Crud guards - are they ever quiet?

[Andrew_Culture]

I've just done my first ride with race blades (on SingleSpeed) and was a bit disappointed that they were rubbing a bit up hill, until I realised the rubbing was caused by the frame flexing when I was grinding up hills!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Had Cruds on my bike for over 3 years, yes they make some noise but much better than getting covered in shite when it rains.

The screws wont come undone if you just give them a quick pre-ride check

 

[Andrew 14]

Surely, no mudguards are better that constantly grinding away your wheel rims with a brush and some road grit?

Not for the person riding behind you it isn't

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Do raceblades require the same clearance as roadracers?

Nope. The mounting tabs are fixed behind the brake caliper and extend out well beyond, so no guard actually passes under the brakes

 

[400bhp]

Surely, no mudguards are better that constantly grinding away your wheel rims with a brush and some road grit?

no

 

[slowmotion]

Eh? Have you actually seen the 'brushes' in question? Zero chance of them grinding away a rim in anything less than several million miles.

If they are the ones I saw, the brushes are rather like the short pile ones you get on draught excluders. They are still brushes however. Unlike brake pads, they are wearing down your rims all the time, however gently.

I think.

 

[Jezston]

Not for the person riding behind you it isn't

Then they should stay off me wheel!

 

[Steve Malkin]

I ditched my crud roadracer 2s and replaced them with SKS raceblade longs.
No amount of fiddling could stop the back crud from rubbing on the back tyre, especially after going through puddles and picking up a bit of mud.
The raceblade longs are far sturdier and have been blissfully quiet.

 

[robjh]

I'm trying the draft-excluder trick to stand in for the missing brushes but I don't hold out much hope, it looks pretty flimsy at the moment and don't see it lasting many wet commutes.....

I like the look of the SKS raceblade longs but was hoping to get one more winter out of the cruds before I bin them. Time will tell.

 

[jowwy]

i've just bought raceblade longs but haven't fitted them yet as the weather we us is horrendous, so i've been using the 29er a lot

 

[Dusty Bin]

If they are the ones I saw, the brushes are rather like the short pile ones you get on draught excluders. They are still brushes however. Unlike brake pads, they are wearing down your rims all the time, however gently.

I think.

Are you being serious? Do you avoid cleaning your teeth in case the toothbrsh wears your teeth down?

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I'm trying the draft-excluder trick to stand in for the missing brushes but I don't hold out much hope, it looks pretty flimsy at the moment and don't see it lasting many wet commutes.....

I like the look of the SKS raceblade longs but was hoping to get one more winter out of the cruds before I bin them. Time will tell.

The draft-excluder crud use are made up of fine hairs they are not going to wear out your rims and mine have lasted over 3 years on the bike so far.

 

[oiljam]

I use raceblades long. They're ok but as someone else suggested they do flex when you're out of the saddle and rub slightly, bit annoying. My friend has fitted sks chromoplastic guards, now they are the bees knees. Very sturdy and quiet. They're like real mudguards. You do need good clearance though and you can't take them on and off as easily as the raceblades.

 

[Steve Malkin]

I use raceblades long. They're ok but as someone else suggested they do flex when you're out of the saddle and rub slightly, bit annoying. My friend has fitted sks chromoplastic guards, now they are the bees knees. Very sturdy and quiet. They're like real mudguards. You do need good clearance though and you can't take them on and off as easily as the raceblades.

sks chromoplastics are real mudguards.

I think it goes without saying that if your bike has enough clearance and the correct eyelets for fitting 'proper' mudguards like sks chromoplastics then you should do that. The various racebike solutions like cruds and raceblades are all inferior in some way and should only be used if your bike won't take conventional guards.

 

[oiljam]

It was a tongue in cheek comment. I know they are