Mudguards off for winter?

[Accy cyclist]

I've never had mudguards on a bike before. Well not since i was a youngster.The ones i have on my general purpose road bike are ok in some ways but the advantage of having them is beginning to be outweighed by the disadvantages of them,such as their rattling,the muck that collects under them,their "wimpy cyclist"appearance, and the back one has cracked, as well as the bracket having snapped due to the horrendous road conditions around here! I've had them on all summer when it's been mostly dry,so to think about taking them off before autumn and winter might seem daft to some but they're bugging me now and if i decide to keep 'em i'm going to have to fork out for another pair which'll add to the recent expense of a new tyre,two new inner tubes,and a service at my LBS.
Should they stay or should they go? Advice and thoughts please!

 

[screenman]

Stay. Keeps you and the bike in better condition.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

In theory I put mine on for the winter and take them off for the summer.
In practise they stay on all year round.

 

[avalon]

Two bikes are what you need. One for the wet with mudguards and one for the dry without mudguards.

 

[musa]

they stay what changes is that you buy another bike to compensate

 

[Accy cyclist]

I've just looked at my rear guard,it's cracked in two where the bracket is/was,as the bracket has snapped off. I've priced a pair the're about 26 quid for what i want,but i can see the same happening again as these roads are horrendous! I don't suppose any wazzock from Lancashire County Council rides a bike on a road as if they did they'd see what we have top put up with!

A song dedicated to LCC,Blackburn with Darwen Council and Hyndburn Borough Council!!(3 min 25 secs)

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Q9D4dcYng

 

[Milo]

Never bothered with them myself having a rear rack and panniers helps to some extent.

 

[The Horse's Mouth]

i have a couple of cheap plastic ones that only cost about £10 (if that). Fine for my commute to work and they stay on all year, mostly because I cant be bothered to take them off.

 

[Mile195]

Best £12 I ever spent - I only ride with the back one, but I don't think it looks too bad - it's a slim Zefal one, designed for road bikes. Certainly looks better than mud stains all over my cycling gear.

 

[Accy cyclist]

i have a couple of cheap plastic ones that only cost about £10 (if that). Fine for my commute to work and they stay on all year, mostly because I cant be bothered to take them off.

Yes i've considered those,but are they good at stopping all the rain and muck? I suppose however that they wont break in two like the hard polished variety i have,and i believe they clip on and off, so easy to take off in a good spell of weather and to clean the underneath muck off maybe?

 

[The Horse's Mouth]

I had to lengthen the fitting at the back slightly but since i did it I now have a clean back.

 

[Hacienda71]

n+1 Winter bike has guards, main bike hasn't but can take raceblade longs for a wet group ride.

 

[Rumeigg]

I've just looked at my rear guard,it's cracked in two where the bracket is/was,as the bracket has snapped off. I've priced a pair the're about 26 quid for what i want,but i can see the same happening again as these roads are horrendous! I don't suppose any wazzock from Lancashire County Council rides a bike on a road as if they did they'd see what we have top put up with!

A song dedicated to LCC,Blackburn with Darwen Council and Hyndburn Borough Council!!(3 min 25 secs)

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Q9D4dcYng

I commute to and from Accrington every day, from the Ribble Valley and I have to agree that the roads into town are shocking.
I have tried alternative routes in , but they are all the same.
A couple of sections of my mudguards still 'haunt' the gutters of Blackburn Rd !!

 

[pally83]

I do Chorley to Burnley and the roads are indeed shoddy. Bizarrely, I find they're worse on the return leg heading east-west on the same roads!

I never use mudguards as they don't fit my bikes.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

I rode for 2 years without guards, the one year I've done with them sees my kit and bike in better nick. I rarely take them off to be honest, I don't think they look terrible and I do know they look better than stained kit.