Cycling UK Forum

The last tweak (I hope) to my new-to-me 'Audax' bike is a pair of SKS Longboards. Hmm. I'm not sure what I think of them.


I understand why the rear mudguard can't cover more than half the wheel, but the flap (which seems to make a bit of a noise) is both heavier and shorter than I had imagined.

The front mudguard, however, seems even longer than any I have seen in reviews etc and looks, well, a bit daft IMHO. I've already scraped the front flap whilst wheeling the bike off a teeny tiny kerb.

So I'm wondering if anyone has, say, drilled out the front bridge rivets and rotated the mudguard forward a few degrees, made some new holes and bolted the bridge so that the mudguard isn't quite so low. I don't fancy relocating the lower fitting at the mudguard and chopping off a bit there and resecuring the mudguard - or indeed shortening the mudguard and fastening something like a DIY longer flap out of thinner plastic along the lines of a RAW mudguard flap. Yes, I realise I've bought a pair of longboards, but I'm not 100% convinced the front one needs to be quite so long. (But if I did modify the front mudguard with a longer, more flexible flap I'd do the same for the rear, too.)

Anyway, some more pictures of my particular mudguards. I'd watched several videos showing how to fasten them, only to find that the fittings - specifically the little plastic cap that fits over the cut end of the stay and the bolt - were entirely different...

They look about right. Word of caution p35 are a little fragile. I gave up on the longboards after breaking 2 sets within a year always the front just above the lower mud guard stay.

I always end up relocating the riveted fork bracket (in the way you described) on SKS guards. In my case it’s so that I can put the bike on a ‘front wheel out’ roof rack. I have also found them easy to cut neatly (usually using another guard to draw the curve) if required. The cut edge cleans up with a file.

Discussed here previously

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=108283&p=1040607#p1040607

Attaching the bracket to the front of the fork moved the mudguard far enough forward to lift the flap out of harms way. I see that was nearly 5 years ago, I have ridden that bike to work most days since then and all still OK. Hard to tell from the picture but I think you may have done that already in which case ignore this post!

Steve

PS Nice looking bike

That front mudguard looks way too long, even if you removed the mud flap. (There’s a rubber-plastic ‘shortie’ that SKS do.)

I would look to drill out the front bridge and if successful re-install it further back with new holes, or use a rear mudguard bridge. And trim the front.

Have you considered going the daruma bolt route? Any bolt arrangement instead of a rivet needs 3-4mm extra tyre clearance.

I posted my new Bluemels not long ago - on mine the riveted stay brackets are replaced by clips that screw on to the edges -
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=146418

Ps Nice bike

PPS if that’s Paselas you’re running, don’t forget your puncture kit.

Never had a problem with longboards although you do have to lift the front wheel down kerbs etc, as the flap can catch. I always pop rivet an good flap to any mudguard as it saves a lot of crude on bracket, rings and chain. A necessity if riding in the winter.
Small adjustment of the flap height can be made by siting the bridge, front or rear of the crown.

If it's a fairly rigid mudflap that continues the curve of the mudguard, then it needs to go approximately that low to be properly effective.

This was Jan Heine's bike for the Concours des Machines a few years ago:



The mudflap is low, but not much wider than the mudguard, and narrower where it is inserted into the mudguard:



The effectiveness of the mudguard and mudflap after the all-day ride in the rain and through mud:



Improved wider design for his last PBP bike - it's a DIY job cut out from a plastic file folder:





I use standard length SKS mudguards, which need a much longer and wider DIY mudflap than fitted by SKS to be anywhere near as effective, and that width and length tends to result in the mudflap being blown back at speed, which significantly reduces its effectiveness.

The rear mudflap on the Longboards, which is the same as the front, is far too short to be properly effective at preventing spray from the rear wheel hitting a rider behind, which is its sole purpose on a full length rear mudguard. It needs to be very long, like the Raw rear mudflaps:

I use those as raw material and glue them to any length I want. Also, they tend to crack over time at some locations and I double up their thickness there so they end up lasting forever.

NUKe wrote: ↑28 Jun 2021, 10:22pm They look about right. Word of caution p35 are a little fragile. I gave up on the longboards after breaking 2 sets within a year always the front just above the lower mud guard stay.

It seems likely that repeated bashing of the front flap contributes to the failure at that point. I plan to do something to stop that from happening.

TheBomber wrote: ↑28 Jun 2021, 10:29pm I always end up relocating the riveted fork bracket (in the way you described) on SKS guards. In my case it’s so that I can put the bike on a ‘front wheel out’ roof rack. I have also found them easy to cut neatly (usually using another guard to draw the curve) if required. The cut edge cleans up with a file.

Yes, I'm going to either shift the bridge attachment or cut off a bit of the bottom (and fit a RAW-type flap) or both!

Steve O'C wrote: ↑28 Jun 2021, 11:09pm ... Attaching the bracket to the front of the fork moved the mudguard far enough forward to lift the flap out of harms way... Hard to tell from the picture but I think you may have done that already in which case ignore this post!

Steve

PS Nice looking bike

Yes, I wasn't sure about the bike's looks at first, but it quickly grew on me

And the forks have a recessed hole for the dual pivot calipers so, yes, I fitted the bracket in front of the crown. There would have been less than half an inch gap between the bottom of the flap and the ground otherwise!

David9694 wrote: ↑29 Jun 2021, 8:17am That front mudguard looks way too long, even if you removed the mud flap. (There’s a rubber-plastic ‘shortie’ that SKS do.)

I would look to drill out the front bridge and if successful re-install it further back with new holes, or use a rear mudguard bridge. And trim the front.

Have you considered going the daruma bolt route? Any bolt arrangement instead of a rivet needs 3-4mm extra tyre clearance.

I posted my new Bluemels not long ago - on mine the riveted stay brackets are replaced by clips that screw on to the edges -
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=146418

Ps Nice bike

PPS if that’s Paselas you’re running, don’t forget your puncture kit.

Plenty more to think about, ta. The tyres came with the bike (and the wheels are from a jazzy Trek bike from a bit back) and I'm keeping a wary eye on them

KM2 wrote: ↑29 Jun 2021, 8:26am ... Small adjustment of the flap height can be made by siting the bridge, front or rear of the crown.

Indeed. I'm already in front of the crown with the bracket, ta, but I will weigh up my options...

slowster wrote: ↑29 Jun 2021, 10:24am If it's a fairly rigid mudflap that continues the curve of the mudguard, then it needs to go approximately that low to be properly effective.

...

I use standard length SKS mudguards, which need a much longer and wider DIY mudflap than fitted by SKS to be anywhere near as effective, and that width and length tends to result in the mudflap being blown back at speed, which significantly reduces its effectiveness.

The rear mudflap on the Longboards, which is the same as the front, is far too short to be properly effective at preventing spray from the rear wheel hitting a rider behind, which is its sole purpose on a full length rear mudguard. It needs to be very long, like the Raw rear mudflaps:

I'm eyeing up these Longboards thinking about whether I get another pair - and modify them - for my Kinesis T2 or go with the cheaper regular Bluemells and just replace the flaps with RAW-type ones. So cheers for the info.

2_i wrote: ↑29 Jun 2021, 6:17pm I use those as raw material and glue them to any length I want. Also, they tend to crack over time at some locations and I double up their thickness there so they end up lasting forever.

If I've read this right I agree that the Longboards are something of a starting point. Perhaps future modifications could be a cutting guide and a moveable fork bracket for the front guard?

Some other pics that couldn't be added to my original post for reasons of size:

In you pr main photo, I can see you’ve bent the mudguard bracket forward quite a lot to clear the headset. It might be better to pack it a few mm forward with more washers?

You’ve correctly followed Velomati photo rules in having your valves in the same position, but the front tyre label is a bit off, if you were going for dead opposite the valves, so you lose a couple of marks there.

I have some >5 year old Longboards, which I am very happy with. The front coverage, and as far down as possible, is that will keep your drivetrain and feet dry and clean. Yes, the tradeoff is it snagging on your tyre on curbs.

Have they revised the positioning of the front stay mounts? I had a pair, maybe 5 years or so ago, that have the bottom stay mount about 4"/10cm from the end of the guard. I snapped the front one just below the stays when the mudflap caught on the bar across the bottom of the doorframe of our back door.

In consequence, I would say moving the bracket slightly to increase mudflap lump clearance is a good idea &/or fitting a more flexible mudflap in place of the one supplied.

Home produced leather flaps are just as good looking and don't tear easily from kerbs and handling, as plastic ones seem to.

keyboardmonkey wrote: ↑29 Jun 2021, 8:21pm

2_i wrote: ↑29 Jun 2021, 6:17pm I use those as raw material and glue them to any length I want. Also, they tend to crack over time at some locations and I double up their thickness there so they end up lasting forever.

If I've read this right I agree that the Longboards are something of a starting point. Perhaps future modifications could be a cutting guide and a moveable fork bracket for the front guard?

When you glue the fenders you essentially care only about their width, not that much original length. On my main bike the rear fender extends past 180 degrees, so taking the wheel out and putting back in is a bit tricky. In the front, the fender runs under the front rack and even the light in front of the rack.

I’ve been using Longboards for a couple of years on my winter bike. The main advantage of the low to the ground front guard is that it keeps the bottom bracket and chainset area free of muck and spray. I notice this when cleaning my own and my wife’s winter bike. Hers gets a mucky BB and mine stays clean. Riders behind will appreciate the lower rear guard. I do find that the guards are not quite as stable as normal guards. They can get a bit of wobble on rough roads, but the benefits outweigh the downsides, IMO.