Giant Defy 0 mudguards?

[Kevoffthetee]

Just wondering whether the majority prefer Giants own mudguards for their 2015 defy or whether they find sks ( not raceblades as I'm after full guards) or cruds a better fit. Has anyone changed a set for a different type

 

[MikeW-71]

Cruds have worked extremely well for me, the only caveat is that only 23mm tyres will fit under them. I have heard the Giant guards keep breaking at the brake bridge section.

 

[andytheflyer]

Hi Arjimlad.

I've had 2 sets of the Giant 'guards for my Defy 2.5. Both rears split after a few hundred miles at the bracket that holds the mid (high point) stays - they split through the rivet holes where the guard is fixed to the stay bracket. The plastic can't stand the vibrations on our country lanes. My LBS said that it was a common problem. The first set I junked, but the second set I've repaired, and they've been fine now for several more hundred miles - and show no signs of breaking again.

I made up 2 doublers from 1mm thick plastic - I think it was the white plastic moulding you can get from B&Q in various sections 1m long. I cut 2 flat sections about 75mm and 100mm long and about 25mm wide, and trimmed them to fit inside the 'guard, the long one next to the guard plastic so that they both bridge over the metal bracket that fixes the stays, and the shorter one inside the longer one - both centred on the bracket. I used a hot air gun to get the doublers to curve to fit snugly against the guard section. The 2 different lengths should help to prevent a hard spot at the end of the doubled section, which might cause the guard to break again at the end of the doublers.

I then drilled out the rivets that hold the guard to the stainless steel stay bracket, and then drilled through the ex-rivet holes in the bracket, through the plastic doublers and bolted these together with 2 No. 4 x 10mm s/s bolts and nyloc nuts - nuts to the outside - there's not enough clearance for them to go next to the tyre. So, I now had a ~2mm thick strip of plastic sticking out either side of the stay bracket by about 45mm.

I then drilled through the 2 ends of the broken guard, trimmed square, and through the plastic doublers about 10mm from the edge of the bracket and fixed each half of the guard to the plastic doublers with 2 more of the same size bolts . Took me about an hour. Total success in beefing up a not very good guard - the design is OK, and they fit (just and after a lot of fettling to get the clearance on the brake bridge at the front), it's just the choice of plastic that's poor - too brittle.

It's not very pretty, but in stainless the nuts match the spokes and brackets. I can live with that.

Unless you have very smooth tarmac in S Gloucs you're going to need to repair those guards! Keep an eye out for cracking before they let you down miles from home.

NB: The plastic doublers eventually broke and I made up a doubler in GRP. That's done >>1000miles now so I reckon I've cracked the problem. They are good 'guards - but not robust, but they do look the part. I think Cruds look a bit like an afterthought - which I 'spose they are!

 

[Kevoffthetee]

Only having 23's as a option would be an issue as I have several new pairs of 25's. I wonder if anyone has used sks full guards on their defy

 

[vickster]

Unless they've redesigned the frame, you'll be stuck with the giant guards or the horrible cruds which will likely rub on 25mm tyres

 

[MikeW-71]

The frame has changed for 2015 and I haven't seen one in the metal, so it is quite possible that clearance has been improved so cruds would work with 25mm.

Basically, you need 5mm clearance between tyre and caliper for cruds to go on without rubbing.

 

[vickster]

I think it is more that they are crap and flimsy that leads them to rub! I got some for £3 but they aren't worth £30!!