Just wondering if anyone else has had problems with their rear Mud Hugger mudguards rubbing through the hellitape on their seat stay?

If not then I am just letting you know that it has worn through the helli tape on 2 bikes that I have and has also worn the seat tube paint due to the suspension sag on one of them after just one ride!

This is more a warning than a question and am advising anyone with a rear Mud Hugger to swap the helli tape for an old inner tube to offer more protection to the seat stay!

Yep. Luckily spotted it early before it had the chance to do any damage. Went through invisiframe with a layer of clear gaffa tape on top in two rides.

Shame, as it was pretty effective at keeping my arse dry.

They should advise about this in their manual and I am thinking that an inner tube will offer more protection? What’s your view of this?

You can replace “Mudhugger” with any strapped on mudguard/accessory ever, first one I saw was a road bike with holes worn through its seat stays many moons ago

Grit under the inner tube will have the same effect, you’d need to stop it getting in there.

Ouch that would hurt seeing that!

It’s worn through the seat tube paint and started wearing through the carbon on my dad’s stumpjumper after just one ride!

Lucky we caught it in time!

How did you fix the zip ties? By hand is never tight enough. I use one of these zip tie guns and the Mudhugger doesn’t maove a mm and so doesn’t damage the frame.

https://images.app.goo.gl/DptqoChfkq7R7BqK6

You can replace “Mudhugger” with any strapped on mudguard/accessory ever

Yes, can do the same on forks, I’m still to find the perfect solution but I try to keep an eye on my mudguard mounts.

Well actually, fork manufacturers all having included bolt-on guard mounts a few years ago would have been the perfect solution.

It’s cable ties onto the seat stay so I am thinking that would stop grit getting under there…

I will also let all the air out the rear shock to ensure that it is definitely not going to rub 😂

They should advise about this in their manual and I am thinking that an inner tube will offer more protection? What’s your view of this?

Like any mating surface on your bike, shit will get in there, you need to clean it out. It’s that shit that’s worn through your heli tape.

You don’t need a manual for that.

Well actually, fork manufacturers all having included bolt-on guard mounts a few years ago would have been the perfect solution

Ye I had one on my old bike and it was brilliantly simple!

They are notorious for it. I have helitaped my stays completely and then taped an innertube over them. Also enlarged the holes slightly and used bigger cable ties and used every slot to try and stop it moving. I don’t agree with their instructions saying you can use less ties for tamer riding, you want to stop it moving at all regardless

I’ve tried old inner tubes on mine and they didn’t last much longer, also allowed the guard to ‘walk’ along the seatstay too on really rough terrain. I now use the genuine 3M tape and cable ties in every hole (6 per side) and not had an issue since. The genuine 3M stuff is thick and can squish a bit so the Mudhugger and cable ties settle into it, stops it moving and creates a better seal to stop grit getting underneath. Might be worth mentioning I wrap the 3M tape completely round the seatstay, no overlap but at most a 1mm gap between the edges. Current bikes were both taped up 18 moths ago so on their second winter with guards both used a lot in all weathers and the tape still looks fine for another year.

@reluctantjumper

I now use the genuine 3M tape

Is that the self adhesive foam stuff or insulating tape?

I helitape, then use a cohesive rubber wrap and top with gorilla tape. Doesn’t take long to put on, comes off easily and works well. I’ve done this on five / six bikes.

@streamtb

Thanks very much I will give this a try!

Yeah, found after creaking noise started, looks bad but it’s the hardtail so just slapped on more gorilla tape and whacked it down. It’s not helped by the tiny zip tie holes.

It was a bit surprising after using ziptied mudguards on forks with no issues for years (onto helitape/gaffa). It’s not the grit between the surfaces doing it, it’s slight rotation/movement of the zip-ties under flexing, as rotor stern alludes to.

I’m now using an ass-saver. Which doesn’t appears to have saved my ass at all.

The tape that came with my Mudhugger is much thicker than the stuff used by Invisiframe and most frame protection tape I’ve seen. I’ll be keeping an eye on the seatstays of my fatbike though.

OTOH the Mudhugger on my Ti framed B+ Pact hadn’t marked the stats in any way at all, despite intensive (and clarty) action.

It’s not the grit between the surfaces doing it, it’s slight rotation/movement of the zip-ties under flexing, as rotor stern alludes to.

That’s my opinion too.

Might try some mastic tape next time.

If you’re using velcro mounted mudguards (eg. Mucky Nutz) always make sure the softer fluffier side of the velcro is against the forks, then it won’t cause damage. I remember a post from a while ago where someone had put the velcro rough side down and it had properly filed away at the forks! He couldn’t work out why!

I use self amalgamating tape. Good dirt tight seal against the frame and soft enough for the tip ties to bed into and stop any fretting.

On the subject of these, what size cable ties are best can i go bigger than 3.6mm?

Going to take the advice and also use self amalgamating rubber tape 19mm.

Size isn’t the driver, you want good soft cable ties, with small engagement teeth on them IMO.

I use SA tape too for stuff like that, it’s great.

I had a spare roll of thin squash racket wrap and used that, wrapped in a similar manner to the racket grip. Mudhugger squeezes in and bites into this when zip tied and doesn’t move.

@enterusername the genuine 3M helitape, it’s miles harder wearing than the bike-specific stuff but a lot thicker.

Mine did that too. The oy thing I have found that works is 3m 2228 tape and take it all off after winter

Well known issue im afraid

On my bike i fitted the supplied helitape, followed by two wraps of Gorilla tape, then i fitted four zip ties on each seat stay before fitting the mudhugger

Then i fitted the mudhugger using the supplied zip ties

By fitting four zip ties on each seat stay before fitting the mud hugger means that when you fit the mudhugger it actually sits on the zip ties not the frame

Has worked perfectly all winter with no damage and only minimal marking to the Gorilla tape

Not just Mudhugger, saw a carbon Specialized 29er not long ago where a wobbly rear mudguard had worn through the seatstays

By fitting four zip ties on each seat stay before fitting the mud hugger means that when you fit the mudhugger it actually sits on the zip ties not the frame

Good idea!

The oy thing I have found that works is 3m 2228 tape

That’s what I meant by mastic tape, need to get a roll anyway for frame protection.

A little tip for zip tie fitted things that’s worked for me, is to put the zip tie in a split piece of clear automotive fuel hose, costs pennies!

If done well it looks neat and no longer rubs the frame!