I'm mudflap curious, educate me please

[roubaixtuesday]

Winter is coming and I'm mudflap curious.

Commuter and tandem both have full length mudguards, but I see some folk also fit dangly bits too - mudflaps - both front and rear.

Am guessing
- front ones protect drivetrain better?
- rear ones are for others benefit behind.

So
- am I right, or are there other benefits?
- how do they fit to existing guards?
- Are they worth bothering with
- any recommendations?

 

[si_c]

Basically what you note above. The long flaps, particularly at the front stop spray from the front wheel onto your feet and bottom bracket and the rear ones are largely a courtesy for anyone behind you.

I've got some fitted to my winter bike - I use Kinesis Fend-Off mudguards with RAW mudflaps. RAW have a good list of common mudguard brands and you can select the ones which fit those you have best.

The nice thing about the RAW guards is they are retro-reflective so light up really well for drivers behind at night.

Edit to add: Most mudguards come with a smaller flap at the bottom which fits with a single, often plastic, screw (certainly all the ones I have had did). The replacement guards just fit into that - I'll get a photo of mine taken to demonstrate, it's also a reminder to me to re-fit them for winter.

 

[Big John]

Never had front extensions but when I belonged to a club it was really frowned on if you didn't have an extension on the back in winter. Usually a piece of old mudguard pop rivetted to the main rear mudguard. If you didn't have one you were banned to the rear of the group 😭

 

[Hacienda71]

Yep a lot of clubs insist upon or encourage mud flaps.

 

[biggs682]

Or just use a piece from a plastic bottle