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| I have to say ive never liked mud guards they rattle, rub, and more often than not ruin the sleek lines of road bikes. BUT, they are a neccesity for the winter commute unless you want to change your underpants on arrival at work. If like me you want a light weight, subtle and dare i say it attractive way of keeping your undercarridge clean and dry these are a must. No rattles, a slight rub at first but that was solved using the screws provided, and the carbon effect ones i bought are aesthetically pleasing to boot. |
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| Quite impressed with these. They weigh 280g (the pair), which I don't think is too bad. The quick release straps are handy for me as I commute on my bike with the mudguards on, but take them off for more recreational rides (in summer at least). Though obviously, quick release makes them easier for someone to take off your bike. You can also fix them on with cable ties as well (oooooh- secure!), but that makes them rather less quick release.
Anyway, they work; wheel coverage is good and I haven't noticed them clattering around at all. I got the wider ones for my 25 tires and they do look a bit big, but I suppose that just means you don't get splashed.
The guards attach to the stays/ fork legs of your bike, so your geometry will influence how flush they are to your wheels- my rear guard gets quite far away from the wheel towards the end; I suppose you could bend the metal arms for a neater finish if you wanted, but I haven't noticed any problems having the guard a bit further away from my wheel.
A bit pricey, but then also incredibly useful if you don't have mounts or clearance for proper mud guards. |
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| Pros:-
The SKS Race Blades are nicely light and work well as a winter time wet weather addition to the bike. Once fitted (see below for Cons on fitting), they are easy to dismount and remount as and when. No bolts, screws ar drilling are involved at all. Quality of materials and finish are good. Price seems OK. The carbon effect ones in particular are 'cool' and suit my carbon black bike well. I like them, now the fitting has been achieved.
Cons:-
On my Trek 7.9 FX they were a nightmare to fit initially - geometry somehow just not right, took ages, a lot of bending of stays and much profanity. I am fairly technically competent and was able eventually to figure out how to bend the stays to enable the SKSs to fit the bike, many folk will not necessarily be so fortunate and will end up being unable to fit them at all, as they are.
There are two versions of these mudguards, the slim ones and the wider ones. I have used both on different bikes. On wider versions (35mm width for example) there are no 'U' shaped adapters to assist fit around the front forks as there are on the slimmer version. These forks (on the Trek FXs) are not as round in profile as others and those adapters were essential. On the wider wheeled bike where the original purchsase did not include these adpaters I have to make do with making some myself! SKS should allow for most types and not assume everyone has the same shape framework or that forks are simple oval profile just because the bike has wider wheels. There are lots of hydrib type bikes out there now that use more angular profiles on the forks and have frame geometry unsuitable for the SKSs as they are at present. The ommission of these adapters and the poor geometry (at least for my FX) are definitely bad and should be put right a.s.a.p.
Otherwise, my advise will be either get the shop to fit or leave them off your shopping list in order to avoid possibly having to take them back and argue over a refund. |
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