Mud flaps

[Swislon]

http://www.buddyflaps.com/fancy.htm

$14 delivered and only a week or so.

Brilliant piece of kit.

[Brucey]

I'm always surprised by how few bikes have mudguards, presumably because bike design is currently led by the Americans which isn't located at the plug-hole end of the Gulf Stream.

not all Americans are cut from the same (SoCal etc) cloth... it rains in Seattle...

The bike manufacturers don't necessarily like mudguards, because they are fiddly to assemble, and are easily damaged in transit.
The bike retail trade don't mind bikes coming without mudguards either (nor locks, lights, etc), since it gives them the opportunity to sell both bikes with a low 'sticker price' and yet more 'accessories' -which have a nice high mark-up on them.

Of course the customer doesn't necessarily understand that to have all these things built-in might be a really good idea; they are more often focused on price, weight, (without allowing for the 'accessories' of course... ) how many gears it has and what colour it is.

Some manufacturers make an effort and offer bikes of the sort which are properly equipped, but few become really popular. I'm sure many potential customers don't even know they exist. E.g. I have seen some nice Giants which have heavy duty chain locks hidden inside the frame, bike lights integrated into the head and seat tubes etc. But you would have to look very hard to actually notice them on sale anywhere, and they are usually priced a little higher than you could do it 'DIY style'; even if the end result would clearly be inferior.

cheers

[PJ520]

Brilliant piece of kit.

These look like the ones I got from Recycled Cycles in Seattle a few years ago. The first one disappeared. Presumably the nut and bolt supplied came undone. I put red Loctite on the second time and it's been fine ever since.