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Hi all,
Need some mudguards for the winter commute, looks like the SKS Raceblades are the ones to go for.
I have a carbon Boardman roadbike, currently on 23mm tyres. However, incase I end up swapping this out for a gravel bike or just wider tyres at some point in the future, I was thinking of going for the Pro XL variant. Is there any downside to the wider mudguards?
Thanks,
Duane.
I think I’ve got the pro xl stealth version. Got 25’s on right now and they comfortably cover those but there isn’t huge room for massive tyres.
Rear fitted easily, front took a little fiddling around but is good now. Bike and me are staying much cleaner / drier. I had old race blades before and they were awful in comparison - guess they must be 5 or more years old though. The new ones have a much better fitting system.
I’d go for the stealth ones - they look a lot more subtle.
Probably just the bigger ones are heavier but there can't be much in it.
I've just fitted XLs to my gravel bike, they're easy to adjust and feel very secure. Not quite big enough for 40c knobbly tyres, I think they're only marketed as up to 32, but they do cover them and keep the road spray off.
Always XL. Can’t have too much coverage. And there is always escaping spray.
OK great, XL it is! Thanks.
By stealth I assume you mean matt black Joe?
Yep. IMO look a lot nicer than the shiny black ones. They don’t ruin the look of my road bike quite as much as the last sks ones!
Are they fitted on to the seat stays?
I used RaceBlade Longs for a few years, they fit on to clips that go under the QR skewer and under the brake caliper. Slightly fiddly to fit the first time, but v stable and don't trash the paintwork, rattle around, etc.
Agree with Jon Taylor, initial fitting is a little annoying on the RaceBlade Longs, but they work really well. Even had LBS alter a set to fit my 650c bike too and they work great.
The Pros are indeed fitted to seatstays and fork with rubber bands.
In case someone else is wondering about the Pro XL:s tyre clearance, I'm running them with Panaracer Gravelking 40's (actual width 37 mm with 19 mm ID rims) which just about fit with a couple of mm's on both sides.
Pros are a good option for when you don't have a rear brake bridge, which is required for the Raceblade Longs. We use them on my son's bike for group riding and while they are definitely not as good as proper mudguards, they're definitely better than nothing! I use Raceblade Longs on my own road bike and really rate them.
I'm using them with Vittoria Voyager 37's & they just about fit.
Although i did notice in the rain last night that the lack of any cover in front of the fork caused quite a lot of spray to come up. Enough to make me google other options today.
Thanks all, popped to Evans at lunch to get the Pro XL (£54, price matched down to £30!) and fitted them this afternoon ahead of the rain on the ride home.. Enjoyed not having a soggy butt..!