25mm tyres just too much rubber for the MK2 to handle and if so what alternatives do I have other than a wet, muddy backside (and bike!)?

Just apply a little heat to the Cruds where they sit under the brake bridge and gently bend the leading edge upwards - nothing dramatic, it should hardly look any different. That lifts the main section away from the tyres so that the stays are pulling the guards towards the tyre rather than pushing them away. That for me took the fit from very tight with rubbing if they weren't absolutely spot on on 23s to fine on 25s.

dj58

There is a video on the SKS website showing the fitting of the rear guard.
http://www.sks-germany.com/?a=product&r ... NG%20BLACK