Mudguards

mrb123

I recently had a set of SKS Chromoplastic mudguards fitted to my road bike. So far they have been excellent at keeping me and the bike clean and dry on the wet and muddy roads around here.

I am finding however that bits of mud, leaves etc can sometimes build up under the front mudguard where the clearance is tightest under the fork and front brake. This isn't causing a huge problem as it usually seems to work itself clear although it does make a bit of noise. On one occasion when I got home I found there was a cake of mud and gunk stuck under the mudguard in that place. I've had no similar problem with the rear guard as there is a bit more clearance.

Is there anything that anyone would suggest I can do to prevent or minimise this issue or is it just an occupational hazard of using mudguards on road bikes with minimal clearance?

juanerasmoe

I also suffer from this and I think there isn't anything you can do about it. Just take the front wheel and clean the mudgards after every ride.

flasher

Better stuck under the mudguard than all over you, It won't cause any problems, hose it out when you clean the bike.

mercia_man

You can cut away the mudguard with a sharp knife or scissors where it fits under the forks to give yourself a bit of extra clearance. A half moon shaped cutaway each side will give a bit of extra space under the fork crown. I've used this trick on my tourer which has a fairly narrow Cinelli crown. It works quite well.

mrb123

Thanks. I had considered that although I don't think the bracket will allow the mudguard to be raised up very much as the brake bolt is already through the lower part of hole on the bracket.

I did wonder whether it might help to try to adjust the mudguard so that the guard is closer to the rear of the wheel so that there is a more even gap all the way round between guard and tyre or whether that will just exacerbate the problem.

mercia_man

I've always found an even gap between guard and tyre looks best and works best. Experiment to see what gives most clearance. Cutting half moons in your guard either side of fork will give you more side clearance. It might enable you to raise the guard a little. You might have to resort to cutting the bracket or filing out the hole in the bracket to enable the guard to come higher. I've done that too.

However, I suspect you've got short reach caliper brakes on your road bike so that will limit what you can do.

MichaelW

The bracket can be filed and bent to ensure that the mudguard is as high as it can be. You may even need to nibble away bits from the sides to get a snug fit.
Fitting the mudguard high may take 3 hands, one to press the mudguard up. Every mm matters.

drummer_boy

Mudguard fitting is a dark art!! I found, with the Chromo plastics that the rivit heads also collect muck and mush. I might try the front fork cut out on mine as well though (Dolan Prefissio with 25mm tyres) as I also get that build up on the top of the wheel.