Brooks mud flap?

[Thornyone]

I have SKS mudguards but have lost the mudflap bit off my front guard in an accident. I am thinking of replacing it with one of the Brooks leather flaps. My mudguards are about 2.5 inches wide (unfortunately my metric ruler isn't to hand). Does anyone know whether the Brooks would fit OK. I presume I’d just need to drill a couple of holes to fit it. I certainly need a flap in the current weather conditions because I’m surprised just how much crap is getting onto cranks/chainwheels and even onto my downtube water bottle

[pwa]

I got a roll of black damp proof membrane stuff (you put it in walls when you build them) and just cut out mud flaps from that when I need them. Drill and pop rivet. Durable, rigid enough but flexy when it gets a knock. From B@Q etc.

[Thornyone]

I got a roll of black damp proof membrane stuff (you put it in walls when you build them) and just cut out mud flaps from that when I need them. Drill and pop rivet. Durable, rigid enough but flexy when it gets a knock. From B@Q etc.

Sounds OK if you do building and have some handy but would it not work out a bit pricey to specifically purchase it for bike use?

[9494arnold]

Yellow bleach bottle. Cut and rivet. Simples

[pwa]

I got a roll of black damp proof membrane stuff (you put it in walls when you build them) and just cut out mud flaps from that when I need them. Drill and pop rivet. Durable, rigid enough but flexy when it gets a knock. From B@Q etc.

Sounds OK if you do building and have some handy but would it not work out a bit pricey to specifically purchase it for bike use?

Can't remember what I paid for my roll, but maybe a fiver. A roll, about 10cm wide, stiffish recycled black plastic. easy to cut to shape. Allows you to decide for yourself how wide and deep you want it.

[Thornyone]

I got a roll of black damp proof membrane stuff (you put it in walls when you build them) and just cut out mud flaps from that when I need them. Drill and pop rivet. Durable, rigid enough but flexy when it gets a knock. From B@Q etc.

Sounds OK if you do building and have some handy but would it not work out a bit pricey to specifically purchase it for bike use?

Can't remember what I paid for my roll, but maybe a fiver. A roll, about 10cm wide, stiffish recycled black plastic. easy to cut to shape. Allows you to decide for yourself how wide and deep you want it.

Thanks, this sounds good and with a roll presumably you can replace one easily enough when it gets damaged (I say “when” rather than “if”, because I seem to hit the deck with monotonous regularity. Another spill on black ice the other day

[amediasatex]

I tend to use those slightly flexible plastic ring binder files that you can pick up in Smiths or the pound shop. cut to size and shape desired. Often available in colours too, if you're that way inclined...

I find them just the right amount of flexible, they are stiff enough to not flap in the wind, but bendy enough to conform to the curve of the guard and survive being knocked about, only actually broken one in the last 5 years or so. I normally get 6-8 flaps out of my £1->£1.50 outlay, works for me!

[reohn2]

Thanks, this sounds good and with a roll presumably you can replace one easily enough when it gets damaged (I say “when” rather than “if”, because I seem to hit the deck with monotonous regularity. Another spill on black ice the other day

Or you could call in at a vehicle tyrefitters and ask for a piece of old car or truck inner tube,they make even better mudflaps than DPC

[cycleruk]

The problem with DPC (damp proof course) is it can be a bit too flexy and sometimes ends up being trapped between tyre and mudguard when riding. This is not dangerous just irritating.
I use something just a little bit stiffer. The old washing up liquid bottles used to be ideal but they are not available now. My latest adaption uses plastic ice-cream carton cut to size. Usually fixed in place with two drilled holes and pop-rivets with washers to spread the load. I did try gluing with a hotmelt glue gun but didn't last long in place.

[pwa]

The problem with DPC (damp proof course) is it can be a bit too flexy and sometimes ends up being trapped between tyre and mudguard when riding. This is not dangerous just irritating.
I use something just a little bit stiffer. The old washing up liquid bottles used to be ideal but they are not available now. My latest adaption uses plastic ice-cream carton cut to size. Usually fixed in place with two drilled holes and pop-rivets with washers to spread the load. I did try gluing with a hotmelt glue gun but didn't last long in place.

You can tell the people who used to watch Blue Peter!

The Damp Proof stuff is very floppy on the roll, but like a newspaper it stiffens when curved to the profile of the mudguard. Best for shorter flaps, though. Upto 3 inches in old money, perhaps.

[Heltor Chasca]

I have one in my tool box. It’s a nice little byproduct of their industriousness. It is pretty thick leather but comes with decent fittings with flush bolts so your mudguard doesn’t build up a clump of detritus. I proofed the raw side.

[Roadster]

If you want something pre-made, SKS's own Slurry mudflap is cheap and good enough, without the added weight and expense of a leather one. At the price, it hardly seems worth the time and trouble of making one's own.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/mudguards/s ... y-mudflap/

[Thornyone]

If you want something pre-made, SKS's own Slurry mudflap is cheap and good enough, without the added weight and expense of a leather one. At the price, it hardly seems worth the time and trouble of making one's own.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/mudguards/s ... y-mudflap/

Thanks. I did try making one as suggested, using a cheap Tesco plastic folder, cut up. But it wasn’t a success, the Evostick didn’t stick it (I never liked Blue Peter, which probably explains a lot ). So I had in fact already ordered a couple of these this morning from SJS before I read your post, but it is good to read your recommendation.

[Brucey]

the plastic folders are, I think, made of Polypropylene (PP) which cannot be glued very easily. Use a screw, rivet, or zip ties through holes to affix a mudflap to a mudguard.

Whether any given plastic is suitable for use as a mudflap depends on a lot of things (including the size of the mudflap and what kind of mudguard it is attached to) but very many types of plastic that you might want to use (from food containers etc) are not really stable enough to survive in the long term. These plastics are either inherently unstable and/or need to contain various additives if they are to withstand sunlight without becoming corrupted. Needless to say in a packaging application they don't put anything into the plastic mix that is not strictly necessary, so any package that is 'indoorsy' is likely to be found wanting if you leave it outside. By contrast something like a 25l oil container might be stored out of doors so is more likely to be made of a plastic that is weatherproof. Most folk take a view that it is easy enough to make another one, so when a DIY mudflap made of an unsuitable material breaks or falls off, that is what they do.

FWIW I have made a number of very acceptable bicycle mudflaps by cutting up a truck splash guard that I found by the side of the road. I think the material is a filled (maybe foamed?) EPDM rubber; it is not very dense (it floats on water) so is lightweight, it is flexible enough (when cut narrow) to withstand kerbs without breaking the mudguard to which it is attached, and is of course rather more durable than most other forms of plastic that you might choose to use. It also cuts easily using household scissors, and you can bosh a mounting hole through it using a cross-point screwdriver if you don't have a drill handy.

cheers

[thirdcrank]

Time flies.

Mudflaps used to be forum member Yorkshireman's specialist subject. I looked up his comprehensive thread and found all his pics had gone, so no point linking now. I also remember CJ's suggestion of one cut from a car innertube which didn't need any fastening: it was held in place by some of the rubber and the stays.
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