I have a Ragley Trig and with the weather changing I need some mudguards. With the current fashion for running the cables & hoses down the underside of the downtube I'd like something full or 3/4 length to try & keep the muck off.
The back end is fine with mounts on the dropouts and the usual seat & chain stay bridges.
I was a bit surprised to find no mounts on the fork dropouts but it does have 3 bosses down it leg, which I took to be rack mounts, but I gather that the bottom of these are mudguard mounts. Also, there's no hole through the fork crown for the usual bridge, but there is a bolt directly underneath the crown that presumably goes straight through the mudguard.
Do I need a particular type of mudguard for this or is it just a case of bodging a conventional guard to work? The standard type steel stays would presumably bolt to the fork legs but with the general rattleyness of guards on previous bikes I'm a little unsure about whether the stays might cause wear where they cross the fork legs. I'd also have to drill through the guard to bolt it under the fork crown.
Get a set of SKS Speedrockers. Quick and easy to fit and remove, effective and not rattley.
A few pieces of helitape where the pads and wraps touch the frame and forks and away to go. (You need to cut the stays to length first time you fit them.)
They look interesting thanks, I'll give them a look. Just SKS alone have a bewildering array of guards & there are plenty of other manufacturers.
I think you’re looking for proper wheelbrows but if not I’ve found the Gravelhugger to do a surprisingly good job. It’s not protecting your feet or anything that way obviously, but I’d say it’s more effective than I’d expected having used the mtb fork arch equivalents.
That and a win wing on the back are surprisingly good for ‘not proper mudguards’
Sks speed rockers are pretty naff ime... I stopped mid ride to dump mine in a bin... I spent hours fixing and re-fitting and fitting again... waste of time
I've had speed rockers and thought they were fine. I've now got SKS velo flex on my cascade, I used with salsa carbon forks and they work great. Now using with fox 32's and they also work great.
Gravel hugger and win-wing keep my eyes free of debris and my arse from being wet and gritty. Too muddy around here if riding off road for full mudguards, the wheels would soon stop turning if I used those. If your bike won't see any off road through the muddy months then go full. But watch out for toe overlap if you do.
That sounds fine. The higher mounts for the stays will make it easier to deal with the calipers. You'll just need to cut the stays shorter.
Bolt underneath also ok. Just put a rubber washer there to stop it rubbing. You can drill a hole or melt one if plastic.
I bought a win wing and mini mudder combo last week and was going to return them as they don’t really appeal. They haven’t been fitted so can do a bit less than they cost me from Merlin if anyone wants them.
£30 posted..
Along with everyone above, I've been very happy with Speedrockers on my gravel bike. Once fitted nice and snug they've been grand. When I was using that bike for commuting last winter I put Bontrager NCS full guards on it. The sliding stay adjusters made fitting very easy and they are lovely and long guards. Just had to drill a hole for the fork mount, as has already been mentioned.
I'm happy with a bodge approach. My fork - eXotic carbon monocoque - has zero mounts and a sealed crown/steerer so no option of a bolt. Also suspension-corrected length so I needed to create a 'bridge' to bolt SKS Edge ALS to. Plastic P-clips around the lower legs to create eyelets. Perfectly solid, I've used this setup on seeveral bikes over 3-4 years at least.
The 'bridge' is some plastic plumbing pipe cut and shaped to fit, secured with big zipties.
I really wanted full mudguard coverage as it doubles as my commuter, hence all the bodging. There's always a way.
That is a good bodge @a11y. The Salsa forks I had on my cascade had a sealed crown as well, the SKS Velo flex that I have come with a bridge that fits with some rubber straps and works really well. You can buy it as a spare for a tenner.
https://www.bikeparts.co.uk/products/sks-veloflexx-bridge-incl-bracket?
@dove1 what size tyre are you running there? I want to use with 40mm Maxxis Ramblers. Looks like they might be on the limit for Speedrockers.
Having had a look at the Speedrockers on the SKS site, they do Wide & XL versions (the XLs claim to accommodate up to 52mm tyres).
Gravelhugger fits well on my Trig (700c wheels with 45mm tyres).
Protective tape placed under the rubber bands that hold it on.
That sounds fine. The higher mounts for the stays will make it easier to deal with the calipers. You’ll just need to cut the stays shorter.
Bolt underneath also ok. Just put a rubber washer there to stop it rubbing. You can drill a hole or melt one if plastic
That's exactly how I fitted Kinesis alu guards to my steel road bike. Nice and secure, no rattles. I used a tap washer as a spacer.
@dove1 what size tyre are you running there? I want to use with 40mm Maxxis Ramblers. Looks like they might be on the limit for Speedrockers
They are Gravelking SK 700x38 in the photo. 40's should fit ok but you would have to do some careful alignment of the mudguards.
As PJ mentions above, SKS now do the Speedrocker XL. They will easily accomodate Ramblers.
I have run the normal Speedrockers with 650x47 tyres. OK for keeping most of the water at bay but hopeless in gloopy mud! ?
