Mudguards....do you use them ?

Echoing many, I don't use guards off road apart from a small front guard on Bee. With 2.6" tyres I was finding splashes/crud flying up more frequently than on the older fleet with 2.1".

On road, especially when I was commuting, I tried all sorts of guards and once again, none of them really worked. When it's wet, it's wet and no guard made a notable difference. As the Swede's say, there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes so following that mantra, I've found proper good waterproofs were and are far more effective and practical.
 
I run full mudguards on my touring/bike packing bike, SKS raceblades on my road bike (seasonal, not permanent), rear crud raceguard and front mudhugger on my hardtail, just an enduro fork thingy on my full suss. The benefit of reduced cleaning of bike and rider is worth it, but full mudguards off road are just asking to get clogged up or snag a pine cone, stone, etc.
 
As my Mrs built up a stack of nectar points on ebay I've just scored a free set of SKS Veloflexx 65's for 26/27.5 wheels - no bolts required. Putting these on my 'new' rear racked commuter hard tail. I found a short run of steps on my ride in this morning which will be a good test for them. If these rattle around like the SKS Chromoplastics they'll be going on the wife's bike.

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As my Mrs built up a stack of nectar points on ebay I've just scored a free set of SKS Veloflexx 65's for 26/27.5 wheels - no bolts required. Putting these on my 'new' rear racked commuter hard tail. I found a short run of steps on my ride in this morning which will be a good test for them. If these rattle around like the SKS Chromoplastics they'll be going on the wife's bike.

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Hmmmmm I wonder if they will be any good, anything SKS I have bought has been good, so you are in with a chance :) , I am using ESEGE chromplastic on the Dawes which is what was fitted when I bought it (SKS and ESEGE may be the same company ??) and they are both big, wide and rock solid but I think they are pretty expensive new (over £50) but they just dont move whatever you ride over, I am surprised so many have problems with mudguards as I have always used them and rarely found any issues, I have fitted extra stays to some if they do rattle which solves the problem, I mount them with good clearance above the tyres and have very few problems with them, and personally I prefer the look of a bike with full mudguards, we are all different
 
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Those are now the SKS Chromoplastics. What width tyres you running? I'm normally running 2.1/2.2" so not a lot of tyre clearance to the stays. They don't have to move much to be pinging off the tyres
 
So 45mm on a 38mm tyre? I was running 65mm with 53-56mm tyre so more clearance. Go figure. I'm hoping the position of the stays of the veloflexx improves things.
 
So 45mm on a 38mm tyre? I was running 65mm with 53-56mm tyre so more clearance. Go figure. I'm hoping the position of the stays of the veloflexx improves things.
On the Dawes I am running 700 x 32C tyres, I probably might go to 35C next time but no wider
 
SKS Veloflexx 65's fitted. Too tight for the 2.2" tyres I had on - depth not width. As it's my commuter & only goes on easy tracks & a bit of road I wasn't too saddened to fit some 1.9's with plenty clearance. Unusually for mudguards in my experience the front was steadier than the rear so I braced it further with reusable cable ties against the rack stay. Both solid now. Full test tomorrow. Might get some for the ebike if they're as good as they seem. Disc only.

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