Mud Guards.. Full or Half.

[screenman]

I recall doing a 'back of an envelope' calculation about how far from the person in front it was prudent to ride in poor conditions, from a 'water and mud in your face avoidance' PoV. My maths suggested:
Leave a distance between you (ie your front wheel) and the rider in front's rear mudguard, 5 times the distance between the bottom of their rear mudguard/flap and the road surface (or 3+ metres if no guards). The parameter was to avoid 'spatter' above (the following rider's) handlebar level.

At what speed did you set the calculations on?

 

[Ajax Bay]

At what speed did you set the calculations

Iirc 30kph - ie a normal rolling group ride speed. Critically depended on tangents ie the angle the water/mud was travelling (also at 8m/s) at the last moment before the mudguard (flap) stopped it). YMMV

 

[Boon 51]

35mm mudguards will do fine for max 28mm tyres. I have these fitted (over 28s): sks-chromoplastic-mudguards

I was looking at the chromoplastic's..

 

[cyberknight]

I can see why you do not need them then. As for club riders not using guards that is very wrong and shows inconsideration to others.

Our website states gaurds in winter months, you can ride without but don't expect any friends .

 

[Tommy2]

@Boon 51 I think I have a brand new set of something like these
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FSSLSMG26/stronglight-s-type-26-mudguard
In my loft that I have no use for if you want to purchase them.
I'll check exactly what they are if you want.

 

[Vantage]

Just been looking at the mud guards. I'm not going above 28cc tyres so would the 35 mm wide do or should I get the wider 45 mm guards.

If the 45's fit then get those. Bigger guards catch more crap. You can run them with bigger clearances and still stop spray and best of all, if you do decide to roll on bigger tyres (there's no sane reason not to) then you're covered. Literally.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I'm not going above 28cc tyres so would the 35 mm wide do or should I get the wider 45 mm guards.

If the 45's fit then get those. Bigger guards catch more crap.

The OP was planning to buy a bike and expecting to run max 28s. Worth taking into account that 45 mudguards will likely not fit into the space between road caliper brakes on most road bikes (ie the sort that run on 'up to 28mm wide' tyres). Running discs would allow 45s but with 35s properly adjusted the only thing extra the 45s would catch is the wind.

 

[Vantage]

The smallest tyre I've ran on my bike were Vittoria Randonneurs 32c which measured 31mm irl. The guards at the time were a full 50mm wide. Despite my best attempts, the Vantage never achieved flight through catching air.
The aerodynamic drag between a 45 and 35mm guard would be unnoticeable to anyone except maybe a world class rider or computer.
To my knowledge, the op made no reference to type of bike he/she was buying and I've no idea what kind of brakes are fitted. The op said he/she wouldn't go wider than 28. Not that they couldn't.
I said fit 45's if they would fit. If.
45's and above don't require disc brakes. I'm doing it with cantilevers.

 

[BorderReiver]

Get the widest you realistically can. If you need to you can cut small sections out to fit around chainstays/seatstays etc.

 

[Boon 51]

As it stands at the moment I'm thinking on the lines of a Pinnacle Dolomite 5 or 6 as its only going to be used as a run around when the roads are wet.. I'm not a great luvver of riding in the rain but wet roads I dont mind. These will run 28cc with mud guards not sure what the mud guard size would go too.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Full plus flaps.

As above, all winter long

Particularly if used as commuter

 

[Ajax Bay]

Pinnacle Dolomite 5

From the road.cc/content/review
"With space for up to 28mm tyres, fittings for proper mudguards"
"Without mudguards, it'll take up to 28mm tyres"
Pretty sure this bike will struggle to take 45mm wide mudguards.

 

[vickster]

As it stands at the moment I'm thinking on the lines of a Pinnacle Dolomite 5 or 6 as its only going to be used as a run around when the roads are wet.. I'm not a great luvver of riding in the rain but wet roads I dont mind. These will run 28cc with mud guards not sure what the mud guard size would go too.

Ask Evans and get them to fit the mudguards too

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Another reason, if you're on wet/muddy/rural lanes

This was also in Cycling Weekly, but I can't find a link to it there.............
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...isk-deadly-E-coli-poisoning-doctors-warn.html

 

[Drago]

Full. You wouldn't use half a condom, or take half a leprosy cure.