My roadrat has a good few miles on it. My use for the bike is 90% commuting, here and there in winter, and about 3hr per week in summer. I’d like to use it more often but first have a few things that I need to sort on it.

Firstly, one crank is longer than other-a short term measure from a few years back, where I used what I had to keep it going. This can’t be good for my body so want to get the cranks even. My question is, what options have I got here. I’m thinking I can just put a new crank arm on it, it’s the non-chain side, which is shorter, so I could just replace that.

If I choose to replace the chainring, are there any things I could consider, like a single ring? What benefits/drawbacks are there from doing that?

The second issue, is I’d like to get panniers, as I hate carrying backpacks when cycling and would like to maybe do some touring. Anyone got any experience of panniers on the roadrat/ in general? What should I be considering if buying some?

Lastly, I’m considering some mudguards but I think they look crap and I like the low-frills experience of not running any. Coming from an mtb background they feel messy- yet, getting sprayed with rain is messy too. Have people run mudguards on the roadrat/ how have they found them? any issues to consider?

For all options, I’m not wealthy so would like to go cheap and cheerful-but not low quality.

If anyone has stuff they’d like to sell me, that’s an option too.
Thanks, Tom

I can only comment on mudguards,I bought my rat sh and had some mudguard already fitted but they didn’t have the quick release on the front and removing the rear wheel was I right pain.

I bought some sks Chromoplastic stays and quick releases and now they work sweet. If I was to start from scratch I would buy SKS Chromoplastic guards

Rack and mudguards here, which doubly makes getting the rear wheel out a pain but there is enough flex in the mudguard to do it.
I’ve got a Topeak rack so normally just use one of the rack top bags for commuting, occasionally panniers but not overly loaded. I think one of the roadrat reviews I’d read complained that the nature of the frame meant it wasn’t ideal for carrying big loads, too flexy.

if it’s one of the early ones then what riddoch says is true re:flexy. I gather that was remedied in later versions.

Thanks, will check out the SKS chromoplastic guards. Do you mean the mudguards didn’t have quick releases or the wheels?

Regarding the frame flex – I bought it January 2013, so not sure which version that makes it. Will take a look at Topeak stuff also.

I had chromoplastics on mine, too. IIRC I had a wee bit of a battle with one of the fork mounting points but it was otherwise fairly straightforward. Mine was an early one and I had no issues with flex, tbh it felt a bit solid for my taste- but I never really loaded it up, it was a commuter/sometime training bike rather than a lugger.

The quick Release is for the guards in case a big stone or twig gets stuck between the tyre and guard. Instead of locking the wheel it pops out. My rat has track dropouts so I have fitted them to the rear as well so I can easily remove the rear wheel but still have the guards closely fitted to the wheel. You can buy the quick releases for a pound or so https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/mudguards/sks-secu-clips-for-front-mudguard-stays-per-pair/

Mrs Mugsy did some touring with her 2009 ish road-rat. If I remember correctly: * one easy tour was with no.2 a year old in a child seat but nothing else. Another tour was with a follow-me, front and rear panniers.

Neither of us would advise putting any load on it in retrospect…..’whippy’ does not do it justice……

*The 1st tour we ever did caused a massive melt-down in 40 deg plus heat after numerous punctures and no tubes/ patches left, in the middle of nowhere, on gravel-roads with no.1 at 18 months old…. It wasn’t the roadrat’s fault: it was our dumbass fault to go touring in Croatia on 23mm tyres…..Oh the naivety….