It depends upon the 🚲, route, weather, season, and location. In rural eastern Idaho it's the edge of the Arco Desert and none of my 🚲 need fenders. However, for cycling the Shikoku Circuit ride from late June to early July during their typhoon season, my wife, daughter, and I will have fenders on our 🚲.
They did 4 years ago. ua-cam.com/video/njyuqrNVZC8/v-deo.htmlsi=fnkQ777T80GG1w6g Apparently they are still redoing every video that's around 5 years old.
@@victorlwd He meant you're more likely to train in bad weather because of the mud guards ("winter is for training"), not because they make the ride more difficult.
@@victorlwdi use since Years my Backpack with ankleweights..6..till 8 Kg...pump &Spray.Its a good Training If i am alone a with my 55 i don't need to be the fastest😀...Just the healthy and fittest without visit to a Doctor or Hospital 😊 greetings from Andreas in Alsace/France
I guess all the UK's cyclists are glad GCN eventually got round to this video on mudguard utility just so that the rain could stop and there be a dry sunny day at last!
Can confirm. I commute by bicycle in Seattle. Using "mudguards"( we call them fenders) keeps the road water off of me, and the people riding behind me. I've heard people say they add weight, but my body is way heavier than the mudguards. I highly recommend them. Make a ton of difference.
Pro tip, if you have conventional mudguards that extend through the fork crown: Stretch a piece of tape across the front end of the front mudguard, barely clearing the tire. That will catch much of the spray off the top of the tire, which otherwise becomes a cloud of mist that you ride into.
It's a sweet idea that it's just water on the road that gets sprayed up. :D In the city, it's beer, piss, vomit and probably other bodily waste, gasoline, oil and who knows what else. What portion of it is water is full of ashphault particles, brake dust, wiper fluid, cleaning chemicals, acid rain, and everything else imaginable.
I have been cycling for more than half a century. I take my time and stop when I want to drink, unscrew my bottle and enjoy a clean and relaxed sip while observing nature, without any disgusting sandy smelly dirt. My Front fender is the same length as the rear. Chain and feet and most parts stay dry, while driving on wet road. The puddle in my garage under the bike after riding is astonishing tiny.
SKS Speedrockers give you the best of both worlds. Strap them on when it rains rain and whip 'em off when it's dry. They also have the bits which are missing on Alex's mudguards.
I use these as well and feel they do a great job. I did make a slight mod to extend the back fender to the bottom bracket and extended the front fender a bit. I now have almost no grime in the chainrings from the back wheel, or spray on my toes from the front where I did have a little in the out of the box set up.
Got a set of them recently myself, got a thorough test on Xmas Eve on a 100k ride. My overshoes and leg warmers were filthy, but most of the rest of me was clean and dry.
Just fitted some on my gravel bike - game changing. Stayed dry (should've worn shoe covers so not 100% dry) on a 4 hour slowish ride. My son was filthy! 😂
In our winter club rides, mud guards and extension flaps are mandatory in wet winter weather. For guests or newbies that show up without them they are required to ge at the back of the group. Most riders here have a dedicated winter bike which more commonly is an old cross bike or a gravel machine.
Weird question, to be honest. Most people that ride bikes don't just do it for sport/entertainment but as a means of transportation. Getting your clothes dirty every time you need to go somewhere (including work) just isn't an option for most people.
I wouldn't use a bike without mudguards in UK at any time of the year. Reminds me of coming across two men who weren't using mudguards who had obviously been taking turns of being in the lead and slipstreaming, my cheery "good morning" was returned with scowls. The looked like a pair of cross badgers. My bike took a bit longer to clean than normal but nothing like them or their bikes.
The ideal winter set up is a dedicated winter training bike with mudguard bosses - normally something cheaper and a bit tougher. That way no faff moving things around and you don’t trash your nice bike.
The lower the rear of the fender comes to the ground, the better for not kicking up water and mud. On both wheels. The rear works best when it passes by the seat tube as it'll shed water all the way around. Try riding on wet roads at 15-20 mph for an hour as Si noted and watch the spray, not just 300 meters at 7 mph.
I'm sure he does, and he probably rides a gravel bike in the heavy weather. This was a public service for Joe Average that doesn't have ten bikes in their garage. When I used to race I had 4 bikes, one dedicated to the winter. Now that I don't race, I'm down to one bike.
One of the worst feelings in the world is going through a puddle you can't avoid knowing that the spray of cold dirty water is going to hit you all the way up and down your spine, and having that damp sensation for the rest of your ride. Tights, shorts, warmers get washed after every wear but having mudguards on usually means that my jacket doesn't need to be washed every single time too.
I use SKS race blades since several years; if you put a rear race blade in the front holder (provided your fork has enough space), it optimizes the front mudguard a lot, as there is no spray coming up in your face any more. In this video you can see that only a rear mudguard would already have helped a lot, the front of the legs have not become much more dirty. I have already found out that wet roads are still good for riding without mudguards, they only seem to be necessary when it is raining. In case you ride with an aero clip-on bar also in winter, rain-repellent gloves like gripgrab do a good job, too, as the hands maybe constanly in the remaining spray of the front wheel (even with the rear raceblade in front).
I have those same SKS clip on mudguards. After initial set up, they take less than a minute to put on. I'd say in stock form, they are perhaps 70% as good as full traditional mudguards/fenders, but infinitely more convenient to take on and off.
I also ride with mudguards and I always ride solo. It is such a huge difference with how quickly your shoes fill up with water while riding in (or right after) a serious rain shower. During the autumn and winter season here in The Netherlands they are never going off :)
No contest. For few ounces of weight, the tradeoff of keeping the bike (and myself) cleaner is totally worth it. Get as full a wrap around the wheel as possible, with flap extensions. My flaps came built in for my cyclocross, sadly not for my mtn bike. Year round riding on the Wet Coast of Canada!
The last time i didn't have a bike with mudguards at my disposal was 1976! Club/group riding from October to April always meant mudguards for exactly the reasons Connor enthuses about plus we couldn't afford to wash kit after every ride. I currently have an eight bike 'stable', only the two 'summer' road bikes don't have guards fitted and i have clip ons for those too!
I’ve fitted new mudguards to 2 of my bikes this winter and agree that they’re very fiddly and a right faff to fit. But, if you find the right mudguards for your bike and take the time to fit them well, they are hardly noticeable when riding or looking at the bike and make long rides so much more comfortable. The road conditions in winter are rarely suitable for riding full bore so I’m not bothered about losing a bit of speed.
I was convinced to put mudguards on my bike late last year by going on club rides. Everyone else had them, it seemed rude not to. Actually I'm glad of them now, they make a big difference to keeping cleaner and dryer.
I flew over from the US at the end of August and rode LEJoG. I brought my bike with proper Honjo mudguards. I only really got rained on hard (predictably) the day I rode into Wales. I got so thoroughly soaked that it made no difference that day. The other days, though, it was great to stay mostly dry and clean even on wet roads and in light rain. Anyhow, four of my bikes, including my fat bike, have mudguards year round. Only my tandem doesn't, but I doubt I'll ever ride it in the rain.
I used guards all winter for a long time training up to 15hrs pw on bad roads. I used to break them quite often. SKS plastic full mudguards used to last a while but eventually enough stones got between the tyre and guard that they always eventually broke. PDW were awful and snapped in no time due to the rear wobbling and fatigueing the metal. Also, be aware that if your using rim brakes a lot more muck ends up on your rims and they wear out in no time if your doing much descending. That was my first reason to convert to disc. I love the fact they keep you, your bike and people behind you clean (if you use a flap on the rear) but I stopped using them due to constant breakages. But I did spend hours and hours on roads like in the vid. Having 2 stays on the rear helps with the wobble (you can see it happening in the video). Smoothish roads, 2 stays and more normal hours in the saddle and they'll probably last years and be great.
I resisted them for years on my winter bike settling for a clip on blade type thing to keep my backpack dry but bit the bullet last year and got a full set to try and protect my headset and chain set and it's been a obvious game changer - components all look better after a ride now!!! 😁
I looked away for a moment and Si had put on a white suit. For a second my mind went to UA-cam had inserted a Michelin tire commercial advertising skinnier tires as opposed to the 28/30mm tires everyone is so bonkers about because of a surplus supply of the 23/25mm tires. Living where I do in the US, wet/cold = trainer. Love your content 🙂
Sooo should have ridden through the big puddles - that would really show the difference! Biggest reason for me to use mudguards is I can stop in a cafe in comfort, and don’t have that awkward feeling of sitting in cafe chairs covered in mud…
I’ve been using separate winter bikes with full mudguards for the last thirty years. This has been since I could afford a second, less expensive, bike to use from October until spring (which admittedly in the UK sometimes warrants mudguards anyway!). It also makes your first ride on your summer bike feel like a dream!!!
Si in the morph suit reminds me of Phil Wang and his yellow taskmaster suit. Cant think why....but an excellent visual video to show the effectiveness of having mudguards. Well done team
Hi GCN. I found this clip so funny, I was howling with laughter. I'm just going through the same thoughts as I am going to bike more through this winter than any other before. I have a small ass-saver but my back got wet. So I thought maybe a longer ass-saver or mudguards. My Caadx Gravel has sks bluemells on which are great, but I'm looking at some for my Trek Emonda. I have just put some clip on Zefals so will be testing those out when the icy roads have warmed up a bit....but thank-you for the video Si and Connor....absolutely brilliant.
Yes to mudguards!! I'm a 65 year old gal riding in the winter months here in Ontario, Canada as long as the roads don't have ice and snow. Plus the sub zero temps with higher wind bringing in the new year. Then I hit the hiking trails. Yikes you mentioned the high amount of precipitation over the last year and half. We're coming over this spring this year to ride the Land Ends route on our tandem. We better pack two sets of full rain gear from head to toe. Thanks! ☔🌧️
I'm sold! I'll be getting some mudguards now. Even though I never willingly go out in the rain these days there's always water/mud running out of the hedge or a farm gateway that gets you filthy, or I just have to slow right down. The bike always ends up in a disgusting state as well as me. As to what Si says about slowing you down....I have a new philosophy that if there's more resistance ie. mudguards or wind, you might be going slower, but you'll be using more effort and getting fitter!! Win win!!
Fenders are effective and great. My bikes haven't had them since the sixties. But, I only use them for leisure since then. The tires definitely will spray you down. It's not a nice look when you arrive at work. Especially if a dirt surface was on route. I'm getting on a bit now and ride fat 32 mm tires on dry roads.
Like Simon, I never liked them until last year when I got fed up of cold wet feet, so now I own the same pair he used and have them permanently attached to my winter/commute bike and my feet love them
Would really enjoy an episode where he tries a bunch of different types. Even with ones that look the same, the rigidity of the plastic can make a huge difference in how annoying they are. Tire clearance too!
I think there's something very purposeful about a race bike in winter guise, with mudguards, lights, alloy wheels. It's like seeing a sports car with a roofbox, it just looks cool!
I don’t know how anyone can ride in the wet without fenders. The last time I did, my chamois got totally soaked. As a result, I had terrible chafing. Never again!
Not to mention it is absolute diabolical if your riding with friends! That face spray from the guy in front is awful. Saves your chain too. Less washing to do afterwards, less staining on your kit, etc
Yes. My trekking bike came with them, my mountain bike only had one on the back wheel and after my first tour through the forest during rain, I got it a shockblade for the front wheel.
My handmade steel gravel/all road bike has mudguards on year round. Having them fitted, plus a dynamo with front and rear lights makes it the ideal bike for crappy conditions, plus it has a power meter so I can still "train".
Ride in cold rain with a saddle that has a cut out. Once with fenders, once without. You will not require a morph suit (?) to find out how much the fenders bring to the party.
I've got a winter steed, which has full bolt on mudguards, plus an added flap on the rear, Whilst the flap isn't really required to keep me dry and clean, it does help anyone on my wheel stay dry and clean. In the club that I used to ride with, any rider with no guards in wet weather was usually asked to stay on the back. We also had the odd rider that used a rear guard that was quite short. Whilst it kept himself dry from rear spray, it didn't protect following riders. I personally believe that this rider used a short guard so that he wasn't asked to take his turn on the front, therfore having an easier ride.🤔🤨🤪
I took them off my touring bike as they’re just something else to go wrong, and inevitably when touring you will get wet! However, I do wrap a newspaper in a plastic bag, and secure it to my pannier rack (touring bike) which is surprisingly effective as a rear spray guard.
Been using SKS speedrockers on gravel and raceblades on road for the last few winter seasons, both are brilliant. Top tip though - use some frame protect tape where they attach to the frame and forks as they will rub the paint off. Once that's done they take 30 seconds to fit/remove.
I too was like Simon Richardson thinking mudguards made your racing bike look heavy and slow. Then I reached middle age, joined the National Trust, started watching gardening programmes on TV, and I started fitting mudguards on one then another, of all my bikes. Now all my bikes have mudguards and some have pannier racks and hub dynamos. Yes I've grown up.
Mudguards are awesome, a regular part of cycling gear in Mount Gambier in the lower south east of South Australia where it is wet on a regular basis no matter what season of the year.
I use them in the winter in the UK. I bolt 'em on in October typically on my road and gravel bikes then off again in April or sometimes May if it's a wet Spring.. let's face it in the Uk it's nearly always a wet Spring, same as all the other seasons...
I rode a mountain bike to school and even with a mud guard on the back of the front wheel the water flung in front of me that I'd then run into necessitated me to wear a face shield. The rear cargo rack I had did that job well in the back. I started using a dirt bike to get to school and it had everything, so going twice the speed I still got less wet on it than my mountain bike with only the front side of the front tire with nothing over it.
In Canada us serious cyclists have a winter/rainy bike with mudguards that is more comfortable and keeps you a little bit cleaner, of course depending how yucky it is out. I use my city bike that has mudguards and flat handlebars in the not so nice days. Nice thing about flat handlebars you are sitting more upright to get a better view of things.
Excellent video gents, a slight re-hash of last years I believe. I hate rain with a passion, last year was caught out on my Giant tcr sans guards miles from home! Imo there's no worse scenario where cold water runs down your back into the ready made gutter that's your ass crack thence perculating directly to shammy and wedding tackle! Arrrgggh, not forgetting soaking feet, soaks and feet and having to clean the bike even more! My Giant Defy now has full SKS bluemels guards plus ass saver extensions to front and rear as well as under the chain stay to protect chain/chainset even more. Luckily the frame comes with guard eyes! Mudguards will be off in summer, and although they make the bike a bit heavier it'll fly in English "summer"!😂😂😂
for 20 years or so, I have been using cross bikes with mudguards and 28mm - 32mm tyres in the wintertime, in Denmarg we get allmost 1000 mm of rain a year. So i made my own "gravelbikes" long before they were invented.
They won't fit on race bikes - but having full-length fenders are really a major improvement. Particularly the front fender, if it extends down far enough, it basically eliminates the spray on your feet.
Disc brakes and wider tyre clearance have removed some of the old problems with mudguards. Now, it's easy to run 28mm tyres and full fixed mudguards. Vital in Winter in the UK. Do it.
When you are in a group you certainly appreciate the folk who have them . Winter bike, Summer / Dry bike easy. When it is wet it's generally a good idea to slow down anyway ,for most mortal riders the extra weight and wind resistance is immaterial. SKS for me full mud guards. I live in rural France and ride with a club there ,so lots of rural road covered in rural stuff.😂😂😂
100% they work! It amazes me to see riders on their super light summer bikes, completely covered in crap on a winter ride. I won’t ride with anyone in the winter without mudguards, as you get covered in road detritus when on their wheel. As you age, it becomes ‘Function over Fashion’
Main reason not to use mudguards: if the wheel is/gets bent (happens a lot with larger wheel sizes) it can easily rub against the mudguards and get the tire damaged. But I have small 20" wheels, so I don't have an issue with bent wheels.
My Winter bike has Flinger F42 guards & do a great job of keeping me & bike clean. Only downside is when turning sharp corners you can catch outside turn toe on guard in forward position of pedal stroke.
We did a 100 mile gravel race on a course that had long stretches of flooded road, but no rain on the day. Running full fenders kept me clean and dry above the ankles, while the others came in fully black in the face and back. Not to mention the lack of abrasion on sensitive parts
I had ordered a minimal butt-0guard rear mudguard, just before the infamously muddy Paris 2 Ancaster "gravel" race here in Ontario, Canada. It hadn't arrived by race weekend, and it was one of the muddiest editions of the race. Post-race I had a 2cm thick layer of mud INSIDE my chammy. Mud guards arrived 2 days later. Full rears are very much appreciated in group rides, but I think in races you should just get the short ones to keep the mud out of your nethers, and make anyone sitting on your wheel eat gritty spray the whole day.
I used to commute a lot on a bike. I bought full guards that I extended so that the rear went a few inches below the bottom bracket, and I screwed a flared bit on the front that was only a couple of inches off the ground. They definitely work and are worth using, however, once you get to a certain speed (about 35 to 40km/h) on very wet roads, the road spray hits the guards so hard that there's spray off the guards that gets you wet 👍
I'm amazed by you guys. To even think of riding a UK winter without mudguards is madness. As for taking them on and off, you just want to keep a winter bike and swap to your best bike when the roads are dry. Every serious cyclist should have an older or cheaper spec bike at their disposal. It would break my heart to take a top end machine through all that filth! The training effect will be the same and you'll enjoy your best bike even more come the Spring.
If you have a mudflap for a group ride, make sure it's sitting square. I found someone's where they managed to direct the spray sideways in a jet onto the rider on the parallel line! 😅
Just view it as an N+1 opportunity... I have 1 bike with full old school mudguards, and one with clip ons for when it's merely "damp". Both of thoe bikes get a real workout, and my "bikini bike" (only for warm sunny days) only came out the shed twice last year - and one of those times was a holiday in France (Where, ironically, it rained most days!)
Yes to mudguards. They definitely keep you and your bicycle cleaner. I think the spray on Si's lower legs is from the front fender which does not look to extend low enough to prevent this. Lower also will keep drive train well out of the spray.
SKS Speedrockers on the gravel bike and SKS Mudrockers on the mt bike. Love 'em. Once adjusted, so easy to put on/off. Though I'll tend to just leave them on thru the winter anyway.
As a commuter to work wanting to stay clean in Britain anyway, you have to have mudguards Flinger race pro for bike frames without mudguard eyelets are the most versatile for me. Then velo orange for the ultimate retro bikes. SKS something in between the other two. Fitting mudguards to the hub mounts are a big nono, for every time the hub bolts are slacked, they move or they just are not flexible, being to rigid
I run mudguards on my commuter bike all year round cos it's UK! My commuter bike becomes my weekend bike during the winter cos it has permanent mudguards and my 'good' bike goes on the trainer. I don't do group rides, but I seriously value my own comfort
If you ride in a group, just do it. The spray is even more with wider tyres and tyres with a deeper tread. I have the same rubber band-attached mudguards and they take just a few minutes to fit and no time to remove (but I use them on one, main bike).
I call bikes without mudgaurds " California " bikes. Front mudflaps should come within 5 to 10 cm of the ground and be wide. This keeps your feet, chain and bb much cleaner ( and the later two longer lasting) .
I have the raceblades too like Alex’s ones. Tbh I can fit them both in less than a minute on the bike they usually go on. If fitting them to another bike you can generally adjust them to suit in less than 5 minutes. Plus they can be removed in seconds too! They make a big difference this time of the year and ibe also found they keep my feet warmer because they stop spray going on my shoes, which otherwise would soak through my shoes and make my feet cold, so there’s a hidden benefit there too
Not muddy in my area, but when it's rained the mudguards help me stay safe. Found when going down descents the front wheel would splash water up at me, and even get in the eyes. Long term it keeps you warmer too. Clip on ones can be annoying if they rub the tire......
Believe or not, in Milan it is rainier than in London. In winter, in commuting, in cross country, I use bicycles equipped with mudguards: no regret! I deploy my road bike with no mudguards only on thoroughly dry routes. Thank you for this video!
On my commuter/winter bike mudguards are priceless. They're the different between having soaked legs and arse, or not. A full mudguard may not be sexy but hey, you're cycling in winter, you're not going to be sexy, you're going to be cold. But with mudguards and a decent jacket you won't be cold and wet.
Do you use mudguards? Why or why not? 🛞 Let us know below!
It depends upon the 🚲, route, weather, season, and location. In rural eastern Idaho it's the edge of the Arco Desert and none of my 🚲 need fenders. However, for cycling the Shikoku Circuit ride from late June to early July during their typhoon season, my wife, daughter, and I will have fenders on our 🚲.
No…but I don’t ride in rain often. Having said that, my backpack has a vertical stain down the back.
Of course.
Yes, dryer and cleaner (gravel bike, SKS Speedrocker Race mudgards)
I don't need them on rouvy !!!😂
Now you need to do a GCN group ride with everyone wearing those white-suits to show how effective the mudguards are in a group ride.
Yeah, they protect against STI !! You never get layed !!!🎉😂
@FTA38yearfreerideI think it's easier to get laid if you DON'T look like you just shat yourself
They did 4 years ago. ua-cam.com/video/njyuqrNVZC8/v-deo.htmlsi=fnkQ777T80GG1w6g
Apparently they are still redoing every video that's around 5 years old.
Totally with you. As they kept talking about the fact it is more about group ride, I was thinking thats what they would demostrate as well!
@helion741 wow nice one! They actually have already done it 😅
It's so wonderful seeing Si grow up right in front of our eyes. I'm so proud of him.
Especially during perfect sunshine when recording this video
Thanks guys, I feel like I’ve finally made it to adulthood.
But you are a child at heart, dear, sweet Simon 😘
😂
😂
Adding mudguards makes you train harder...which will make your bike seem lighter once Spring reappears. Winter is for training...
how is it harder ? 80% of ftp is still 80% of ftp with or without mudguards.
@@victorlwd He meant you're more likely to train in bad weather because of the mud guards ("winter is for training"), not because they make the ride more difficult.
@@victorlwdi use since Years my Backpack with ankleweights..6..till 8 Kg...pump &Spray.Its a good Training If i am alone a with my 55 i don't need to be the fastest😀...Just the healthy and fittest without visit to a Doctor or Hospital 😊 greetings from Andreas in Alsace/France
Don’t agree I’ll go out in rain with or without them or just train indoor.
I guess all the UK's cyclists are glad GCN eventually got round to this video on mudguard utility just so that the rain could stop and there be a dry sunny day at last!
It's a national service
Can confirm. I commute by bicycle in Seattle. Using "mudguards"( we call them fenders) keeps the road water off of me, and the people riding behind me. I've heard people say they add weight, but my body is way heavier than the mudguards. I highly recommend them. Make a ton of difference.
I was kind of hoping for something that weighed less than a ton.
We know you call them ‘fenders’ American English is spammed everywhere!!
@@SproutyPottedPlant Did you know we call mudguards fenders in America?
If you take a long enough ride without fenders here in the PNW, the mud and water you absorb will outweigh a good set of fenders!
@@johngorentz6409 We use decigrams for mudguard weight. Its a universal thing.
Should have had Si in the Morph suit riding behind Connor with the guards on then off to see how it impacts a group ride. Great video!
Pro tip, if you have conventional mudguards that extend through the fork crown: Stretch a piece of tape across the front end of the front mudguard, barely clearing the tire. That will catch much of the spray off the top of the tire, which otherwise becomes a cloud of mist that you ride into.
It's a sweet idea that it's just water on the road that gets sprayed up. :D In the city, it's beer, piss, vomit and probably other bodily waste, gasoline, oil and who knows what else. What portion of it is water is full of ashphault particles, brake dust, wiper fluid, cleaning chemicals, acid rain, and everything else imaginable.
you forgot pig shit, dog shit
@MZaphodB I mean, you just assumed I meant human piss and vomit, and I'm happy you did because yes those are what I meant 🤣
Agreed. Think of all that splashing over your water bottle caps.
@jonmathias6159 Mmmm, delicious
I have been cycling for more than half a century. I take my time and stop when I want to drink, unscrew my bottle and enjoy a clean and relaxed sip while observing nature, without any disgusting sandy smelly dirt.
My Front fender is the same length as the rear. Chain and feet and most parts stay dry, while driving on wet road. The puddle in my garage under the bike after riding is astonishing tiny.
SKS Speedrockers give you the best of both worlds. Strap them on when it rains rain and whip 'em off when it's dry. They also have the bits which are missing on Alex's mudguards.
I use these as well and feel they do a great job. I did make a slight mod to extend the back fender to the bottom bracket and extended the front fender a bit. I now have almost no grime in the chainrings from the back wheel, or spray on my toes from the front where I did have a little in the out of the box set up.
Got a set of them recently myself, got a thorough test on Xmas Eve on a 100k ride. My overshoes and leg warmers were filthy, but most of the rest of me was clean and dry.
Just fitted some on my gravel bike - game changing. Stayed dry (should've worn shoe covers so not 100% dry) on a 4 hour slowish ride. My son was filthy! 😂
@@cruachan1191get some full mudguards and your overshoes and leg warmers won’t get filthy either - eg PDW
@@joetebbett2477 They are full mudguards, SKS Speedrockers. It was a very dirty route though, with some light gravel.
In our winter club rides, mud guards and extension flaps are mandatory in wet winter weather. For guests or newbies that show up without them they are required to ge at the back of the group. Most riders here have a dedicated winter bike which more commonly is an old cross bike or a gravel machine.
I have tried that in our club. After 10 minutes one of those behind is suddenly in the front and spray everyone. Annoying.
Weird question, to be honest. Most people that ride bikes don't just do it for sport/entertainment but as a means of transportation. Getting your clothes dirty every time you need to go somewhere (including work) just isn't an option for most people.
And even if you just go on a club ride it's nice to stay relatively clean and not spray your club mates with crud.
What can we say, GCN focuses on cycling as a sport, not commute.
For that you don't need a race bike
When exercising, if it's raining, you need a waterproof layer anyway, so...
@@DR_1_1 Skin is waterproof, so Im sorted.
I wouldn't use a bike without mudguards in UK at any time of the year. Reminds me of coming across two men who weren't using mudguards who had obviously been taking turns of being in the lead and slipstreaming, my cheery "good morning" was returned with scowls. The looked like a pair of cross badgers. My bike took a bit longer to clean than normal but nothing like them or their bikes.
The ideal winter set up is a dedicated winter training bike with mudguard bosses - normally something cheaper and a bit tougher. That way no faff moving things around and you don’t trash your nice bike.
The lower the rear of the fender comes to the ground, the better for not kicking up water and mud. On both wheels. The rear works best when it passes by the seat tube as it'll shed water all the way around. Try riding on wet roads at 15-20 mph for an hour as Si noted and watch the spray, not just 300 meters at 7 mph.
Love these fun, informative segments. Well-done!
For how many bikes Si has access to, I'm surprised he doesn't have a dedicated rain bikes where the mudguards just stay on.
He is just spoiled kid who wants to look cool on camera
He is lucky that he and Alex ride the same size.
I'm sure he does, and he probably rides a gravel bike in the heavy weather. This was a public service for Joe Average that doesn't have ten bikes in their garage. When I used to race I had 4 bikes, one dedicated to the winter. Now that I don't race, I'm down to one bike.
@@ElSantoLuchador I think he's said he rides an e-bike to work? His fancy bikes are for sports time.
Conner thoughtfully and patiently walking Si to the obvious conclusion for the win.
One of the worst feelings in the world is going through a puddle you can't avoid knowing that the spray of cold dirty water is going to hit you all the way up and down your spine, and having that damp sensation for the rest of your ride. Tights, shorts, warmers get washed after every wear but having mudguards on usually means that my jacket doesn't need to be washed every single time too.
I use SKS race blades since several years; if you put a rear race blade in the front holder (provided your fork has enough space), it optimizes the front mudguard a lot, as there is no spray coming up in your face any more. In this video you can see that only a rear mudguard would already have helped a lot, the front of the legs have not become much more dirty. I have already found out that wet roads are still good for riding without mudguards, they only seem to be necessary when it is raining. In case you ride with an aero clip-on bar also in winter, rain-repellent gloves like gripgrab do a good job, too, as the hands maybe constanly in the remaining spray of the front wheel (even with the rear raceblade in front).
I have those same SKS clip on mudguards. After initial set up, they take less than a minute to put on. I'd say in stock form, they are perhaps 70% as good as full traditional mudguards/fenders, but infinitely more convenient to take on and off.
I also ride with mudguards and I always ride solo. It is such a huge difference with how quickly your shoes fill up with water while riding in (or right after) a serious rain shower. During the autumn and winter season here in The Netherlands they are never going off :)
I used to fit a flap on the lower end of the front mudguard.
No contest. For few ounces of weight, the tradeoff of keeping the bike (and myself) cleaner is totally worth it. Get as full a wrap around the wheel as possible, with flap extensions. My flaps came built in for my cyclocross, sadly not for my mtn bike. Year round riding on the Wet Coast of Canada!
The last time i didn't have a bike with mudguards at my disposal was 1976! Club/group riding from October to April always meant mudguards for exactly the reasons Connor enthuses about plus we couldn't afford to wash kit after every ride. I currently have an eight bike 'stable', only the two 'summer' road bikes don't have guards fitted and i have clip ons for those too!
As a Canadian cycling commuter in the winter, it is a must.
I’ve fitted new mudguards to 2 of my bikes this winter and agree that they’re very fiddly and a right faff to fit. But, if you find the right mudguards for your bike and take the time to fit them well, they are hardly noticeable when riding or looking at the bike and make long rides so much more comfortable. The road conditions in winter are rarely suitable for riding full bore so I’m not bothered about losing a bit of speed.
I was convinced to put mudguards on my bike late last year by going on club rides. Everyone else had them, it seemed rude not to. Actually I'm glad of them now, they make a big difference to keeping cleaner and dryer.
It is unbelievably crap (on country roads, literally) being behind some selfish git who has rocked up to a group ride without a rear mudguard.
Conor: "Bum's fine"
Si: "You say the nicest things"
I flew over from the US at the end of August and rode LEJoG. I brought my bike with proper Honjo mudguards. I only really got rained on hard (predictably) the day I rode into Wales. I got so thoroughly soaked that it made no difference that day. The other days, though, it was great to stay mostly dry and clean even on wet roads and in light rain.
Anyhow, four of my bikes, including my fat bike, have mudguards year round. Only my tandem doesn't, but I doubt I'll ever ride it in the rain.
"And Connor because he's soft." - Connor immediately catching strays.
I used guards all winter for a long time training up to 15hrs pw on bad roads. I used to break them quite often. SKS plastic full mudguards used to last a while but eventually enough stones got between the tyre and guard that they always eventually broke. PDW were awful and snapped in no time due to the rear wobbling and fatigueing the metal. Also, be aware that if your using rim brakes a lot more muck ends up on your rims and they wear out in no time if your doing much descending. That was my first reason to convert to disc.
I love the fact they keep you, your bike and people behind you clean (if you use a flap on the rear) but I stopped using them due to constant breakages. But I did spend hours and hours on roads like in the vid. Having 2 stays on the rear helps with the wobble (you can see it happening in the video). Smoothish roads, 2 stays and more normal hours in the saddle and they'll probably last years and be great.
I resisted them for years on my winter bike settling for a clip on blade type thing to keep my backpack dry but bit the bullet last year and got a full set to try and protect my headset and chain set and it's been a obvious game changer - components all look better after a ride now!!! 😁
Finally. Video on Asgard. Almighty Thor is happy now.
I looked away for a moment and Si had put on a white suit. For a second my mind went to UA-cam had inserted a Michelin tire commercial advertising skinnier tires as opposed to the 28/30mm tires everyone is so bonkers about because of a surplus supply of the 23/25mm tires. Living where I do in the US, wet/cold = trainer.
Love your content 🙂
Sooo should have ridden through the big puddles - that would really show the difference!
Biggest reason for me to use mudguards is I can stop in a cafe in comfort, and don’t have that awkward feeling of sitting in cafe chairs covered in mud…
I’ve been using separate winter bikes with full mudguards for the last thirty years. This has been since I could afford a second, less expensive, bike to use from October until spring (which admittedly in the UK sometimes warrants mudguards anyway!). It also makes your first ride on your summer bike feel like a dream!!!
I’ve got two bikes with Portland design works fenders, it’s the best thing I ever did, keeps you and the bike clean.
Si in the morph suit reminds me of Phil Wang and his yellow taskmaster suit. Cant think why....but an excellent visual video to show the effectiveness of having mudguards. Well done team
Hilarious! Absolutely hilarious! But yet informative, as only Si and GCN can do. Keep it up guys!
Hi GCN. I found this clip so funny, I was howling with laughter. I'm just going through the same thoughts as I am going to bike more through this winter than any other before. I have a small ass-saver but my back got wet. So I thought maybe a longer ass-saver or mudguards. My Caadx Gravel has sks bluemells on which are great, but I'm looking at some for my Trek Emonda. I have just put some clip on Zefals so will be testing those out when the icy roads have warmed up a bit....but thank-you for the video Si and Connor....absolutely brilliant.
Thanks and good luck with that!
Yes to mudguards!! I'm a 65 year old gal riding in the winter months here in Ontario, Canada as long as the roads don't have ice and snow. Plus the sub zero temps with higher wind bringing in the new year. Then I hit the hiking trails. Yikes you mentioned the high amount of precipitation over the last year and half. We're coming over this spring this year to ride the Land Ends route on our tandem. We better pack two sets of full rain gear from head to toe. Thanks! ☔🌧️
I'm sold! I'll be getting some mudguards now. Even though I never willingly go out in the rain these days there's always water/mud running out of the hedge or a farm gateway that gets you filthy, or I just have to slow right down. The bike always ends up in a disgusting state as well as me.
As to what Si says about slowing you down....I have a new philosophy that if there's more resistance ie. mudguards or wind, you might be going slower, but you'll be using more effort and getting fitter!! Win win!!
Fenders are effective and great. My bikes haven't had them since the sixties. But, I only use them for leisure since then. The tires definitely will spray you down. It's not a nice look when you arrive at work. Especially if a dirt surface was on route.
I'm getting on a bit now and ride fat 32 mm tires on dry roads.
Like Simon, I never liked them until last year when I got fed up of cold wet feet, so now I own the same pair he used and have them permanently attached to my winter/commute bike and my feet love them
Absolutely!!! They keep the bike, you, and your riding partners a LOT cleaner!
Would really enjoy an episode where he tries a bunch of different types. Even with ones that look the same, the rigidity of the plastic can make a huge difference in how annoying they are. Tire clearance too!
I think there's something very purposeful about a race bike in winter guise, with mudguards, lights, alloy wheels. It's like seeing a sports car with a roofbox, it just looks cool!
We need 2 more test. Si following a rider with out fenders and the Si following a rider with fenders and see the results
Would we need to cover his face with the white Lycra as well?
I don’t know how anyone can ride in the wet without fenders. The last time I did, my chamois got totally soaked. As a result, I had terrible chafing. Never again!
I have literally just fitted some to my bike. I am fed up of mud bum!
@@BikeTrekkingwithKarl let us know how you get on!
I do that all the time time. Just ride faster to keep warm.
Not to mention it is absolute diabolical if your riding with friends! That face spray from the guy in front is awful. Saves your chain too. Less washing to do afterwards, less staining on your kit, etc
Don't forget destroying saddles from the grit rubbing.
That starting photo. Is hilarious 😂
Yes. My trekking bike came with them, my mountain bike only had one on the back wheel and after my first tour through the forest during rain, I got it a shockblade for the front wheel.
It's amazing this justified a 15' video
My handmade steel gravel/all road bike has mudguards on year round. Having them fitted, plus a dynamo with front and rear lights makes it the ideal bike for crappy conditions, plus it has a power meter so I can still "train".
Ride in cold rain with a saddle that has a cut out. Once with fenders, once without. You will not require a morph suit (?) to find out how much the fenders bring to the party.
‘Riding on the wheel’ test is more appropriate.
Fender look cool
I bought the matching 1-piece titanium f/r mudguards for my new Ti bike from No22, and it is a slick setup!
I've got a winter steed, which has full bolt on mudguards, plus an added flap on the rear, Whilst the flap isn't really required to keep me dry and clean, it does help anyone on my wheel stay dry and clean. In the club that I used to ride with, any rider with no guards in wet weather was usually asked to stay on the back. We also had the odd rider that used a rear guard that was quite short. Whilst it kept himself dry from rear spray, it didn't protect following riders. I personally believe that this rider used a short guard so that he wasn't asked to take his turn on the front, therfore having an easier ride.🤔🤨🤪
I took them off my touring bike as they’re just something else to go wrong, and inevitably when touring you will get wet! However, I do wrap a newspaper in a plastic bag, and secure it to my pannier rack (touring bike) which is surprisingly effective as a rear spray guard.
Been using SKS speedrockers on gravel and raceblades on road for the last few winter seasons, both are brilliant. Top tip though - use some frame protect tape where they attach to the frame and forks as they will rub the paint off. Once that's done they take 30 seconds to fit/remove.
I too was like Simon Richardson thinking mudguards made your racing bike look heavy and slow. Then I reached middle age, joined the National Trust, started watching gardening programmes on TV, and I started fitting mudguards on one then another, of all my bikes. Now all my bikes have mudguards and some have pannier racks and hub dynamos. Yes I've grown up.
Mudguards are awesome, a regular part of cycling gear in Mount Gambier in the lower south east of South Australia where it is wet on a regular basis no matter what season of the year.
I use them in the winter in the UK. I bolt 'em on in October typically on my road and gravel bikes then off again in April or sometimes May if it's a wet Spring.. let's face it in the Uk it's nearly always a wet Spring, same as all the other seasons...
I rode a mountain bike to school and even with a mud guard on the back of the front wheel the water flung in front of me that I'd then run into necessitated me to wear a face shield. The rear cargo rack I had did that job well in the back.
I started using a dirt bike to get to school and it had everything, so going twice the speed I still got less wet on it than my mountain bike with only the front side of the front tire with nothing over it.
In Canada us serious cyclists have a winter/rainy bike with mudguards that is more comfortable and keeps you a little bit cleaner, of course depending how yucky it is out. I use my city bike that has mudguards and flat handlebars in the not so nice days. Nice thing about flat handlebars you are sitting more upright to get a better view of things.
Excellent video gents, a slight re-hash of last years I believe. I hate rain with a passion, last year was caught out on my Giant tcr sans guards miles from home! Imo there's no worse scenario where cold water runs down your back into the ready made gutter that's your ass crack thence perculating directly to shammy and wedding tackle! Arrrgggh, not forgetting soaking feet, soaks and feet and having to clean the bike even more!
My Giant Defy now has full SKS bluemels guards plus ass saver extensions to front and rear as well as under the chain stay to protect chain/chainset even more. Luckily the frame comes with guard eyes! Mudguards will be off in summer, and although they make the bike a bit heavier it'll fly in English "summer"!😂😂😂
for 20 years or so, I have been using cross bikes with mudguards and 28mm - 32mm tyres in the wintertime, in Denmarg we get allmost 1000 mm of rain a year. So i made my own "gravelbikes" long before they were invented.
They won't fit on race bikes - but having full-length fenders are really a major improvement. Particularly the front fender, if it extends down far enough, it basically eliminates the spray on your feet.
Disc brakes and wider tyre clearance have removed some of the old problems with mudguards. Now, it's easy to run 28mm tyres and full fixed mudguards. Vital in Winter in the UK. Do it.
When you are in a group you certainly appreciate the folk who have them . Winter bike, Summer / Dry bike easy. When it is wet it's generally a good idea to slow down anyway ,for most mortal riders the extra weight and wind resistance is immaterial. SKS for me full mud guards. I live in rural France and ride with a club there ,so lots of rural road covered in rural stuff.😂😂😂
100% they work! It amazes me to see riders on their super light summer bikes, completely covered in crap on a winter ride. I won’t ride with anyone in the winter without mudguards, as you get covered in road detritus when on their wheel.
As you age, it becomes ‘Function over Fashion’
Main reason not to use mudguards:
if the wheel is/gets bent (happens a lot with larger wheel sizes) it can easily rub against the mudguards and get the tire damaged.
But I have small 20" wheels, so I don't have an issue with bent wheels.
I think they are worth it!
My Winter bike has Flinger F42 guards & do a great job of keeping me & bike clean. Only downside is when turning sharp corners you can catch outside turn toe on guard in forward position of pedal stroke.
We did a 100 mile gravel race on a course that had long stretches of flooded road, but no rain on the day. Running full fenders kept me clean and dry above the ankles, while the others came in fully black in the face and back. Not to mention the lack of abrasion on sensitive parts
I had ordered a minimal butt-0guard rear mudguard, just before the infamously muddy Paris 2 Ancaster "gravel" race here in Ontario, Canada. It hadn't arrived by race weekend, and it was one of the muddiest editions of the race. Post-race I had a 2cm thick layer of mud INSIDE my chammy. Mud guards arrived 2 days later.
Full rears are very much appreciated in group rides, but I think in races you should just get the short ones to keep the mud out of your nethers, and make anyone sitting on your wheel eat gritty spray the whole day.
I used to commute a lot on a bike. I bought full guards that I extended so that the rear went a few inches below the bottom bracket, and I screwed a flared bit on the front that was only a couple of inches off the ground. They definitely work and are worth using, however, once you get to a certain speed (about 35 to 40km/h) on very wet roads, the road spray hits the guards so hard that there's spray off the guards that gets you wet 👍
That wouldn't be a problem for me - I never get that fast!!!
That skunk stripe is pretty definitive. Yay for mudguards.
I'm amazed by you guys. To even think of riding a UK winter without mudguards is madness. As for taking them on and off, you just want to keep a winter bike and swap to your best bike when the roads are dry. Every serious cyclist should have an older or cheaper spec bike at their disposal. It would break my heart to take a top end machine through all that filth! The training effect will be the same and you'll enjoy your best bike even more come the Spring.
White Morphsuit and giant sunglasses is the most ridiculous combo ever. 😂
Limited to 25mm tyres with the full/factory mudguards so just use Raceblades (wide) now - they're brilliant and dont feel like a compromise.
I have permanent mudguards and lights on my winter bike, they're a game changer
If you have a mudflap for a group ride, make sure it's sitting square. I found someone's where they managed to direct the spray sideways in a jet onto the rider on the parallel line! 😅
Are you sure it wasn’t a strategy to avoid being attacked in the group?
Just view it as an N+1 opportunity... I have 1 bike with full old school mudguards, and one with clip ons for when it's merely "damp". Both of thoe bikes get a real workout, and my "bikini bike" (only for warm sunny days) only came out the shed twice last year - and one of those times was a holiday in France (Where, ironically, it rained most days!)
Yes to mudguards. They definitely keep you and your bicycle cleaner. I think the spray on Si's lower legs is from the front fender which does not look to extend low enough to prevent this. Lower also will keep drive train well out of the spray.
That’s correct !
SKS Speedrockers on the gravel bike and SKS Mudrockers on the mt bike. Love 'em. Once adjusted, so easy to put on/off. Though I'll tend to just leave them on thru the winter anyway.
1960s Cinelli Super Corsa all campy record road came with mudgaurds painted to match the frame and bolted to the stock campy dropouts.
As a commuter to work wanting to stay clean in Britain anyway, you have to have mudguards
Flinger race pro for bike frames without mudguard eyelets are the most versatile for me.
Then velo orange for the ultimate retro bikes.
SKS something in between the other two.
Fitting mudguards to the hub mounts are a big nono, for every time the hub bolts are slacked, they move or they just are not flexible, being to rigid
I run mudguards on my commuter bike all year round cos it's UK! My commuter bike becomes my weekend bike during the winter cos it has permanent mudguards and my 'good' bike goes on the trainer. I don't do group rides, but I seriously value my own comfort
I have a winter bike full mudguards love it
If you ride in a group, just do it. The spray is even more with wider tyres and tyres with a deeper tread. I have the same rubber band-attached mudguards and they take just a few minutes to fit and no time to remove (but I use them on one, main bike).
The borrowed Mudguards from Jimbob looked like the SKS race blades from years ago that i used for club bashes during winter training.
I call bikes without mudgaurds " California " bikes. Front mudflaps should come within 5 to 10 cm of the ground and be wide. This keeps your feet, chain and bb much cleaner ( and the later two longer lasting) .
I have five bikes, and they all have fenders!
The onesie ride we didn't know we needed.
Might want to consider the fact there is less water thrown up at the down tube/bottom bracket area helping the bottom bracket bearings to live longer.
I really like mudguards, especially low profile models. For me and my riding there are no negatives.
I have the raceblades too like Alex’s ones. Tbh I can fit them both in less than a minute on the bike they usually go on. If fitting them to another bike you can generally adjust them to suit in less than 5 minutes. Plus they can be removed in seconds too! They make a big difference this time of the year and ibe also found they keep my feet warmer because they stop spray going on my shoes, which otherwise would soak through my shoes and make my feet cold, so there’s a hidden benefit there too
Not muddy in my area, but when it's rained the mudguards help me stay safe. Found when going down descents the front wheel would splash water up at me, and even get in the eyes. Long term it keeps you warmer too. Clip on ones can be annoying if they rub the tire......
Definitely use mudguards with rear extension for my fellow riders.
Believe or not, in Milan it is rainier than in London. In winter, in commuting, in cross country, I use bicycles equipped with mudguards: no regret! I deploy my road bike with no mudguards only on thoroughly dry routes. Thank you for this video!
On my commuter/winter bike mudguards are priceless. They're the different between having soaked legs and arse, or not. A full mudguard may not be sexy but hey, you're cycling in winter, you're not going to be sexy, you're going to be cold. But with mudguards and a decent jacket you won't be cold and wet.