Full-length 700c mudguards 50mm+ – SKS Bluemels, SKS Edge or something else?

My current 50mm SKS Chromoplastics barely cover the 700×47 tyres I use. I’ve now got some 50mm tyres incoming I’m starting looking at wider mudguards. Chromoplastics have been great, a bit of rattle over rougher offroad trails to be expected, but they seem to top out at 50mm width. Pretty sure 50mm is only meant for up to 43mm anyway IIRC.

Options:

SKS Bluemels 53mm – they’re not as robust as Chromoplastics, correct?

SKS Edge 56mm – these are new to me. Being aluminium should they be more robust, despite a single stay rather than double like the Bluemels?

Not keen on the Gilles Berthroud guards I’ve seen recommended on here (I want black) and the other mega expensive option (can’t recall name off top of my head) are too rich for me.

Anyone with good/bad experiences of the Bluemels or Edge, or alternative guards that’d cover 70x50mm tyres?

I use the 53mm Bluemels on 650×47 and there is loads of room. As you say, maybe a wee bot of rattle when on particularly rough trails but otherwise solid for the past year or more.

I’ve got the 46mm Edges and they are the business. Much more robust the Bluemels, or any plastic guard I’ve used before. I even use them to mount a pannier rack. I’d been a big fan of SKS’s plastic guards for years but I don’t think I’ll go back, and I don’t see the point in paying more for metal guards than the Edges.

I use mine for everything from road rides to singletrack and they just do the job, where previously I’ve snapped Bluemels off road in minutes.

IMG_20191007_172744_edited by Luke Bradley[/url], on Flickr

@scotroutes, thanks and good to know. But that’s a glowing recommendation for the Edge from @munrobiker so I think I’ll give them a try.

A good part of my commute is tame trailcentre and other bits rough paths. Chromoplastics mostly fine once setup, but if I take one hand off the bars for a second they rattle badly (even on poor road).

Think I’ll try the Edge 56. Thanks.

I’m using the 53mm Bluemels with 2″ tyres and they’re fine in terms of coverage; if you’re replacing Chromoplastics then use the hardware from them (eg stays and QR clips) because they’re better than the Bluemels versions. But yeah, off-road they’re going to give the same problems.

@munrobiker, any chance of some more pictures of that rack setup? And any idea how much the rack plus guards weigh?

Bez – I’ve not ridden to work today so don’t have the bike with me. It’s this rack-

https://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/accessories-c11/pannier-racks-c136/racktime-side-load-rack-p19706

I had to drill the mudguard in two places to make it fit. It’s not the most robust set up for heavy touring but it’s excellent for commuting. The rack weight limit is 15kg and I’ve had about 10kg on one side but the guard did move over to one side over a weekend of off road touring.

The guards are about 550g and the rack about 350-400g (I can’t remember exactly, but there’s nothing to it so it weighs very little).

This Winter for one of the bikes I made some of my own ,a bit like the Edges but made out of 2mm polycarb strips. For the main commuter I picked up a set of Kinesis Fend Offs.

Interesting.

I’m assuming there’s an L-bracket to attach the rear guard to the seatstay bridge…?

Because of this thread I’ve just bought some of the SKS edge 56 from Bikester for £35 inc delivery (I had a 10% off coupon code).
I wasn’t sure about putting mudguards on my cx/commuter bike as I thought they’d look rubbish and on the odd occasion that I want to ride back via the off road route I just thought they’d end up getting clogged up and/or rattling off. These look alright though and sound like they’re up to the job.

I’m using the 53mm Bluemels with 2″ tyres and they’re fine in terms of coverage; if you’re replacing Chromoplastics then use the hardware from them (eg stays and QR clips) because they’re better than the Bluemels versions

this. The main thing is to use the secureclips since they are less rattly than the bluemels version.
RE: the bluemels overall, I’ve had very little issue with them and use them regularly on a mixed terrain commute. The front flap could be longer since it doesn’t stop filth hitting the bottom bracket area other than that they are ok.

Bluemels IME work well and even slight rattle at speed offroad can be sorted with fettling/ hard rubber washers etc. Fit diff longer flaps tho, as stated – not really sufficient

I’m assuming there’s an L-bracket to attach the rear guard to the seatstay bridge…?

There’s one in the box but mine are bolted straight to the bike as the mudguard eyelet points down so no L bracked is required. You’d want one more robust than they supply for mounting panniers to.

The only word of warning I’ll offer about the edge is that I found the stays weren’t long enough to deal with the ‘odd’ mount locations on my bike- mid fork or in front of the axle (it’s a bowman). As a result I’ve only used the rear for a bit at the end of last winter, but that seemed pretty solid. I really need to sort out fitting them!

Successful first rides with my Edge 56’s yesterday: what a difference compared to Chromoplastics. Simpler/quicker to fit. More robust. And zero rattle, even on local trailcentre with the off braking bump. Complete silence is great. Currently running 700x47s Smart Sam on front and Spesh Trigger Sport rear but plan to go to 700×50 after winter.

Only negative is a bit of splatter on my shins but suspect due to lack of flap compared to my Chromoplastics – think I’ll add one.

Very impressed so far. Thanks for the recommendation @munrobiker

Planning to convert my cross bike to 650b 47c and want some fenders.

Do i go with 700c fenders (Edge 56s?) or 650b fenders?

Do i go with 700c fenders (Edge 56s?) or 650b fenders?

650b for sure. Those Edge guards are quite rigid and not easily bent/adjusted for smaller wheel sizes.

Glad I stumbled across this thread.

I’m looking at the Bluemels Vs the Edge.

Two questions.
1. My frame will take 45mm guards but is it worth going for the wider Edge and fettling a perfect fit with a dremmel around the stays so I can still use a relatively wide tyre?

2. My fork eyelet is about 5″ up from the dropout. Has anyone made them work with similar forks?

as a11y says, go for 650b guards if you can. I got the Edge 56s in the hope they’d fit 650×47 but were the wrong radius and not able to be bent enough. Going to use them with 700c now and they are indeed solid and easy-ish to set up. Can be a pain around the chainstays as they are full width at the mount point (as opposed to a rounded ‘guard) so some adjustment might be needed.

Sorry, should have said, this is my commuter running 700 X 35mm tyres. The stays measure about 45mm gap. So, I could fit the 46mm guards (assuming 1mm isn’t too much to squeeze them), or get the 56mm for more coverage and the ability to fit larger tyres, but they would need some cut outs making to fit around the stays.

Comment from swanny853 is a bit concerning as my front eyelet sits 5″ up from the dropout.

I’m glad I opened this one as well – I do like the semi combined rack and guard that @munrobiker has.

A further question though – my (carbon) fork has lower mounts, but nothing at the crown.

I’m thinking using an L bracket and industrial velcro stuck to crown and stuck to the bracket and guard. Has anyone done this before? I could even do L bracket front and rear, forming a ‘cup’ around the fork crown, all fully lined with velcro.

Edit: or find mudguards with forward stays for the front wheel like this.

Belt and braces is to add two ziptie’s around the crown, but I think that will look gash and wear the paint…

Can you find a expanding bung to fit up the steerer then fasten to that?

It’s a closed steerer fork.

It’s crazy – there’s 6 out of 7 mudguard mounts on the frame and forks. But they basically seem to have forgotten a fork crown mount.