I picked up a rather nice 2014 Giant TCX SLR1 in the Giant sale a couple of weeks ago- and I absolutely love it:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/qBycWh]Untitled[/url] by velocipede65, on Flickr

However, there is a bit of a design flaw in my opinion….the bike’s been getting very muddy in the 250 or so off road miles I’ve done since I got it and the front mech cable, whilst being internally routed and looking very neat, emerges right smack in the middle of all the mud thrown up from the back wheel – so bad that the cable outer is already getting filled with mud & water and affecting front shifting.

So, in a moment of creativity and armed with a yogurt pot, a pair of scissors and some zip ties, I’ve created a little mudguard to protect the cable stop and the “open” end of the cable…..

[url=https://flic.kr/p/qByce5]Untitled[/url] by velocipede65, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/qRQEkm]Untitled[/url] by velocipede65, on Flickr

Maybe I should have cleaned the bike properly before I fitted it, but I was just playing around…..hoping it will work ok…..any thoughts on other solutions to the same problem??

is the mud still not going to fly onto the mech? i mean, the mud is coming from above, not from the side.

i have a Shimano Mudflp on my bike. had it for years. cost about 5€.

It’d not the mech I’m protecting (should have thought about the title of the post a bit more!) but the cable stop & cable on the back of the seat tube….you can just see it in the bottom pic…..the mech isn’t really protected at all with what I’ve done, but the cable is…..

I like that Shimano Mudflap though (for a different purpose!) – I’ll have to look for one of those!

Cheers!

Nice bike ! And yes it is a rather odd design to have the cable exit vertically directly in the path of all the mud off the back wheel. Has not caused me a problem yet but am expecting it. I have fitted boots to my cables after the rear brake seized. Good idea but I don’t think it will solve the problem.