Should I install full mudguards?

[swansonj]

I have done most of my Fridays rides with full mudguards. I took the view that Simon's principal objection was that they are prone to mechanical problems that delay the ride, so as long as I make sure they are well maintained, and have sufficient clearance that fine adjustment is not an issue, I would be OK. And the mudguards on my present bike lasted seven years with no problems at all. But this summer, after descending a pass in the Jura with more rattling than seemed to me normal, I spotted that the mudguard bridge on the front mudguard had fractured on one side, so the stay was flapping loose. That wouldn't have delayed a ride much if at all (if all else fails, the bottom line is that you can whip off the whole mudguard in a five-minute catch-up stop anyway), but did make me realise that even the best mudguards aren't completely infallible.

 

[swansonj]

It is that but also the fact that new riders sometimes turn up on the heaviest bikes with racks and mudguards and then struggle. They could get on better if they lightened their load where possible and would probably have a better experience. The advice is mostly aimed at them.
Having said that, if I had a mudguard failure on one of Simon's rides, I would aim to have the offending article off and out of sight unnoticed before being in receipt of the raised eyebrow of negative judgement.

Agreed all round. I have done two Fridays without mudguards. One was my first, I wasn't confident as to my speed and whether I would be delaying the ride, so I lightened the bike as much as possible. Having found that my speed is probably bottom quartile but not embarrassing, I've kept the mudguards on subsequently - until Cardiff this year, when because of the buildup about how hilly it would be, I again felt it expedient to lighten the bike as much as possible, but again found that my limited fitness wasn't in fact a problem.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Why? Is there any necessity to commute in close proximity?

just going off visits & the pics I see of loads of people riding in close proximity. do they spread out in formation now or wait after lights go green and set off individually at 3 second intervals?

 

[Davidc]

FWIW the only time I've not used mudguards was when I used to do TTs in my youth. I've ridden 100s 0f 1000s of miles with mudguards and have yet to have a mechanical failure from them.

That puts them ahead of anything else on a bike for reliability during my riding. Even ahead of frames and handlebars. I have always used good quality Bluemels guards, which undoubtedly helps.

As above I don't expect plastic mudguards to last forever so throw them out after 5 years. The part which always looks nearest to the end of its life is the metal bracket which holds the guard to the hole in the crown (front) and equivalent at the back which holds the guard to the bridge.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Having said that, it was your use of the word "regularly" that puzzled me.

Ah, OP & I were both talking about a commute so largely the same people at the same time on workdays. Not many cyclists on my commute, but I have a set of morning drivers, the odd milkfloat & a few postman I know by sight and very much at predictable points on the morning ride in.

evenings less so as I finish for the day when a convenient point presents itself and vary my route home depending on the weather & my need for more or less 'me' time on the bike.

 

[crazyjoe101]

Thanks for all your replies guys, next time I have the money I'll be ordering a set of chromoplastics or bluemels, I just need to work out which of the sizes will fit most snugly I can worry about adding missing mudflaps afterwards, I might pilfour the ones on my Mum's bike as I highly doubt she'll go fast enough for them to make that much difference :P