I am a great fan of cycling in muddy clag. Nothing gives a better bike control challenge and a more dynamic MTB experience. I have a bike built for this purpose, but I am loath to take the final step in muck proofing by fitting a internal geared hub. I want to make my derailleur system work in the worst muck.

The limiting factor is clag between the sprockets pushing the chain off the cassette cog teeth. This has happened on my last two local outings, due to a combination of local clay and vegetation wound into the cassette. Whatever happened to the crud claw? – veterans will know what I’m talking about.

My pal has a lathe and I may knock one up – but is there an equivalent on the market? I suspect trail centres, with their dull hardpack surfaces, have meant there is no market for such a thing.

Is there a demand for such a thing, beyond myself?

This may help?

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-happened-to-crud-claws

Edit – having read the thread – probably not ;(

Responses to that thread indicate that the problem disappeared with 9 speed cassettes and magnesium spiders. That is clearly nonsense, I have a 9 speed XT cassette.

Plus, I read that, and decided after a year the subject was worth raising again. Thanks anyway 😀

This is market research………

History

Apparently we don’t need them… Clearly Mr Shimano hasn’t ridden in the UK to see that mud still gloops up & sticks in my cassette!

I’ve still got a seven-speed crud claw somewhere (in glorious purple!)

It kinda worked, but the constant scraping noise drove me mad, and the ‘comb’ part tended to move.

I just resort to the singlespeed nowadays, it’s much more reliable.

Judging by the response rate here cycling in clag is out of fashion. Or maybe those that do don’t use derailleurs. Ah well.

No, it’s just that crud claws were crap!

If you have a mud bike why have gears on it?

just use an alfine. its an easy solution still works even in the worst clag

I hope you have a Crud bung too.

Mud clogging up the inside of steerer tubes is an oft overlooked subject that should be debated more

I’ve got a brand new Shimano Mud Scraper on a hardtail with an 8-speed cassette.
Not actually used it in mud or anywhere yet, so no valid comments.
It came with 3 different combs for the cassette profiles.
It does have some lateral movement built-in.

Shimano CS80 Mudscraper 7g 8-Speed P Q R 12-14-16, 12-13-14-16, 11-12-14-16

If someone wants to make me an offer for it….

paul.r.davisAThotmail.co.uk

What you need is a singlespeed….

Never ridden in situations where it was so claggy that the cassette got bunged up to be honest.

I can see how it might happen with a mud/vegetation combo though…