The Mk3’s isn’t going to take anything away from your very nice bike
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Mudguards, the One Exception
Like many cyclists, I love spending money on bikes and bike gear. There is however one exception – mudguards.
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When my old one fell off and snapped the other month I immediately dreaded having to find a replacement. There is simply no joy in the process of fitting new mudguards. It is fiddly, overly complex, and usually doesn’t yield the result you are hoping for.
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Very rarely do you find a type of mudguard that fits well without rattling or rubbing against the bike frame or tyres.
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And then I came across the new Mk 3 Road Racer from Crud.
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I’m not someone who writes reviews, in fact I don’t write much at all, and perhaps that helps convey how impressed I am with these mudguards.
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Rethinking the Crud
The design is revolutionary to the point that they will have many a cycling Dilbert looking and admiring. More importantly they work, and they work well.
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My winter bike is a Giant Defy Advanced Pro with hydraulic disc brakes, which unfortunately limits the number of options available for mudguards. Not many brands fit on bikes with disc brakes.
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I have previously used both SKS Raceblades and Giant’s own mudguards. The Raceblades were the most secure, but provided only minimal protection from water spray, and didn’t really fit on the front at all. The Giant ones worked well, but were flimsy and a real chore to fit.
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Crud’s new Mk3’s fit bikes with disc brakes, are fast to install, and handle tyres up to 35mm width. They fit all road bikes as long as there is a 4mm minimum clearance between tyre and frame.
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Disc brake ready without sacrificing coverage
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From Straps to Velcro
Crud have achieved this by coming up with a completely new design of mudguard. Instead of attaching to the frame via straps and elastic bands, they use what they call a Duotec ‘Interloc’ fixing system. This is basically a type of Velcro.
Sticky Duotec strips stick to the inside of the fork and seat-stays, and then the guards attach directly on to these. It is secure, simple, and looks very durable.
If you decide you want to take the strips off your bike you can use a hairdryer to soften the glue, or if for some reason you damage one then spares can be obtained via the Crud website.
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Personal coverage to the max, with the rear a tad shorter than the previous Mk2
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Installation
The Duotec makes it very easy to install the mudguards, or to remove them for adjustment, although to be honest I have not had any cause to make adjustments. Installation took no more than 15 minutes, and all you need are some scissors.
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When riding there is absolutely no tyre rub due the generous width, and only the sharpest potholes cause the mudguard to slap against the tyre.
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Unlike the SKS Raceblades the mudguards go all the way around the rear wheel to the crank, and the front goes much lower towards the ground, resulting in better rider protection from spray.
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You can see a very good installation video from High Carb Rider:
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The Low Down
In my opinion, these really are the best mudguards available on the market for people with a racing bike without eyelets. They are a big step up in design and function from all other competitors that I have tried, and would thoroughly recommend them. They feel and look well constructed, but time will only tell on durability.
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List price £39.99 (better deals available online)
:: The review is independent and the club does not have any involvement with Crud. We simply like the idea. You can find a range of reviews here ::
How have these held up over Winter? Any frustrating or annoying rubbing? Considering the same bike and what guards i’ll be able to fit
Hi Mike,
I’ve done about 3000 miles on the bike since I installed the Mk3’s, and I can say that I am still incredibly impressed. I don’t think I have had to adjust them a single time. The only fault was that the little flap that sticks out over the front wheel got caught and fell off. I didn’t bother putting it back on as I think it looks better without anyway.
The bike is a great as well. I’ve done about 7000 miles on mine and it is solid as a rock.
Cheers,
Alex
Thanks Alex very useful, still considering going what bike to purchase!
Sorry for the late reply, what size are the continental tires you are using? I currently have 28mm and want these mudguards
Ive had these for several months, but confess i got a shop to fit em on, at first i was concerned whether they would stay on or fly off at speed and road bumps, there stuck like…, my only negative is im still getting water spray up me back ( and im only amature cyclist not pro hi- speed ), the rear guard could be a little longer, part from that great mudguards