[Closed] Commuting idn the bad weather

TBH - I leave my race blades on all year round. This is the UK you know!

I was thinking, whilst riding back in the proper gash weather last night, "these mudguards really do make my day"!!

DrP

Oh, and let me know what the weather's like up there on that saddle....!

I commute on My Orange Pure 7. Fifteen miles each way. Or 20 if I go the longer more fun, via Cragg Quarry off-road route home 😀

Had a lovely run in this morning in sunshine. I doubt very much i'm going to get away with that tonight. So sod it anyway! I'm going to go and get muddy!!

Those mudgaurds don't look right at all, aren't they meant for close clearance road bikes and supposed to be attached to the dual pivot brakes?

Those mudgaurds don't look right at all, aren't they meant for close clearance road bikes and supposed to be attached to the dual pivot brakes?

Maybe but they are the only guards that will fit the boardman hybrid and the front is actually attached as you say, they work perfectly though as the really wet weather on my London to Paris last year can confirm

What do you put in that bag at the front - are you using that because you don't want to mess around with a rack, panniers etc?

Just asking as I've never used one myself and wondering how well they work.

Is the front guard on backwards?

If they are crud roadracers, the front one doesn't look right??

I got standard SKS mudguards (not race-blade type ones) to fit my boardman - required a bit of bending around the disc calliper, but fitted fine.

DrP

Mudguards are the two-wheeled equivalent of a lace petticoat. MTFU!! 😉

No one likes a damp crack do they - apart from you Binners.

Race blades on for about 9 months of the year and crack nice and dry no matter how hard it's raining.

Bag carries w'proof if not wearing it, a pair of clean under crackers plus keys wallet money etc, oh and a inner and a few tools

Wet days and winter I commute on a kona jake the snake cx bike with road tyres and full sks gaurds.

Dry summer days I use one of my road bikes with spd's fitted.

20 miles each way.

Those guards are definately not fitted right, surely you must catch your foot on the front one every time you turn. Have you fitted a rear one at the front or fitted it the wrong way round or something.

the fitting issue is the break caliper means i cant put the struts any lower, hence they stand off a bit, never had issues catching it though

I've put the Race Blades on the Madone, as the Allez is currently without an STI, and I'm dithering on replacing it, as I much prefer riding the Madone!

So in answer to the OPs question I am doing it on a 2004 Madone SL 5.9 with Dura Ace, PowerTap wheel and Race Blades. Was glad of them on the 45 miles home in the pissing rain and hale on Tuesday!

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Back to a mudguarded bike for me this morning. The sun came out. Absolutely chucking it down now though.

Ditto, I dressed for the ride home, so was rather warm coming in, but it should minimise the trauma of riding home!

[i]the fitting issue is the break caliper means i cant put the struts any lower, hence they stand off a bit[/i]

Can't you just fit some sks guards that fit properly?

I've just nipped out in the lunchtime monsoon. I am presently re-evaluating my earlier rash statement about mudguards 😥

Cragg Quarry is going to be a mud-pit on the way home tonight

Was absolutely pissing it down last night but I had a tailwind, yes heading south east into a tailwind, it doesn't happen very often but despite the pissing rain it was a wonderful ride.

I'm with binners edit: before he started whining like a baby.. For most of us it's about on hour on the bike. If you can't ride along for an hour with a wet arse, it might be time to get back in your car. Personaly I've no issue if people want to put mudguards on their own bikes but I just can't be bothered. Noisy, rattly, in the way things.

I came in all mudguarded up this morning, only a 6 mile dash home though South Manchesters finest precipitation.

I do it on some shonky Evans Pinacle something (the cheap one) as it gets abused pretty badly.... The front wheel is still a bit wonky after the interface with a VW polo and it's only been cleaned once since i got it in Jan.

I've never understood the anti mud guard thing.

I commute and leave my guards on all year round. I cycled in with a colleague on wet roads today. He doesn't have guards and will be pulling on wet clothing for the return home. I have closely fitting SKS guards and will be cycling home in dry clothing. My guards don't rattle and I've not needed to adjust them since I fitted them.

The only reason not to use them is to prove a point, just not sure what that point may be!

[i]For most of us it's about on hour on the bike. If you can't ride along for an hour with a wet arse, it might be time to get back in your car. Personaly I've no issue if people want to put mudguards on their own bikes but I just can't be bothered. Noisy, rattly, in the way things.[/i]

My guards don't rattle, they're not noisy and I'm intruiged as to what they can get 'in the way' of.

Yeh I've often thought taking the car would be a far better option than using guards on the bike - makes perfect sense.

[i]He doesn't have guards and will be pulling on wet clothing for the return home[/i]

I don't understand this, how do your guards stop you getting wet clothes? They stop road spray so your back and arse don't get as wet but if its heavy rain you still get wet.

I'm on the bike today - was lovely this morning - looks like I might get wet on the way home....come on!!! 😈

Took my mudguards off the Pompino last night, had my fastest ride in this morning, coincidence? I don't think so.

I've never understood the anti mud guard thing.

I commute and leave my guards on all year round

+1. Full length SKS guards, Ortlieb pannier and good waterproofs make a wet commute much more tolerable. Why get your clothes and shoes soaking wet when there's no need to?

He doesn't have guards and will be pulling on wet clothing for the return home

I don't understand this, how do your guards stop you getting wet clothes? They stop road spray so your back and arse don't get as wet but if its heavy rain you still get wet.

The roads were wet this morning from overnight rain, wasn't actually raining whilst we were riding.

I don't understand this, how do your guards stop you getting wet clothes? They stop road spray so your back and arse don't get as wet but if its heavy rain you still get wet.

Yes, but the number of times I commute in heavy rain is actually quite small. I would get wet far more often because of spray from the wheels, going through puddles and on wet roads.

Yes, but the number of times I commute in heavy rain is actually quite small. I would get wet far more often because of spray from the wheels, going through puddles and on wet roads.

+1

I resisted for ages, but was really surprised what ratio of wetness comes from the road vs the sky, even when it's actually raining.

They look crap, but they really are functional!

ah I live in the west of scotland, its usually raining here.

I commute every day on my Ribble winter roadie - use a rear guard only, which is the bracket from a raceblade with a regular sks mudguard forced into it and screwed in place for ULTRA ROBUSTNESS!

Its been great, now in its second year and going strong.

Found the original raceblades fell apart too easily and clearance is an issue for the regular guard, so that's what I came up with.

Although its easy to remove and attach I just leave it on because I ride into Glasgow. When its wet, I wear overshoes. Quite enjoy riding in full-on rain TBH.

Who cares what the look like - my bikes are fitted with mudguards all year round. It acts as a talisman and stops it from raining on me.

15 hilly miles each way which I do on tuesdays and thursdays due to other commitments. On a Pompino (oh, how the italian girl who works here laughed when she had a look at my bike one day... ) with no mudguards, I have racing ralph on there as some of the roads are more gravel than tarmacadem. It does help that work have showers and towels etc.

The water being sprayed up from the road is consderably dirtier than the water falling from the sky as well

TO be honest, seeing as this is what my route home looks like

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I'll cope with a muddy arse, so as not to have some pointless flappy bits of plastic getting in the way. I'll be utterly coated in carp by the time I'm home anyway 😀

OP - are they 26" wheels?

No, 700's

My commuter: fixed wheel, puncture-proof Schwalbe Durano, proper SKS mudguards (that don't rattle), rack with attached luggage (can't stand heavy rucksacks) and bolt-on rear lights (when did you last remove your car lights when you parked?). It's pick up and go, 52 weeks a year. Commute is a minimum of 10 miles each way.

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Tools are now in a small tool bottle as per the rules and the saddle has been replaced with a less comfy B17. I shall depart on it presently.