Cyclists with no mudguards - a "yoof" thing ??

[beeboo]

My bike looked soooo cool in the shop before it got tarnished with mudguards, rack, lights, mounted D-lock etc. But like jusali says it's about practicality at the end of the day.

I'm doing a bike race in a few weeks and a think I might have to strip all that stuff off. I'm not going to be fast enough that it's going to make an appreciable difference to my performance but it'd be nice to appear 'down with the kids'.

 

[eoin_k]

It depends on the bike - so stop fighting children:

A classic old Dutch bike or a Pedersen would look naked without them and they are generally practical on your town/commuter/shopper bike. You can get some really beautiful wooden mudguards on classic designed bikes.

I have a set of race blades for my fixie although the front one doesn't fit on the front forks and i usually forget to put them on.

A gortex jacket and apair of shorts or gortex trousers will see you through most conditions without mudguards in my opinion.

 

[Part 2]

No mudguards here. There were none on it when the fella at the tip gave it to me .

Only two times I'd be riding in the wet anyway,

On the way to work. I get changed when I get there.

Out for a long ride, when I'd be getting a shower and changing clothes at the end.

I remember a great laugh with my son one evening when we went out riding and it started pissing down. Getting double soaked from the spray was half the fun.

 

[Boris Sprinkler]

I ride in a suit most of the time, so I have mudguards and chain guards. It's annoying when other cyclists don't have guards as when its wet you get splashback from them.
They can get a bit clogged in snow but a bit of speed and good balance sorts that out.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Purlease In that case don't ride it cos it looks well stoopid with a human on.
Simple fact is if you commute to work in all weather day in day out sooner or later you're gonna want mudguards (a bell and lights too ) because you're sick of getting a wet arse and mud spattered face. As for adding weight, it's not as if you're doing the tour de fucking france and I really can't see half a kilo (if that TBF) making your commute so much harder work.

You know incredibly, cycling isn't just abouit commuting to work - there are actually some of us who don't ride a bike to work and ride maybe only at weekends and the odd evening, and some of us even race bikes against other people who are also racing bikes! And typcially we don't fucking use mudguards because actually they do slow you down (even if you're not doing the tour de france) and they look shit and rattle around.

that ok with you?

 

[gentlegreen]

You know incredibly, cycling isn't just abouit commuting to work - there are actually some of us who don't ride a bike to work and ride maybe only at weekends and the odd evening, and some of us even race bikes against other people who are also racing bikes! And typcially we don't fucking use mudguards because actually they do slow you down (even if you're not doing the tour de france) and they look shit and rattle around.

that ok with you?

Lycra-clad, team jersey nuttah thread that way --------->

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

I'll stay away mate, you just need to put the word COMMUTER in the thread title

 

[poului]

Seat's very high up on that one.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

you think thats high...

 

[poului]

you think thats high...

what on earth??!!

Is there really any situation where that set-up would be suitable other than a descent in the Pyrenees?

 

[jusali]

You know incredibly, cycling isn't just abouit commuting to work - there are actually some of us who don't ride a bike to work and ride maybe only at weekends and the odd evening, and some of us even race bikes against other people who are also racing bikes! And typcially we don't fucking use mudguards because actually they do slow you down (even if you're not doing the tour de france) and they look shit and rattle around.

that ok with you?

That's fine by me you wanna race about, wear your lycra looking good and cheating wind resistance all power to ya elbow fella.

I'm just thinking of a bike as a means of transport as (I'm sure you'll agree )
they were originally designed for.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

That's fine by me you wanna race about, wear your lycra looking good and cheating wind resistance all power to ya elbow fella.

I'm just thinking of a bike as a means of transport as (I'm sure you'll agree )
they were originally designed for.

All bicycles are means of transport - its just a matter of where and how fast you wish to be transported.

But theres nothing commuter specific in the thread title or OP, so I was at a loss to know where you got this dogma from?

Mudguards are still shit btw.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

what on earth??!!

Is there really any situation where that set-up would be suitable other than a descent in the Pyrenees?

This bike is a Paris-Roubaix special set up for 265km flat out across cobbles. I think the idea is to get the rider into the most aerodynamic position possible and put more weight on the front end - its the front end thats always the problem on cobbles, the rear takes care of itself.

 

[jusali]

But theres nothing commuter specific in the thread title or OP, so I was at a loss to know where you got this dogma from?

Easy, I wouldn't say adding my experience/opinion and contribution to this thread dogma.

 

[mauvais]

It's not just road/race bikes without mudguards though, is it? It's load of people who commute on mountain bikes - don't get it myself.

 

[Geri]

I don't have any mudguards on mine. I did have a rear one on my old bike, I took it off and now I can't work out how to put it back onto my new one.

I might just splash out and buy a new set actually. I am rather sick of arriving at work with a really wet back, and in the summer if I drove over a puddle the water went straight up the leg of my shorts, which was a bit of a shock.

 

[Trufflepig]

A bicycle is such a beautiful, simple machine with no unnecessary parts though, when you add mudguards you spoil the entire aesthetic by adding something thats sometimes useful instead of limiting things to whats necessary all the time.

Thats why I ride fixed wheel one gear

 

[Trufflepig]

Like this:-

 

[poului]

y87oyy0u

Pffft, one-gear bikes? Is it really worth all that hassle?


Mine's got 7 speed gears and 12 chain gears.


So ner.


(not that I ever use the chain gears, mind)

 

[mauvais]

Mine's got 7 speed gears and 12 chain gears.

What does this mean?

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Like this:-

so do I, although unlike you I built both my fixies from scratch...

 

[crustychick]

I just subscribed to mbr as they had an offer on subscription with a free set of mudguards

didn't used to use them cos I could shower at work, now I only cycle 10 minutes so doesn't warrant a shower, and we don't have one at my new place... so, mudguards are good..... for me...

haven't been out mtb'ing in the mud yet, but I'll keep my new mudguards on I'd imagine

 

[Herbsman.]

Pffft, one-gear bikes? Is it really worth all that hassle?

one gear bikes, hassle? LOL seriously are you having a massive fucking joke or what? <--- genuine confusion, not sarcasm

i take it youve never had to spend an evening scrubbing crap out of your derailleurs, chain and cassette then?

i've not cleaned my fixed wheel chain/sprockets for about three months. if i'd left a geared bike like that, then, well, lol, i don't need to go into what would happen. let's just say your ride would be FUCKED.

 

[gentlegreen]

Mine's got 7 speed gears and 12 chain gears.
(not that I ever use the chain gears, mind)

What does this mean?

I want one of those

I never could get my gears to drop to the smallest front cog - which is how I'm currently managing with only a new chain and rear cassette.

I'm getting bored with only the bottom 6 gears though (top one tends to slip a bit).

 

[gentlegreen]

spend an evening scrubbing crap out of your derailleurs, chain and cassette then?

"clean" + "bike" ....

......does not compute

 

[poului]

i take it youve never had to spend an evening scrubbing crap out of your derailleurs, chain and cassette then?
.

beats negotiating the Sussex downs with only one gear I can assure you.

 

[muckypup]

my last MTB had a cool looking plastic mudguard attached to the seat post which could swivel into different positions. On my new Bianchi racer the idea of cluttering the aesthetics with mudguards and a D lock is filling me with horror. So far Ive avoided it but I'm going to have to get a mudguard, pannier and Lock soon

 

[Herbsman.]

beats negotiating the Sussex downs with only one gear I can assure you.

my point is that having a bike with one gear does not equal 'hassle' in fact the whole point of having a single geared bike is to be free of the maintenance hassles of multiple gears.

 

[poului]

my point is that having a bike with one gear does not equal 'hassle' in fact the whole point of having a single geared bike is to be free of the maintenance hassles of multiple gears.

Yeah but then you have to ride a bike with only one gear.

 

[Herbsman.]

and?