The biggest SKS ones you can find. And a brooks mudflap. 😉

Or look at On-One for some beautiful aluminium ones from Japan.

Personnally find mudguards make a huge difference, yes you still get wet. Water spraying up off the back wheel soaking through the shammy on the way in and then putting cold wet shorts back on for the journey home. Not pleasant. At least with guards far less water gets thrown up and the shorts have a chance of drying off before the return leg.

Only disadvantage of guards I can see are weight and possible toe overlap on the front, oh and if you only have one bike (some people do you know) and ride off road at the weekend then you need to take them off/on.

And the other disadvantage is spelling the word 'guards' as I always want to type gaurds.

They aren't terribly aerodynamic either Gary. 😉

Are these – SKS Bluemels – a good option if you've got guard mounts on yer bike?

Moving on from mudguards…
Have a selection of witty pithy comebacks available for use against stupid motorists – I find I can never think of any on the spur of the moment so it's important to be well prepared.

😉

I just use the stand '**** off'.

I've addopted the 'indifferent WTF Shrug' (TM)

Its great for those moments when you can just look the drivers in the eye and no ammount of words could ever explain just how imbicilicly stupid you think they are right now.

Failing that, just get as close as posisble and let all hell break loose as close to their window as posible.

SKS Bluemels are fine I think, but SKS Chromo-plastics are better.

Pointless? Just what is the DISadvantage? If the bike had them, why get rid of them?
I usally put stuff on my bike that has an advantage if it's in place, rather than something that just doesn't have a disadvantage. I got rid of them because they did nothing for the bike. Like the spoke protector – I know how to set up my rear mech so it has no advantage. Thus it went.

There's plenty of "ridiculous" statements on here from time to time (some of them possibly by me) but to call that ridiculous is, well, ridiculous.
I think your sweeping statement when you'd claimed people would never go back to no mudguards when they'd tried full-length ones became ridiculous as soon as one person stated that they HAD gone back. Some kind of 'most people wouldn't go back' statement would be so much better 😉

I just accept that I'll get wet if its been or is currently raining. Simple.

AndyP I take it you have a bell on your bike then.

You really have got the hump about this 'people would never go back to no mudguards' thing haven't you.

Anyway it's a lovely day outside, who cares about guards on days like this.

AndyP I take it you have a bell on your bike then.
no, I have a voice. That does the same job, only better. Thus the bell has no advantage – therefore it's not on the bike.

You really have got the hump about this 'people would never go back to no mudguards' thing haven't you.
not at all.

Anyway it's a lovely day outside, who cares about guards on days like this.
people who don't see a disadvantage to them? (big 😉 )

AndyP

W

In London, it has been raining for much of the day. My new commuter does not have guards on it. This would not bother me in the least if I was going straight home, but I'm probably going to be sitting in a bar with a wet arse for a chunk of the evening, which isn't ideal. 😀

W
?

But surely pinging a little bell at someone is more advantageous that hollering at them, from a politeness aspect. Therefore a bell has an advantage; therefore you should have one fitted.

Any pics of your bike AndyP so we can check there is nothing on it that isn’t necessary.

W hatever

But surely pinging a little bell at someone is more advantageous that hollering at them, from a politeness aspect. Therefore a bell has an advantage; therefore you should have one fitted.
I wouldn't know, I don't holler at people. But I'd guess that yes, if I started hollering, a bell would be more polite, therefore might have an advantage.

W hatever
ah. Sorry, I is not down with the yoof.

Any pics of your bike AndyP so we can check there is nothing on it that isn’t necessary.

surely what's on my bike is down to me? That's the entire point. Why should I have mudguards just because someone else wants me to have them because they don't like getting wet?

You misunderstand Andy. We don't want you getting wet. You will catch a cold, and die. 😉

surely what's on my bike is down to me? That's the entire point. Why should I have mudguards just because someone else wants me to have them because they don't like getting wet?

Exactly, but mudguards are hardly 'Quite pointless' then as you say. Thats a sweeping statement if ever I read one.

That's exactly it Andy! No-one is saying you should have mudguards, only that the conventional advice (OP was looking for advice) and the vast majority view is that mudguards are a good thing.

You go ahead and drip drop all the way home if you want to – I'll be glad of my 'guards and will let anyone that wants to know that, weirdos aside, most people find them indispensable once tried.

Good argument folks – 😉 Andyp I hope I don't have to ride behind you for any length of time 🙂

Winter commuting for me (1/2 city 1/2 country) it's got to be:

Conti 4 Season 25s
Winter boots
Tights
Lumo jacket
Lots o'lights (leds and a hid to scare away monsters on the country roads)
Mudguards!
Thick gloves

This year I'm going to drive if there's any threat of icy roads, i had a big black ice crash this year and don't want to repeat the experience!

Mudguards rock for commuting. AndyP is a bit weird, but then I guess you need to be when you're into turbo training, timetrials and riding mtbs with flat bars and barends 🙂

Black Ice – good point. I have stopped riding if it is icy. No amount of skill and experience, nor any tyre, can keep you the right way up on black ice.

I'm with you on that one acjim, 2 falls in 100m of each other on black ice at the beginning of this year taught me a lesson. The problem is since you can't see black ice, you get all ready for the ride, bike out and it's only when you step on the pavement that you feel the ice. By then you think 'oh it'll be fine'. Headed back home after my falls and I live on a slight hill, I had to end up taking my shoes off to walk across the pavement it was so slippy – and I was going to ride 20 miles in that, what an idiot.

I have a 45 mile round trip, which I do throughout the year.

I can't be arsed with mudguards (I can wash and dry my clothes at both ends of my journey) , I have a fixed gear Bob Jackson (rinse off, GT85, done!). My tips:
1) Quality clothing + glasses
2) Overshoes
3) Waterproof gloves
4) Cheap tyres, rubinos are ok, let some pressure out when it's wet
5) Get some good lights + Sam Brown belt
6) Always ride You'll get used to it very quickly!

BTW – It's still summer out there! It's one layer of lycra + gilet weather… 🙂

yup that's the fella – I set off as the ground didn't seem too frosty but thought "blimey hands are tingly cold, must be below freezing" the temp had fallen to a few below zero and I was soon slipping about a bit. Managed to get up to the top of the 1st hill ok and was just starting to relax when I suddenly found myself sliding along the floor at about 20mph. ouch – crutches for a week and a hip that's still not 100% 🙁

Reckon I'll try to do more cx training commutes – take the bike in the car to the outskirts of the city and ride main roads (gritted) and parks the rest of the way – should be different at least!

kona_ona – what gloves do you use? I've used some winter pearl izumis for years and they are warm but not waterproof.

I can't be arsed with mudguards

I know what you mean, they're such a bind.

Anyway still short sleeved top weather here in the west of Scotland (well at home time anyway).

If you want to see how much water guards can catch then have a look here
I find that even when it is raining that my backside and back of my legs stay dry and my feet only really get damp.

Those who ride come rain or shine, how do you avoid the temptation to just jump on the bus/in the car when it's chucking down? I dont believe anyone genuinely looks out of the window at rivers down the tarmac and thinks "good good, another nice ride in".

If you want to see how much water guards can catch then have a look here

I must admit it looks like almost a dribble.

If it's really hammering it down I'll generally take a raincheck but most of the time it looks worse from inside looking out than it actually is. When I lived <3 miles from work I'd always ride as it really wasn't a big deal but an hour on the bike in torrential rain isn't tons of fun imo.

coffeeking you just need to make cycling the way you get to work, it’s certainly not the easy option at times. My wife and I both work in Glasgow but she finishes about 3:30 so she would have to hang around waiting for me if we take one car. I just can’t stand the thought of us both taking cars to travel 20 miles to almost the same place, if we travelled together every time it rained in the west of Scotland then she’d do a lot of hanging about.

Train isn’t an option, bus would mean a bit of a walk and I would get wet anyway and to be honest with the right kit it’s never that bad. When I started the bike commute I used to look out and really have to force myself out into the wet and windy days but I just get on with it now. I love my bike commute and really loath the days I can't do it.

Ice, snow (okay when it’s fresh, but terrible when it ices up for the ride home) and gale force winds (side winds in traffic can be scary) are the only things that stop me.

I actually enjoy riding in the rain as long as I'm warm. As you know we had torrential showers in Glasgow the other week and I enjoy the rides in that.

I need to just get my ass out of the door! My other half works 2 minutes from my work an she'd have to take the bus and then walk miles which makes it a pain for her, but I need to drop a few pounds so I think it's time!

I'm paid a car allowance to have a car available for site visits, so during the week my car sits in the work carpark and acts as my locker/drying room. It also means that I don't really have an option of not biking to work if I don't feel like it…….

Back-up option is to take the train, but this would take longer and cost me money, so I've never taken that option. I just try to remember that once I'm on the bike it'll be fine, whatever the weather……

Another mudguards-for-commuting fan here. They mean you only need waterproofs if it's hammering down and they save you having to wash all your clothes every time the road is wet. The front guard keeps your feet drier and the rear guard keeps filth off the front mech & chainset, as well as avoiding the dreaded jetwashing of your backside.

Those who ride come rain or shine, how do you avoid the temptation to just jump on the bus/in the car when it's chucking down? I dont believe anyone genuinely looks out of the window at rivers down the tarmac and thinks "good good, another nice ride in".

Bus: Costs £7 return, and involves a 10 minute walk in the rain either end.
Train: Costs £6 return, and even then I have a short ride at the end.
Car: Don't have one (and if I did, it'd probably take the same time as riding due to morning traffic).

Basically I'm a stingy bugger, £6 return always seems like a bit much when the bike is free.

Joe

Also meant to say that I find riding in the rain in summer far harder to take than winter – I expect bad weather in winter, in summer I expect at least a bit of dryness and warmth.

For commuting i use

Bell: One of the big proper ringing ones. I ring it constantly when filtering through traffic with pedestrians about. yep, you can shout instead, but i'd rapidly get bored of that.

Full Mudguards: no brainer for me. Filth is kept off me and the bike so it lasts longer. Plus, they look stupid, so the bike won't get nicked. I'm not always cycling in 'bike clothes' either.

Panniers: For going shopping only, otherwise i prefer a rucksack/courier bag so i can throw the bike about more easily.

Reflectors: Stuck everywhere + reflective tape.