Why no mudguards for road bikes

[twowheelsgood]

The answer is very simple. "Most people" don't actually want a pure road/race bike in the first place. But this forum isn't inhabited by "most people". The tragedy is the bike "most people" think they need actually isn't the one they need i.e. a mountain bike or cheap overall-clunky hybrid.

Unless you are fit and interested in competitive riding the difference in performance is negligable. You can also build-out some of the other features that make road bikes a poor choice for more general use like low spoke count wheels and unnecessarily high gearing. Once you've got drops then you've got the vast majority of the performance advantage anyway - an aero position if required. It's pretty easy these days to keep any bike usefully light with not-to-expensive components.

I ride a Kaffenback with drops and the performance delta is as close to nill on real road conditions as to be not worth thinking about. but it has a 36-spoke open pro rear wheel which despite my 100kg weight hasn't broken a spoke or needed truing in 3 years.

The irony is, the ideal, fast yet practical bike was something like your grandad would have ridden and were more or less killed off by BMX and MTBs. We now call modern twists on these these audax bikes. I think they were know as "clubman racers" back then. Ridden to work in the week and for competition in at the weekend. Drop bars, steel frame and could take guards if needed. I guess as we all got wealthier then bikes could become more specialized to certain roles, as you could afford to have more than one.

 

[GoldenAxe]

@Twowheelsgood: Great post

You know, all I'm looking for is a really fast commuter bike. What you say about MTB is so true - too many communters grind away on pointlessly heavy lumps simiply because most racers aren't practical. And carbon racers aren't quite what a commuter needs either.

To commute I'll need mudguards. No question. Trouble is so few frames come with braze-ons. I don't want P Clips as I'd love to be able to put a pannier on too occassionally. The 5 mins to install it would be worth it since it'd mean I don't have to catch the tube.

I'm an awkward customer though, as what I'd really like is a very compact geometry bike. I'm 6'2'' but I'd like a really tight frame, 53cm top tube, so my hands are right by my knees. I've seen a few single speed bikes in London that fit this description (usually with very narrow flat handlebars). God knows what make they are...

I'd also like a long front tube so my head is quite high. Commuting in London requires vigilance! Most racers/audax with 53cm head tubes have very short head tubes. If you are 6'2'' normal head tubes leave you staring at the ground.

I was looking at the Condor range. One downside - they come with 7003 aluminium, which Googling informs me leads to a very harsh ride.

What baffles me is that there is so little variation in frame geometry. People have all sorts of weird preferences, so why can't the manufacturers produce a few oddities for unusual customers like me?

Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree. After all, no point being so picky when most of the time I'll be carrying around a sturdy Onguard U-lock.

 

[Maz]

A road bike fitted with mudguards is like a dog walking on its hind legs - When it is done, it is done badly, but what is even more surprising, is that it is done at all.

(flatbar) Specialized Sirrus any good for you, GoldenAxe?

 

[bonj2]

The answer is very simple. "Most people" don't actually want a pure road/race bike in the first place. But this forum isn't inhabited by "most people". The tragedy is the bike "most people" think they need actually isn't the one they need i.e. a mountain bike or cheap overall-clunky hybrid.

Unless you are fit and interested in competitive riding the difference in performance is negligable. You can also build-out some of the other features that make road bikes a poor choice for more general use like low spoke count wheels and unnecessarily high gearing. Once you've got drops then you've got the vast majority of the performance advantage anyway - an aero position if required. It's pretty easy these days to keep any bike usefully light with not-to-expensive components.

I ride a Kaffenback with drops and the performance delta is as close to nill on real road conditions as to be not worth thinking about. but it has a 36-spoke open pro rear wheel which despite my 100kg weight hasn't broken a spoke or needed truing in 3 years.

The irony is, the ideal, fast yet practical bike was something like your grandad would have ridden and were more or less killed off by BMX and MTBs. We now call modern twists on these these audax bikes. I think they were know as "clubman racers" back then. Ridden to work in the week and for competition in at the weekend. Drop bars, steel frame and could take guards if needed. I guess as we all got wealthier then bikes could become more specialized to certain roles, as you could afford to have more than one.

but they do rattle.

 

[Noodley]

but they do rattle.

Only if you are a baboon and can't fit them

 

[4F]

I think that its less about weight and more about aerodynamics. Guards increase the drag factor.

Aesthetically they are wrong on a top end road bike. Nothing wrong with putting some race blades on your hack bike.

If you really want full guards buy a tourer, ostensibly still a road bike but quite different.

If I was that concerned about the possibity of drag factor then I would go on a diet first.

 

[Bodhbh]

What seems to put alot of people off them is the aesthetics. Is there not some high-end guards which somehow actually look good? Seems a real gap in the market. It's like alot of people dislike the look of racks, can see the point in general, but those minimalist Tubus racks are functional friggin works of art.

 

[RedBike]

My mud-guards, rack and lights are all quite light weight; but when I put them all on the bike I certainly notice the weight increase.

 

[Chris James]

I think that its less about weight and more about aerodynamics. Guards increase the drag factor.

Interesting.

By how much exactly?

How would that compare to, say, the drag produced by the big fat bellies of some of the sellf deluded wannabe racers who expensively deck their bikes out with full carbon yet carry two stone of spare tyre at their midriff?

This whole thread hinges on what you view as a road bike I suppose. If you consider a road bike to be a bike for taking on the road (as opposed to exclusively a term for pro team clones) then in a lot of circumstances mudguards are very practical.

I suspect lots of riders who are most against guards don't actually ride in the rain anyway.

Most club riders I know have summer and winter bikes. If it is hammering it down in July they take the 'winter' bike anyway.

 

[Chris James]

My mud-guards, rack and lights are all quite light weight; but when I put them all on the bike I certainly notice the weight increase.

True, but the original thread was for commuting in London and I would have thought their usefulness far outweigh any weight penalty (especially since London is basically flat in my experience and once going on the flat or downhill the extra weight could even be a performance advantage).

 

[Maz]

How would that compare to, say, the drag produced by the big fat bellies of some of the sellf deluded wannabe racers who expensively deck their bikes out with full carbon yet carry two stone of spare tyre at their midriff?

I had to have a chuckle at that one!

 

[twowheelsgood]

Bonj,

We've had this conversation before. I have guards on 2 of my bikes. They haven't rattled since I fitted them years ago.

It's really simple:

1. Buy good ones (like SKS) and
2. put loctite on the bolts.

Really it isn't rocket science. Fit and forget and ride all year.

I fully understand the aesthetics side. I wouldn't fit them to my road bike either. I love all types of bikes but what I like to see most is people out actually USING them and the best way to ensure this is to get people riding something that's suitable for purpose and comfortable. For most people that won't be either a sharp handling roadie, nor a full suspension MTB.

 

[jashburnham]

If you are planning on using the bike for riding in London, then look no further than the Pearson Touche: http://http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/index.html?action=97

"It’s key features are the aluminium smooth weld frame with integrated carbon forks and full mudguard clearance.
The bike will take up to 28mm tyres and also features rack and bottle bosses. "

I have one and it is fab. IMHO one gear is all you need for London. I have a Touche and don't use mudgaurds. If it's raining i'm gonna get wet anyway so I just don't see the point.

Also they are horrible looking things!

 

[4F]

If you are planning on using the bike for riding in London, then look no further than the Pearson Touche: http://http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/index.html?action=97

"It’s key features are the aluminium smooth weld frame with integrated carbon forks and full mudguard clearance.
The bike will take up to 28mm tyres and also features rack and bottle bosses. "

I have one and it is fab. IMHO one gear is all you need for London. I have a Touche and don't use mudgaurds. If it's raining i'm gonna get wet anyway so I just don't see the point.

Also they are horrible looking things!

Now that is a nice bike

 

[jashburnham]

Here's mine: