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I use my CX bike as a commuter and winter club run bike, but it was a right royal PITA taking guards off and refitting them sometimes several times a week (like riding to work in the morning but then taking them off to ride home over the ranges in the evening)
What are the best 'clip on' road guards that people recommend. SKS Pro XL get good reviews but are twice the price of Crud Mk2's, but I've also heard the Crud's are a bit more fragile.
Thoughts / any others?
I've used both and the crude are much closer to tyres and I found them much trickier to put on right.
The sks one go on and off nice and easy. Maybe not quite a much coverage but not much in it.
SKS Raceblade longs are easy on and off and give good protection.
I doubt raceblade longs would go over CX tyres, they barely go over 25c tyres with caliper brakes.
I had crud's, they just don't work, they're too short to be of any use in a group ride, and very fragile. Probably fine if you ride solo and just want some winter protection on your race bike, infact they're probably better at that than SKS's as it's what they're designed for. But they're not really a serious mudguard for commuting and definitely wouldn't work with CX tyres.
Those Pro-XLs might work, or you could use something cheaper like SKS Beavertail XL (or TBH, any cheap £4.99 guards form halfords), the longer bit down the sea-tube might do something to protect your feet from rear wheel spray.
Or buy 2 bikes, and only ride the CX bike in in the dry :-p, it's what the N+1 argument was made for!
I like the N+1 argument, but difficult to ride the +1 home when you rode one of the N's there 😉
Bike is disc braked so caliper clearance shouldn't be an issue. The Pro XL's are supposed to be for bigger tyres, it's more having clip on / off rather than lots of bolts to eyelets, etc.
Anyone tried the mk3 crud guards? Total redesign so might be better.
They supposedly 100x better, use some kind of weather proof Velcro
What do you do with the guards when you've taken them off, leave them at work?
What if you need them the day after?
Race lace l gas. Bracket fixes to the brake bridge bolt holes, stay fix to qr skewers. May be an issue with bolt through axles and disks.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/sks-raceblade-long-mudguard-set/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=5360722867&kpid=5360722867&utm_source=google&utm_term&utm_campaign=UK_PLA_Components&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mkwid%7csnR312i0d_dc%7cpcrid%7c67090789262%7cpkw%7c%7cpmt%7c%7cprd%7c5360722867uk
I have these for the road bike
Seconds to put on and off and seem effective
Dont think i would want to try it on my CX bike tbh
That said i just leave mudguards on my CX bike [ and the road bike in winter] as its essentially a commuter and therefore practical wins out all the time even the rack stays on when I offroad it
My SKS are the XL version and they fit over 32s. Not a lot of clearence but no rubbing
Could you use normal guards with Axiom Mudguard Axel Runners?
Race lace l gas.
???
What do you do with the guards when you've taken them off, leave them at work?
Yep
What if you need them the day after?
I don't, i rarely commute on consecutive days, but if I was going to do that i'd not CX home on the middle evening.
I had Raceblade XLs over 32mm tyres on my computer/CX. Worked really well.
Not terribly impressed with the raceblade longs. The coverage on the rear doesn't go all the way down to the BB and the front part of the front guard wobbles about loads. 2nd ride with them today and when I got home I noticed that bit had detached itself from the mount so that's now lost. I'm pretty sure I clipped it on properly. Shall try and fashion a sturdier replacement out of my old longboards.
Well the raceblade longs are going in the bin. Really not impressed with them. Main issue is the rubbish bracket and clip. It's just rubbish. Hard to do up, hard to undo, a bit vague so you're not sure you've attached it properly and then it falls off mid ride, the bracket is too flimsy so bends when you try and push it on. Rubbish. In the bin.
Might go back to chromoplastics or try those Lifeline ones.
[img] https://goo.gl/DgaV46 [/img]
Good excuse to check if my goo.gl link from yesterday is still working, it is! 😆
Anyway, that's the extra wide Beavertail XL rear guard over my 29er wheelset with 700x38 Marathon Cross (packaging said good for up to 58mm wide tyres). Can be unclipped at base near chainstay and slid off the top bracket in less than ~30 seconds.
Very solid "clunk" when top bracket is correctly attached.
akira - Member
Anyone tried the mk3 crud guards? Total redesign so might be better.
me.. they're ace
100% recommended
another recommendation for mk3's.
they accommodate 35mm tyres on the back but only 32mm on the front but that's the max size stated anyway.
+1 on the mk3's
@mrblobby What bracket did you have a problem with on the Raceblade longs? I've just fitted them and was pretty impressed but would be grateful to know of a problem before I ride tomorrow!
I use the ass saver on my rear (oooer!!)
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ass-saver-original/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=5360663221&kpid=5360663221&utm_source=google&utm_term&utm_campaign=UK_PLA_Components&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mkwid%7csC2KK37fo_dt%7cpcrid%7c67090788902%7cpkw%7c%7cpmt%7c%7cprd%7c5360663221uk
One thing to be careful of with the crud mk3 - the little nose piece seems to often fall off, I'm on my 3rd this winter. But crud are awesome at replacement parts - you can get one for a quid, 1st class post!
What bracket did you have a problem with on the Raceblade longs
It's the bracket that attaches to the brake bolt. It's a flimsy bit of metal, designed as such so you can bend it to adjust the fit, but it bends when you try and push the guard on to it. And the clip on the guard itself a bit vague after a few uses (when it's seen a bit of dirt and grit) so it's hard to tell if it's actually on properly. I've had bits of the guard fall off mid ride. Also the flimsiness of the metal bracket means the front part of the front guard wobbles annoyingly when your riding. I'm putting the chromoplastics back on.
bigdaddy - Member
One thing to be careful of with the crud mk3 - the little nose piece seems to often fall off, I'm on my 3rd this winter. But crud are awesome at replacement parts - you can get one for a quid, 1st class post!
hmmm... since seeing this post, i've lost the nose piece on mine... it's somehow this forum's fault 😐
Crud Mk3s fit neither of my bikes. One has an admittedly weird shallow seat stay angle (GT triple triangle jobby), so the velcro pads don't line up with the seat stays. The other is way too tight under the front brake/fork crown and rubs the tyre, even with 23c. They are very removable though, as long as you keep the reusable cable tie long enough.