Mudguards or not?

[Bernie the bolt]

I'm 61 and getting back into cycling after a few years out. I'm riding a Hewitt Cheviot which is great for full-blooded touring but too slow/hard for audax and sportives. Now that mudgards are no longer de rigeur for audaxes, I'm in a quandary. Whether to get, say, a Condor Fratello with mudguards and a triple chainset (which I'm used to), or go carbon (thinking of the Bottecchia 8tavio which 'Fat Birds don't fly' are doing at a discount for a little while). But though only two-thirds the weight of my current bike, will I be able to handle a compact chainset (there's no way I could have any 'cred' having a triple on that sort of bike)?

Any thoughts or ramblings greatly received.

 

[RedBike]

Nothing wrong with a triple on a carbon bike. You'll be lucky to find one that takes mud-guards though.

Perhaps a light-weight "fast audax" frame like a Brian rourkes or a Titanium Sunday?

 

[Fab Foodie]

I'd go for the Fratello myself, It looks like a great all-rounder for Sportives and Audaxes, I'm 45 and do long day rides/credit card trips, some club stuff and occasional TT's. I also ride some during the winter. The Fratello would fit my needs perfectly as a 1 bike fits-all. Looks great too, but I'd need triple on it though.
My TCR1 does most admirably, but no full-guards option means that Long Audaxes are less of an option.
Thorn Cyclosportive and 853 Audax would also do the job.

Also, consider a lighter wheelset for the Cheviot, would make it feel much nimbler compared to a touring wheel.

 

[P.H]

What Audaxes are you thinking of?
The ideal bike for blasting round summer 100s will be different from the perfect long distance one. Road bikes have become a very common sight on shorter rides. For the longer rides comfort becomes the number one priority. I've used my Cheviot for up to 400km, a dedicated Audax bike would be better, but not by that much. You're going to be carrying a fair bit of stuff and your bike will inevitably pick up some knocks so needs to be reasonably robust. The Cheviot frame is 2.2kg, how much weight are you hoping to save? 500g? 700g? Fab Foodie's suggestion of lighter wheels would make a difference as would carbon forks.
Audax is a great leveller, £400 and £2,000 bikes are often seen riding and finishing together. That's not to discourage you from buying a new bike, just to emphasise that it isn't necessary. If I was considering a new dedicated Audax bike in exotic materials these two would be on my shortlist;
http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/index.html?action=107

http://www.planet-x-bikes.com/road/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=263

 

[Bernie the bolt]

Thinking of 200 and 300 km rides as I'm not into sleep deprivation. Take on board what you're saying about the wheels, but the geometry - 114 cm wheelbase, not ideal for hill-climbing though I'm a bit perplexed about head angles. Ithought the Cheviot was slack at 71 degrees, but the Pearson carbon Audax bike has the same head angle, whilst the Condor, which Roadcycling.UK described as comfortable has a 74 degree head very steep, I'd have thought. Also with a compact chainset, theres's such a huge gap when you change from one chainring to the other, you have to change several cassette cogs at the same time. With Ultegra you have to change each individually, at least with Campag you can change three at a time when changing down.

 

[Tom87]

Ultegra shifters are capable of moving up to three gears at a time (something I only just learned when I read the manual).

 

[wafflycat]

Who gives a flying fig about 'cred'... I like my triple chainsets!

 

[TheDoctor]

+1 for the triple. I've got a carbon frame with a heavily modded triple on it - 48/38/24 and a 13-26 on the back. Lets me go up brick walls, albeit at 2 mph.

 

[Zoom]

Mudguards on Audax rides has been done to death on many other forums etc;
The issue as I see it is not that they want to keep Audax in the beards and sandals era but that mudguards are effective at keeping crud off riders and thus off chairs in cafes and houses which are used as controls.

Compulsory mudguards are required on some events for this reason and this reason only. I don't personally see the requirement for group riding; if I'm riding down a muddy lane I will make sure I avoid riding near anyone without them.

There are plenty of rides which do not insist on mudguards; and if your bike won't take full mudguards you can always fit raceblades which keep the majority of crud off you, if not the bike.

Of course many riders have more than one bike and will always bring out the mudguard bike for Audaxes given the nature of some of the lanes and the weather.

 

[wafflycat]

Yes, I see mudguards as a courtesy to those who are letting us use their premises. Not nice to leave what looks like the remnants of amoebic dysentry on anyone's furniture. Absolutely nothing to do with sandals & beards image, just simple good manners.

 

[Tynan]

slotted in behind someone momentarily last night waiting to pass and got the full jet of water to the face and then chest, not nice at all

 

[Fab Foodie]

slotted in behind someone momentarily last night waiting to pass and got the full jet of water to the face and then chest, not nice at all

Just see it as free refreshment and stop your moaning.

 

[Tynan]

water perhaps, dirt and grit not so much

 

[Dave5N]

Free refreshemnt and a dermabrasion clinic treatment for gratis.

 

[roadiewill]

road water can knock years off of your skin