PDW Full Metal Fenders

I’ve been using SKS chromoplastic guards for years and the longboard version for the last few years. The quality seems to have deteriorated in the last few sets and it doesn’t take long for the rear seat stay bridge mount to snap or for the front guard to crack at the fork mount.

So rather than buy another set I’d like to try something else.

The pdw guards look good and I know firestarter has them on his lovely new shand but any other users with long term experience they would like to share?

I run 28mm tyres so would need the ‘City’ set.

Cheers

I used them all last winter on my tripster – best I have ever used/installed. I need the longer rear stays though. cheap(er) at Triton at the moment to.

One nice thing about the PDW’s that often gets overlooked when people compare with SKS is that the PDWs stay attachment mounts outside the guard (ie: loops over the top) where as the SKS is inside the guard, this means you get interrupted water flow and dripping from where the stay bridge attaches on the SKS, the PDWs internal run is un-interrupted and so a lot more water is contained within the guard and exits at end where it should.

Only really noticeable in very wet conditions but you get noticeably less spray and water deposited onto your feet and the drivetrain with externally attached stays.

Yeh I noticed that. I always drill out the rivets on the bottom front stay and mount on top of the guard anyway as mounting underneath is a stupid idea – water is channeled down the stays and sprays over your feet.

Bargain price on triton too, thanks.

If only they made the PDWs in black! Just ordered more SKS despite my last ones breaking in several places…

If only they made the PDWs in black!

rattle can primer/hammerite and a few coats?

I’m done with the sks ones, this latest set only lasted a few months before the seatstay bridge bracket snapped. This must be made of thinner metal now but I’m still not sure how something that’s rigidly fixed manages to snap.

Used PDWs all winter. Best mudguards I’ve ever used – properly ‘fit and forget’. I did have to do some surgery to them to make them fit the silly tight clearance on my Planet X Superlight, but well worth it (even if they are somewhat spendy for mudguards!)

Bought from Triton now for £40 and free delivery thanks to pryally. £40 isn’t that far off the SKS Longboard prices.

Dia Compe ENE Alloys are also a good option, although you have to make your own flaps 🙂

Actually, a question for anyone using the bigger PDWs, what is the biggest tyre you’ve fited under them, I know they say max 32mm but I’m sure I’ve seen pics of some 38’s under there.

I’ve got PDWs on a skinny bike but suffering flappy SKS’s on my tourer at the moment and wondering if I can squeeze my 38mm barlow Pass’s under a set of the wider ones?

If only they made the PDWs in black!

try sports pursuit…

Barlow pass (tubeless) fit fine under pdw mudguards, so do clement xplor mso’s 40mm

thanks Somafunk! I was sure I’d seen a pic somewhere 😉

Is that the road version or city version somafunk. I bought the city version as I run 28mm tyres and pdw site says they’ll only fit up to 23mm. Your set looks to have the fittings for the road versions.

gotta be city Shirley?

Where are they on sports pursuit?

Is that the road version or city version somafunk. I bought the city version as I run 28mm tyres and pdw site says they’ll only fit up to 23mm. Your set looks to have the fittings for the road versions.

On Triton’s website:

Build quality is superb and, although designed to be ideal with 23mm tyres, they do a pretty decent coverage job with anything up to about 28mm simply because most of the spray comes from the tyre’s centre strip.

http://www.sportpursuit.com/full-metal-mudguard-set-45mm

dunno if that will work…

Triton is £40 plus free delivery so cheaper than sports pursuit and they won’t take 2-4 weeks to get to me.

SportPursuit ones are silver as well.

I don’t think they’re silver, looks more like gray to me. If they are silver they’ll be getting sprayed mat black.

They’re the city version (if city is the larger width), i did have to buy the longer rear stays as advised.

And they are a rather nice shade of anodised grey.

Yeh city version is wider. Whay did you need longer stays, very fat tyres?

I prob could have got away with the shorter stays but the longer stays give a tad more clearance when fitting larger than 40mm off road tyres, the stays on both types are adjustable for length with the aid of a small grub screw btw

Ah right, I’ll be fine on standard then and may even be able to squeeze racing ralphs under them.

City version and long stays cope with the 42c Trigger Sports on my AWOL?

City version and long stays cope with the 42c Trigger Sports on my AWOL?

Well I’ve ordered some for my AWOL running 38mm Barlows, I’ll let you know what the coverage is like when they arrive, but might be OK.

Clearance won’t be an issue as I’ve had the OEM 42mm tyres under SKS’s on the AWOl with loads of room to spare, it’ll just be a case of if the PDWs are wide enough to cover 42mm tyres.

On that topic though, consider getting rid of those triggers when you’re able, they’re not great offroad, and draggy on road, there are many better options out there.

Well I’ve ordered some for my AWOL running 38mm Barlows, I’ll let you know what the coverage is like when they arrive, but might be OK.

Clearance won’t be an issue as I’ve had the OEM 42mm tyres under SKS’s on the AWOl with loads of room to spare, it’ll just be a case of if the PDWs are wide enough to cover 42mm tyres.

On that topic though, consider getting rid of those triggers when you’re able, they’re not great offroad, and draggy on road, there are many better options out there.

Cheers, please do.

I quite like the Triggers, haven’t found them wanting too much off road (apart from one greasy tractor track) and they’re positively quick compared to the rest of my bikes! I’m a total road n00b though. I tend to ride a even mix of tarmac, farm tracks, core paths and the odd section of woody singletrack.

Any recommendations? I’ve just looked at your Barlows, but they don’t seem directly comparable on the face of it.

The Barlows are not a direct replacement no, they are more road biased but cope fine on towpaths and a bit of dry dirt, the only place you would find them lacking I think is on the wooded singletrack.

If you’re riding a proper mix like that then having two sets of tyres/wheels would be impractical I guess? It’s what I do, as my AWOL is my daily commuter during the week, and although it occasionally ventures onto hardcore and dirt, if I’m planning a more offroad biased trip I’ll swap tyres.

The Triggers are not ‘bad’ as such they’re just quite draggy on road, and when you get a proper lean on they are very scrabbly and let go too easily, and offroad they haven’t quite for enough bite when it’s slippy or muddy.

I guess it’s a case of pick your priorities though 🙂

How are you finding your AWOL? I’m slowly falling in love with mine, it’s a bit of a lump so might go on a diet next year once I’ve worn the drivetrain out, but it’s an incredibly capable and versatile bike and now I’ve finally got everything jiggled around it fits me like a glove!

The barlow’s cope fine with dry farm tracks and hardpack surfaces but they don’t offer much grip when it’s damp – plenty for honing about on when it’s dry though , I also have the clement xplor ush in 35mm and xplor mso in 40mm, perhaps they’d suit?.

clement xplor mso

clement xplor ush

They will not set up tubeless though, i’ve tried a few times with nae luck but apparently they are working on a tubeless version to be released soon.

Thanks for the tips folks.

I do currently have a second wheel set I could stick another set on, but I don’t do ‘road’ as such, and would never really head out on a purely asphalt road ride, I dislike riding in traffic and only ever do quiet back roads to link up other traffic free bits, so I’m not sure anything other than an all rounder would suit my riding.

As for the AWOL, I’m enjoying it. I’ve not put huge miles on it, but I’ve found it to be comfortable and capable over a variety of terrain. As you say, it’s not exactly light, but I’ve stuck front racks on and am now looking at guards obviously, I seem to be going the wrong way about addressing it. I have tubelessed the front wheel though (I had a spare taped up stan’s rim, will be interesting to see if the stock rear rim will work). Still not quite happy with saddle/stem positions, but I’ll get there.

Cheers, please do.

I will, although not this week like I planned as apparently I’m a dingbat and I ordered another pair of the narrow ones instead of city! 🙁

top marks to Triton though, ordered yesterday, delivered this morning!