Why I DONT use mudguards

mr_eddy

Ok so over the last month or so I have had a few chats with fellow commuters at the traffic lights on my way to work and on at least 3 occasions I have been asked "why no mudguards" anyway to anyone else wondering what possible negatives me or anyone else may have against mudguards here are my reasons:

For reference my commuter bike is a SS road bike with drop bars and my commute is a flat urban 4 mile each way ride - About as simple and straight forward as it gets.

1. They look naff - This is my humble opinion but on anything other than tourer's and shopper bikes they always look to me like a rubbish after-thought even close fitting guards still look naff. I don't accept the argument that its not the looks that matter as if this was the case why do people buy £4000 Bianchi's rather than an equivalent spec bike from the likes of boardman or pinnacle for half the price ? Or wear £200 cycling jackets on the 5 mile commute to work ? Looks/appearance regardless of what we think for better or worse how we look/ride is something we all think about.

2. They are noisy - I have flirted with guards on many bikes and I must have tried at least 4 different types in the last year inc Road Racer mk2 and SKS raceblades, etc. I have a fair amount of mechanical skill and I can usually get them perfectly sorted but one hit from a pot hole or someone at work leaning their bike against mine and bingo ! I get the rubbing noise again. I love bikes and love tinkering with them but my patience runs dry when I have to mess about for 20 minutes every day sorting out guard alignment etc.

3. If it rains you WILL get wet - Whilst guards do indeed HELP to stop water from the road getting onto you (and your bike) you can't get past the simple fact that if its raining you WILL get wet. My solution is just to keep a spare set of clothes at work. If I am soaked when I get to work on go the spare clothes for the day and at the end of the day I take my fully dried clothes of the radiator and cycle home again. Getting wet just makes me appreciate the cuppa when I get to work more. Anyone who objects to the spray of my rear wheel then they are cycling to close in wet weather anyway - Not my fault its yours. I clean my bike once a week at the weekend so no issues with worn out bits - The only drivetrain components I really need to change regularly are the chain every 3-6 months (£7) and the rear 16t freewheel (£5).

4. Against my commuting ethos - My simple approach to commuting is to have a the simplest most maintenance free setup possible - I have a road bike that I tinker with and upgrade / experiment with but my commuter needs to be the very essence of ride and forget. By adding guards (and accessories for that matter) all I end up with is a complicated heavier and noisier machine that needs constant fettling to keep in order. With 1 gear, No guards, simple USB rubber flashers fore and aft for lights and no nonsense brakes (with excellent Koolstop pads) I am free to enjoy the cycle to work and if I get wet then so be it.


Now I appreciate that for many guards make sense, you may have a very long commute or have no option to change etc so the above is just based on my situation.

Does anyone else go guardless in winter ? Discuss ?

Thanks

Anonymous

I have an ass saver as its fit and forget. I have no eyelets so can't have proper ones, but I did on a Pearson Touche I owned for a while, and they were excellent. Masses of clearance for wider tyres etc, never rubbed.

slowbike

1) I think some can look quite smart - but as I'm riding it I don't particularly care if it looks smart or not - if it does what I want it to do then it's fine. I don't wear a £200 jacket for the 11 miles to work either. I've got a £40 one or a £20 one that I can wear if needed. Fashion isn't a thing that bothers me.

2) They can be noisy - but not all the time - once you get up to speed the RR guards hold themselves off the wheels - with the exception of the occasional blip ..

3) If it rains I will get wet - but if the roads are wet and it's not raining then I don't have to get wet - mudguards prevent the majority of the crap from hitting me.

4) My commuting ethos is to have a nice ride from home to work - I'd prefer it to be warm, dry and plenty of sunshine - that doesn't happen at this time of year so I go for as much as I can get....

il_principe

I can't be @rsed with them either. If people moan about spray they should stop drafting. If my spray is hitting you then you're riding too close.

asprilla

They keep my jacket and bag clean. I don't want to be washing my jacket all the time.

They keep the crud out of my drive train so it works better and lasts longer.

They keep my dryer. If it rains a lot then I get very wet, but if it rains a little bit or the roads are just wet then you get wetter from the spray than you do from the rain. Guards stop this.

My guards aren't noisy, and considering I'm carrying a rucksack full of stuff to and from work the weight of a chromoplastic mudguard doesn't bother me in the slightest.

I'd like to try an ass-saver, but my rear light is mounted under the seat.

MonkeyMonster

They stop so much water getting in/on my feet with puddles and wet roads a fronty is a given. The hoy is and will essentially be my commuter from now on and i'll get a carbon, dry weather bike early next year that won't be ridden in nasty weather.

vermin

I use them because they add to the weight and aerodynamic drag of the bike, making my commute a harder and more effective workout.

rick_chasey

Wet roads, dry sky.


And it's more the f@ckers who keep passing you at the lights who you get stuck behind, coating you in road filth.


Not everyone is 5m apart after the lights.

tgotb

vermin wrote:

I use them because they add to the weight and aerodynamic drag of the bike, making my commute a harder and more effective workout.

Where's the "Like" button?

UndercoverElephant

mr_eddy wrote:

4. Against my commuting ethos - My simple approach to commuting is to have a the simplest most maintenance free setup possible

You'd have much less maintenance to do if you had properly fitted 'guards.

dodgy

OP, you could print copies of that out and hand them to cyclists you meet at the lights.

surrey_commuter

some form of rear clip on to avoid a sluicing is money well spent

cookeeemonster

1. You look far more of a d*ck with what looks like a a sh*t stain up your back
2. Clip on guards - yes they are rubbish (speaking from experience - I hate them with a passion) Get a bike with proper mounts and you'll be fine.
3. Theres a massive difference between rain and muddy/oily/crappy water. Mudguards with decent coverage negate this to a huge extent.
And dont give me any cr*p about drafting fairies - I GUARANTEE 100% THAT YOU HAVE PULLED IN FRONT OF SOMEONE BEFORE EITHER MEANING TO OR NOT AND SPRAYED THEM AND THEIR POTENTIALLY EXPENSIVE GEAR WITH CRAP - THERE IS NO EXCUSE HERE, YOU ARE A SELFISH SO AND SO. Fact. Unless you live in the sticks with no other cyclists.
4. Couldn't care less about this one

Peace, love and goodwill to all (unless you ride in the wet with no mudguards)

davmaggs

Item 1 is probably right, and possibly some of item 2, but the rest defy logic (which is why I suspect a fun post).

As others have said, it might rain when you aren't riding at all or for only part of the journey, but the water lies on the road for hours and you are getting wet for no reason.

You are also wrecking your clothing with oil and road gunk, and then allowing more into the bike mechanisms.

It seems you are suffering for the sake of appearance. That's fine for you, but I don't get extra pay or a more attractive wife through causing myself voluntary hardship so I'll pass.

il_principe

davmaggs wrote:

You are also wrecking your clothing with oil and road gunk, and then allowing more into the bike mechanisms.

Commute on a Singlespeed so no worries there.
Can't say I've noticed my kit getting ruined either. All in good nick. Helps that most of it is black I guess.

roger_merriman

Before with the SS I didn't bother since they got in the way etc, though since I ride in work clothes that ment a slow ride on occasions, at least to work.

Since my go to bike is the retired MTB I have fitted mud guards if nothing else since I use wet gravel paths more now, and it works well though does still leave a unintended rooster tail to the rear, baring in mind the wet weather braking of that bike vs the sort of bike drafting fairies tend to be, this is no bad thing really.

pblakeney

Cookeeemonster appears to have summed the situation up quite succinctly.

CitizenLee

I don't use them either... all black gear, all waterproof, hub gears, short commute, no off-road, decent place to dry clothes at work. No need really. Maybe it's also because I'm a mountain biker at heart and enjoy getting dirty on that :P

davmaggs

Single speeds undoubtedly make life a little easier, but if your steed is steel then you are still throwing up water (and salt when gritting starts) and stone chips/grit so the chain still cops it as does the metal work, pedals and paint.

As I said earlier, if you want to be wet then that's fine by me.

MichaelW

Road-spray is a mixture of water, rubber particles, dust, Diesel oil, engine oil, engine exhaust particulates, dog sh1t. Apply generously to Goretex.

Bolt-on 'guards are silent and trouble-free. If you ride a close-clearance race/summer bike in winter, you have to resort to unsightly and ineffective hacks.

With 'guards you only need to wear your sweaty waterproofs during precipitation. A more breathable windproof will suffice for riding on wet roads.

CitizenLee

2.2 miles in 9 minutes isn't really worth the effort, plus its barely enough to break a sweat so boil in the bag effect doesn't apply. Not fussed on what the road grime is made up from as I'm sure its no worse than the fumes. The commuter bike is ALU and is well maintained too, and I have no problem spending a tenner on a new chain come spring either. I think that's all points hovered

itboffin

Chuck Norris doesn't NEED mud guards

Agent57

Il Principe wrote:

If my spray is hitting you then you're riding too close.

I don't think that's reasonable, particularly if your route has a lot of bike commuters. Spray can go a long way, and at lights or junctions people won't have much option than to get close. Or if you're faster, you might pass them and pull in, flinging nasty black water all over them. Very antisocial.

itboffin

I agree with the personal reasons not to use them which is why I don't on my longer country commute but across London thats just plain anti social, a lot of people will be wearing fairly normal clothes in town as I do and don't take kindly to being sprayed because of someone else's vanity.

But then no one seems to care about anyone other than themselves anymore so meh!

pblakeney

It is really is ALL about Me, Me, Me.

Didn't you know?

rolf_f

itboffin wrote:

Chuck Norris doesn't NEED mud guards

No, but Chuck Norris doesn't need a bike either. If he needs to get somewhere, he just punches a lorry to a stop and takes that.

MichaelW wrote:

Bolt-on 'guards are silent and trouble-free. If you ride a close-clearance race/summer bike in winter, you have to resort to unsightly and ineffective hacks.

Cruds look far better than most chromoplastic mudguards though they require more tweaking of course. But bolt on guards do have their issues as well to be fair.

First.Aspect

If you lived somewhere with 1500mm of rain a year, rather than 600mm, you might have a different view about mudguards.

MrSweary

I used to use mudguards when I was living SW - now I don't bother. An AssSaver keeps my back relatively clean and the bike gets a clean every weekend anyway. I see so few cyclists until I get to Oval it isn't worth it. After that I would rather they keep their distance anyway. Yes - I get a bit mucky after a downpour but tbh it isn't really a big deal. Having showers and a drying room at work helps of course.

The other thing I've found is that even with full guards it only takes a minor mis-adjustment and the person behind you is eating spray anyway.

tetm

mr_eddy wrote:

I must have tried at least 4 different types in the last year inc Road Racer mk2 and SKS raceblades

mr_eddy wrote:

I have to mess about for 20 minutes every day sorting out guard alignment

mr_eddy wrote:

I have a fair amount of mechanical skill

No you don't.

itboffin

Sounds like a typical weeks worth here in Windshire

Silly commuter rainfall stats anyone?

willy b

Last two days have been CLASSIC mudguard weather. No rain, but has been raining so the roads are wet, and covered in sand/mud/filth at this time of year.

Yesterday I rode to good bike as the commuter had a flat. Whilst this was ok, all of my clothes were wet and muddy, and putting them back on at the end of the day wasn't pleasant.

Today was exactly the same conditions and I was on the commuter, much more pleasant and my clothes are dry and not muddy.

i also think a good winter bike with guards looks quite nice, in a utilitarian kind of way.