Took a punt on the new Crud guard set after Mister Crud posted on Jamie’s thread the other day.

Couple of problems tho, the rear guard won’t fit my 31.6 seatpost even using the thinest rubber shim. It fits using the clamp without a shim, but you can’t get it tight enough to stop it rotating when you brush against vegetation.

Second problem is the new shape front guard. The mounting holes are too far forward, so the front of the guard fouls the head tube/fork. Also the rubber bands don’t go around the down tube. I borrowed my mate’s older style one and it does fit correctly. So who is wrong here, the new Crud guard, or the mountings on my frame?

Finally the old cheap crud copy I had before (now lost unfortunately) had little rubber W-shaped thingamibobs which lifted the guard away from the cables, the new Crud one doesn’t and it’s so indented on the top that the cable guides on the frame prevent it from sitting straight, so looking down from the top tube, it is rotated, not in line with the wheel.

All of these can be fixed with some bodgery/drilling, but does this all seem a bit crap to everybody else?

Tl;dr: new Crud guards seem to be – er – crud!

Oh, one other moan, you can’t rotate the rear guard down far enough!

Agreed – I prefer the new shape of the front ones but they slip more but the rear are TERRIBLE. Cannot get ours to stay in place so I use my old one which secures far far better.

I’d use the feedback link on their website, it does say, “Please also get in touch if have any problems with our products”

Couple of problems tho, the rear guard won’t fit my 31.6 seatpost even using the thinest rubber shim. It fits using the clamp without a shim, but you can’t get it tight enough to stop it rotating when you brush against vegetation.

Have you tried a slip of inner tube in place of the rubber shims? Not ideal, granted but should allow the guard to grip better. DON’T over-tighten it though, as it’ll result in the threaded insert turning in the bracket when you tighten the bolt and it a pain to remove.

Second problem is the new shape front guard. The mounting holes are too far forward, so the front of the guard fouls the head tube/fork.

Sounds like an unfortunate mis-match. Not a lot that can be done, short of checking compatibility on every frame out there and putting them somewhere that suits your frame might result in them not fitting 20 other frames?

Also the rubber bands don’t go around the down tube.

Yeah, they are VERY tight around the downtube on my Stumpjumper, but a bit too baggy on my Inbred. Again, it’s a bit of a compromise at the end of the day, unless they provided the guard with perhaps 3 different o-ring sizes.

Finally the old cheap crud copy I had before (now lost unfortunately) had little rubber W-shaped thingamibobs which lifted the guard away from the cables, the new Crud one doesn’t and it’s so indented on the top that the cable guides on the frame prevent it from sitting straight, so looking down from the top tube, it is rotated, not in line with the wheel.

My downtube has cable clamps stretching across the whole downtube, so not an issue but it is a shame that the guard has no rubber ‘bumper’ on the surface that mates with the downtube to lessen scratching. I think I will helicopter tape mine if the tape will cope with the curves…

I used a bit of road bar tape to get the catcher off the cables. Until I gave up and got a bender fender front and back, far better 😉

stumpy01 – Member
Have you tried a slip of inner tube in place of the rubber shims? Not ideal, granted but should allow the guard to grip better. DON’T over-tighten it though, as it’ll result in the threaded insert turning in the bracket when you tighten the bolt and it a pain to remove.

I will do, I think inner tube might still be too thick though. I was thinking of lining it with rubberised electrical tape. Probably have overtightened it as well 🙁

stumpy01 – Member
Sounds like an unfortunate mis-match. Not a lot that can be done, short of checking compatibility on every frame out there and putting them somewhere that suits your frame might result in them not fitting 20 other frames?

Yeah, agreed; I just naively assumed that Crud would have specified a distance away from the headtube that the bolts should be placed.

stumpy01 – Member
Yeah, they are VERY tight around the downtube on my Stumpjumper, but a bit too baggy on my Inbred. Again, it’s a bit of a compromise at the end of the day, unless they provided the guard with perhaps 3 different o-ring sizes.

Yeah, supplying a couple of different O-rings would sort it

DezB – Member

I’d use the feedback link on their website, it does say, “Please also get in touch if have any problems with our products”

Didn’t see that, will do.

I have just ordered a rear crud guard, after being assured by Mr Tomkins that all guards stocked by shops are the improved design, as the Cycraguard one I had got sent back with a faulty bracket.

Hopefully as I am using a 27.2 post it should be ok.

I’ve had the problem with the knurled bolt rotating in its hole when you tighten the rear up. Feedback from Mr Crud is that while the problem is acknowledged (and hence might be improved by now) the best solution is to get a pair of pliers or molegrips on either side of it which gives enough grip to prevent it happening.

TBH, in this weather, it’s on and will likely stay on until next May so fitting and removal isn’t that much of a worry, and it keeps my arris clean so that’s a major thumbs up.

Different sized O-rings can be purchased in B&Q, btw.

I gave up with the ‘proper’ fixing bolt for the rear and use two shock bushes/top hats with a nut and bolt through them to hold it all together. Works perfectly but annoying that the supplied parts don’t work.

I’d say use the feedback on the Crudproducts website also, I did after the last thread, and got the bit posted FOC to fix the rattly raceguard. Can’t say fairer than that.

OP – the front guard sounds like just a quick bodge is required?

just read the other thread and have applied to have my rear bracket upgraded (oo-er!)

theotherjonv – Member
just read the other thread and have applied to have my rear bracket upgraded (oo-er!)

Other thread??……

Waderider – Member
OP – the front guard sounds like just a quick bodge is required?

Yeah, I will drill some new holes through it, or cut the end off it or something. Maybe Mister Crud could put 2 or 3 extra holes in it at the factory to avoid this issue in the first place.

clubber – Member

I gave up with the ‘proper’ fixing bolt for the rear and use two shock bushes/top hats with a nut and bolt through them to hold it all together. Works perfectly but annoying that the supplied parts don’t work.

Good idea, will try that if it’s nackered

The new Crud Guards are a PITA. Old ones much better. The front ones aren’t as nice, too stiff, don’t work well when you put the bike in the car and turn the bars through 90 degrees.

The Rear ones are ok for a couple or rides then the guard and the clamp keep wanting to part company until you end up riding with just the clamp because the guard has fallen off.

Bring back the old design – it was much better. And make a longer rear guard (2 inches longer) which will be nice on 29ers!

The Crud product used to be ace but the evolution has degraded it recently.

Other thread.

Hmm. I bought a full set of Cruds after accidental chucking out my ugly-but-brilliant SKD Mudboard.

As soon as I started to fit the front fender (constantly dropping the screws), I realised that that I’d bought a trio of pups.

Every one of the guards is poorly designed. Despite prior knowledge of the rear guard’s design flaw (rotating screw issue), I found myself unable to remove it without cutting it off. The downtube guard doesn’t work at all well with under frame routing and is way too long for many frames. The fender guard (the best one) has to be attached with a screw driver and a lot of patience.

Don’t be fooled by the positive reviews of these very poorly designed products. They are rubbish.

I think inner tube might still be too thick though. I was thinking of lining it with rubberised electrical tape.

Cut up balloon or marigolds depending on whether you’re a party animal or clean freak?

Try this – Sugru

Try this – Sugru

I keep forgetting about that stuff then someone posts a link and then I am reminded of its awesomeness all over again.

…saying that tho a mudguard should work out of the factory. How hard can it be to make one that works.