I’ve not looked for a few years but are there any decent guards out there these days for a bike without eyelets?
Quick release wheels.
Got one of them minimal plastic things you wedge under your saddle but they are kind of crap
www.merlincycles.com/crud-road-racer-mk3-mudguards-94775.html aren't bad, got mine for £10 from Halfords sale 5/6 years ago.
With cx frames(no eyelets) that I used for all year round commuting,I went down the zip ties and P-clip route,the type used for holding electrical cabling.On the P-clips,if you used long bolts with two nuts, it was easier to take the guards off when needed.I didn't do this much. I also found,that the sets that clip to the seatstays using rubber straps (even with tape underneath) would eventually mark the frames.
No unless you use p clips. Then you can use good old SKS guards. On the front you use the mount that the QR skewer goes through and suoper velcro glued under the fork crown.
The various "blades" guards are very much second best as they don't give full coverage and won't hold a decent mudflap well.
+1 for raceblades
If you look at St John's Street cycles they have some PDQ metal plates with mudguard eyelets.
These work well.
PDQ with mountings for QR skewers every time. And I’ve killed a few pairs of SKS raceblades and two rear P35s. Highly recommended but not cheap. Use the stickers for rattle reduction too. You can also mount a tubus rack with a similar skewer attachment and a seatpost collar to add upper mounting points.
I’ve seen something called. Axiom axle runners. They connect to your quick release.
If using these do I then need Velcro under the fork, behind the bb and the chainstay bridge
SKS Speedrockers are very good, i use them on my CX/Gravel bike, offroad, with 700x40 tyres and they're bob-on. Once set up, really quick & easy to remove, and then put back on again when the weather turns.
as a die hard sks longboard user I was also disappointed to find no fender mounts on my cx bike either! So I experimented.
I actually quite rate the sks speedrocker. If you also use the extension on the rear it’s more sociable for your riding partners. The front doesn’t provide as much coverage as sks longboards, but not much does! Though I did add a diy extension flap making it better for your feet.
The advantage over any p clip design is if you’re using it for cx or off-road riding it’s easy to remove.
Do you not get crap through those big gaps in the speed rockers?
I have speedrockers. They are ok. The front one is so bad for toe-over lap on my bike that I don't run the big bit of it very often. Just the small bit facing backwards and get over having wetter feet.
The front one also slips down if I use both bits together
The back one has a lump inside the shell where the longer stay arm attaches which causes clogging in deeper mud a bit sooner than you might really expect. Other than that rear one very good. Never had a wet or dirty back with it
Would be inclined to look at mudhugger gravel set if riding single-track or muddy trails
Gravelhugger. Like a Mudhugger (F&R) but skinnier
(assuming the front fits in your forks)
Another vote for SKS Speedrockers. The only niggle is as above, the sliding extension on the rear can start to collect crud which pushes it apart until it rubs on the wheel. Doesn't happen very often and I'll probably put a pop rivet in soon or try and glue it.
Do you not get crap through those big gaps in the speed rockers?
Front fork crown fills the gap 🙂