Twilkes
Guru
Bicycle Quarterly did extensive wind tunnel research on the aerodynamics of real-world bicycles, they tested the aerodynamics of mudguards. The portion of the mudguard in front of the fork crown reduces the drag. This is because the tire rotates at twice the speed of the bike, and the mudguard acts as a fairing that shields it. This works only if the mudguard extends beyond the top of the tire and drops down in front, like most standard mudguards. The portion behind the fork crown adds a little drag, so does a mudflap. The overall effect of the full mudguard and (small) mudflap neither increases nor decreases the wind resistance of the bike. A row of small cherry trees I'd have had, hand pickable, and moved the prickly rose bush to the front garden to leave a child-safe back garden for the toddler - as it is we missed a summer but plenty of trips to the park so it wasn't all bad.
