When I was young and it were all trees round ere, any bike with drpped handlebars was a "racer", and any racer had short mudguards of no practical use whatsoever. I am sure I used to believe at the time that this was because construction and use regulations required mudguards on roads, but style or speed or clearances or something required as little mudguard as possible. I hadn't seen one for years until I stumbled on one (minus its bike) on the road up in Blackbird Leys the other day. The it struck me that most bikes which I see on the roads these days have no mudguards (and many cyclists have skunk-striped clothing and rucksack).
Have construction-and-use regs changed, or was it a myth?
When I was young and it were all trees round ere, any bike with drpped handlebars was a "racer", and any racer had short mudguards of no practical use whatsoever. I am sure I used to believe at the time that this was because construction and use regulations required mudguards on roads, but style or speed or clearances or something required as little mudguard as possible. I hadn't seen one for years until I stumbled on one (minus its bike) on the road up in Blackbird Leys the other day. The it struck me that most bikes which I see on the roads these days have no mudguards (and many cyclists have skunk-striped clothing and rucksack).
Have construction-and-use regs changed, or was it a myth?
When I was young and it were all trees round ere, any bike with drpped handlebars was a "racer", and any racer had short mudguards of no practical use whatsoever. I am sure I used to believe at the time that this was because construction and use regulations required mudguards on roads, but style or speed or clearances or something required as little mudguard as possible. I hadn't seen one for years until I stumbled on one (minus its bike) on the road up in Blackbird Leys the other day. The it struck me that most bikes which I see on the roads these days have no mudguards (and many cyclists have skunk-striped clothing and rucksack).
Have construction-and-use regs changed, or was it a myth?
Myth I think.
Odd, but istr the same thing. Back in the, errrr, 70's.
When I was young and it were all trees round ere, any bike with drpped handlebars was a "racer", and any racer had short mudguards of no practical use whatsoever. I am sure I used to believe at the time that this was because construction and use regulations required mudguards on roads, but style or speed or clearances or something required as little mudguard as possible. I hadn't seen one for years until I stumbled on one (minus its bike) on the road up in Blackbird Leys the other day. The it struck me that most bikes which I see on the roads these days have no mudguards (and many cyclists have skunk-striped clothing and rucksack).
Have construction-and-use regs changed, or was it a myth?
Myth I think.
Odd, but istr the same thing. Back in the, errrr, 70's.
Et moi aussi. People told us we had to have mudguards, and consequently we used these attenuated things - completely silly. I don't know if the rules have changed, either.
Et moi aussi. People told us we had to have mudguards, and consequently we used these attenuated things - completely silly. I don't know if the rules have changed, either.
Et moi aussi. People told us we had to have mudguards, and consequently we used these attenuated things - completely silly. I don't know if the rules have changed, either.
The insidious power of AUK.
Apparently Raceblades are not allowed on M designated rides as they do not keep bums clean enough (never tried them though).
Talking of dirty bums are you doing the Upper Thames 200? it is bonfire night though so could be unpopular.
Et moi aussi. People told us we had to have mudguards, and consequently we used these attenuated things - completely silly. I don't know if the rules have changed, either.
Before my time, but wasn't one of the things that brakes of that era clagged easily so the minimal mudguards kept the brakes working?
-- Arthur Clune PGP/GPG Key: http://www.clune.org/pubkey.txt The struggle of people against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting - Milan Kundera
Apparently Raceblades are not allowed on M designated rides as they do not keep bums clean enough (never tried them though).
If true, that's madness. They keep the rider clean fine. Riders behind and the bike itself, well, less so. But they do keep your bum dry and clean.
-- Arthur Clune PGP/GPG Key: http://www.clune.org/pubkey.txt The struggle of people against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting - Milan Kundera
Talking of dirty bums are you doing the Upper Thames 200? it is bonfire night though so could be unpopular.
I'm not Simon, but it's in my diary...
Not sure if I'm doing it, but it is a great ride through the Cotswolds. The last 10k is entertaining, especially if it is prevailing down like last year (I remember Tim looking at the route sheet and saying "the time for a right at T in 12km has past" but it was a typo)
Et moi aussi. People told us we had to have mudguards, and consequently we used these attenuated things - completely silly. I don't know if the rules have changed, either.
Before my time, but wasn't one of the things that brakes of that era clagged easily so the minimal mudguards kept the brakes working?
The brakes of that era didn't work anyway, for any useful value of 'work', whatever you did with/to them.
What about those seat-post racks and a rack-top bag, like these Topeak jobbies:
I've not tried a rack bag for years, but my experience with a rack bag on a standard rack was that spray tended to come up through the gap between the rack and the frame.
This probably wouldn't happen so much on a smaller frame though
-- Arthur Clune PGP/GPG Key: http://www.clune.org/pubkey.txt The struggle of people against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting - Milan Kundera
Et moi aussi. People told us we had to have mudguards, and consequently we used these attenuated things - completely silly. I don't know if the rules have changed, either.
Before my time, but wasn't one of the things that brakes of that era clagged easily so the minimal mudguards kept the brakes working?
The brakes of that era didn't work anyway, for any useful value of 'work', whatever you did with/to them.
I think the blocks had something to do with it as well; remember those pitted chrome rims? just been having a retro fix on the Tom Simpson documentary with the Peugeot with large flange hubs and centre pulls.
What about those seat-post racks and a rack-top bag, like these Topeak jobbies:
I've not tried a rack bag for years, but my experience with a rack bag on a standard rack was that spray tended to come up through the gap between the rack and the frame.
This probably wouldn't happen so much on a smaller frame though
The saddle bag catches anything heading bumwards that the race blades don't. Brakes and frame still end up pretty well caked though.
Yes I finally got round to taking the RBs off and cleaning the bike..
Apparently Raceblades are not allowed on M designated rides as they do not keep bums clean enough (never tried them though).
If true, that's madness. They keep the rider clean fine. Riders behind and the bike itself, well, less so. But they do keep your bum dry and clean.
I thought the chief point of requiring mudguards on some audaxes was to keep /other/ /riders/ relatively clean and dry. That being the case, mudguards which didn't do that well should clearly not be approved. However in my experience race blades are pretty good.
-- [email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/ ;; Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us ;; many useful objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets. ;; Imagination without skill gives us modern art. ;; Tom Stoppard, Artist Descending A Staircase
Simon Brooke <[email hidden]> wrote: > > Et moi aussi. People told us we had to have mudguards, and > consequently we used these attenuated things - completely silly. I > don't know if the rules have changed, either.
Before my time, but wasn't one of the things that brakes of that era clagged easily so the minimal mudguards kept the brakes working?
The brakes of that era didn't work anyway, for any useful value of 'work', whatever you did with/to them.
I think the blocks had something to do with it as well; remember those pitted chrome rims? just been having a retro fix on the Tom Simpson documentary with the Peugeot with large flange hubs and centre pulls.
in message <[email hidden]>, Arthur Clune ([email hidden]'😉 wrote:
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
MartinM said:
> > The insidious power of AUK.
Apparently Raceblades are not allowed on M designated rides as they do not keep bums clean enough (never tried them though).
If true, that's madness. They keep the rider clean fine. Riders behind and the bike itself, well, less so. But they do keep your bum dry and clean.
Quoted message said:
I thought the chief point of requiring mudguards on some audaxes was to keep /other/ /riders/ relatively clean and dry. That being the case, mudguards which didn't do that well should clearly not be approved. However in my experience race blades are pretty good.
AIUI the point of mudguards on Audax rides is to keep mud and farmyard slurry off seats at controls. People don't really care off whose bike the cr*p flies, just don't want it in their cafe or lounge.
Adequate mudguards keep brown goo off both riders and those riding nearby.
I thought the chief point of requiring mudguards on some audaxes was to keep /other/ /riders/ relatively clean and dry.
And also to minimise the quantity of [censored]-borne clag left on Nice People's seating in Pubbes, cafes etc.
However, even on those rides where mudguards have been compulsory, no-one has ever checked while I've been looking.
-- Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/> The sixth student said, "I ride my bicycle because I want people to look up to me and say 'Wow! He looks really good up there!' The teacher replied: 'Go away, Fabrizio!'"
Apparently Raceblades are not allowed on M designated rides as they do not keep bums clean enough (never tried them though).
If true, that's madness. They keep the rider clean fine. Riders behind and the bike itself, well, less so. But they do keep your bum dry and clean.
I thought the chief point of requiring mudguards on some audaxes was to keep /other/ /riders/ relatively clean and dry.
The raceblades thing is down to the individual organiser; they can't actually stop you starting without any sort of mudguards, it's not as if they go out and check your bike. But it's common courtesy to the controls, some of which as Helen V has pointed out are on peoples' own home sofas. What you spray over other riders is up to your own conscience.
The ride I have just taken over goes down a lot of cowsh** smeared roads but has no mudguard rule; all the controls are either outside or on easily wipeable seats, plus it attracts a lot of riders who do not possess mudguards. Fortunately I have never ridden it in the rain ;-)
