The dust has yet to settle from the storm of Interbike, but the rains have started here at PEZ HQ, and that means time to strap on that piece of rain gear that I estimate provides 50% of your dryness – fenders. So it’s perfect timing that the UK’s CRUD PRODUCTS ‘Roadracer’ fenders emerged from the storm.
To get one thing straight - 'fenders' here, are known as 'mudguards' in the UK. And while these'll keep a reasonable amount of mud from soiling your doiley, CRUD's 'Roadracers' are definitely aimed at PEZ-Fans who want to ride road in the rain.
The pickin’s for good quality fenders worthy of adorning your prized ride have been fashion-week slim. Around here at least, pretty much everyone I ride with uses the same brand, pretty much because no one else has bothered to offer a feasible alternative in road fenders.
Let’s face it – there may be a few brands on offer, but few brands offer the desired combo of easy installation, quick and stable adjustment, light weight, and cool looks.
But chances are readers in the UK are way ahead of us on this one – they’ve known about Crud Products for a long time, and seeing as Crud reportedly dominates the ‘terra ingleterra’ fender - er 'mudguard' market, 6/10 of our UK readers likely own a set already.
Good news is they’re now available to North America via online order, and I can tell you make a great alternative to whatever you’re using now. Here’s the scoop…
You get: 2 fenders with adjustable mounting arms attached, 4 extender flaps, 4 bolts & screws to attach the extenders, 8 strong rubber bands, and 2 zip ties. My set weighed just 156 grams.
Outta the box you get everything you need for install and riding. Setup took me about 30 minutes, but I was taking my time and taking pictures, so if it takes you longer than it does to read this review – you’ve done something wrong.
A minor bit of assembly is required, but if you can twist a nut, you can do this.
The fenders are made by Crud at their own facility in England, and I’m told they’ve invested the price of a small house in tooling and manufacturing. All the parts are made of plastic, except the heavy duty rubber bands to mount the fenders to the frame and fork blades.
The front and rear fenders are shaped the same, and require attaching extender flaps to the rear of each and if you want, to the front of each fender as well. These snap into place and are secured by a small plastic screw that can be tightened by hand.
The first thing I did – and you should too – is stick some electricians tape to the mounting areas of your rear stays and fork blades to prevent the fender mounts from scratching the paint. I like two layers over paint (but used just one layer on this polished ti finish), and usually change it midway through the winter – I’m always amazed at how much fine grit has worked its way between the fender mount and my frame, and in some cases right through the tape. If you have any respect for your frame. Pity the fool who doesn’t heed this advice.
The fender mounts themselves are moulded from a hard compound plastic. The base is curved, which works well if your stays are rounded, not so much if they’re flattened or some other shape – as is the case with a lot of today’s shaped carbon fiber tubes.
Once your frame is safely taped off, you unbolt the bases from each mount, and secure ‘em to the frame with two of the heavy duty rubber bands. You can double wrap in a variety of configs, but they all result in a solid and secure bond.
The fenders mount on a three point system – two mounts at each fork blade or rear stay, and one point at the brake mounting bolt. Be sure to resist the urge to grab your snippers and cut the zip ties attached to the fender when you pull ‘em from the box – you’ll need these. They’re made to be reused, with a long release toggle that’s easy to flick with your finger.
The zip tie slips through a tiny slot in the fender, and straps around the brake mount bolt.
All that’s left is to reattached the mounting arms to the bases you strapped onto the stays, which is easy as they just screw in.
Here’s also where you adjust the fit of the fender around your wheel – it’s actually quite easy with the built in adjuster slots.
FIT ‘EM
My test set slipped into a perfect noise and rub free fit almost immediately – a nice surprise. The alignment around the wheel – in all directions, was almost spot on. And in case it’s not, Crud includes small foam-like pads that simply stick to the inside of the fender at the mount, and help to ‘self-align’ the fender on the wheel and reduce noise.
The fenders won’t fit correctly with all brake models. Because they’re designed to slide into place between the tire and the brake, you need enough clearance to fit the fender through. I ran the test with TRP brakes which are pretty tight in the clearance dept. The fenders did fit, but the front of the front fender rubbed on the tire while braking. This happens when the brake is engaged, which causes the brake calipers to close, essentially squishing the fender down onto the tire.
USE ‘EM
Coverage from road spray is good – what I expect from a worthy fender. They’re wide enough, and wrap nicely around the tire to do the job. One minor concern worth noting, is tire spray from the rear. Even with the extender in place, there’s still some spray that’ll make wet anyone sitting on your wheel.
I posed the question about making the extenders longer to Pete Tomkins – owner of Crud Products – who replied that the fenders have been built as strong as possible within the parameters of the moulding process and keeping weight down. They feel that making the rear extender any longer could compromise the overall strength of the current design.
Pete also went on to point out that these are not really intended for you ‘chain gangers’ out there, but aimed more at anyone wanting to stay dry and look good while riding their ‘good bike’. The clean lines and light weight work pretty well with most race bikes – but of course you’ll have to decide that for yourself.
I found them to be pretty quiet too – but not completely silent – I did hear a couple mystery squeaks.
I also discovered the physical limits of this thin plastic in two ways:
1. These fenders are pretty flexible. After a ride to the inlaws for Sunday dinner, I had to stow the bike in the back of the Taoureg for the drive home. That meant pulling both wheels to fit the bike in. The fenders stayed on, but the rear one bent and twisted considerably, but did not break. Then it bounced right back into place - nice and straight - when I reassembled the bike.
2. I busted off the rear extender at the screw when I was wheely-walking my bike through the garage and the fender caught on the floor. My bad on this one, but only the actual screw broke, and the rest of the fender stayed intact.
Finally – check out this cool video from Crud that shows a few tips for fender adjustment:
• BUY ‘EM - Crud is sold through dealers only, BUT you can buy 'em online right now from their UK dealers, many of whom will ship for free just, Google 'Crud Roadracer'. I found prices as low as £22.00 ($36.00).
The first fourteen stages of the 2010 Giro d'Italia are going to be the standard, delicious Giro fare. The final final seven days are going to be the ... More....
Four nights down, two to go. The racing was hot in Grenoble, the sideshows, arguably, just as hot. Edmond Hood was on the scene, working hard, making ... More....
The dust has yet to settle from the storm of Interbike, but the rains have started here at PEZ HQ, and that means time to strap on that piece of rain ... More....
Yes – it’s been a couple weeks since our last post, but we’re back and rollin' with more Interbike goodies, and the wait is worth it – Here’s what’s ... More....
So we're back from Interbike 2009. The hangover is very nearly gone, the feet are not close to normal, the back is still sore, but nothing itches ... More....
Zen masters let go of ego; teenagers are in the middle of creating one. That makes it a good time to coach mental skills with teens, and also a good ... More....
Cyclocross season is steadily progressing from the early season of warm and dry race days to the downright miserable and ugly weather that define the ... More....
As fall is settling upon the Northern Hemisphere many cyclists are looking forward to both the crux off their off-season and starting to plan for ... More....
With Lombardia and the end-of-season emphasis on all things Italia, what better way to begin the off-season transition than enjoy some quality miles ... More....
Post-Giro Roadside: I love Scotland; but there’s no Gazzetta in the morning, most of the coffee tastes like John Wayne brewed it beside the ... More....
Post-Giro Roadside: The Centenary Giro has only been over for a few days, but my personal trip to the Corsa Rosa ended back on Stage 5. With ... More....
Roadside Recap: As we make our merry way through the rounds of the PEZ Looks Back, Ed is up for his retrospective on the Tour that was. As the ... More....
Amongst all the gloom and doom of sponsors pulling out disenchanted with doping scandals, and races folding, winter track racing does have its ... More....
They may sound like a lounge singing duet, but there's no schmaltz to these guy's mission; they're trying to build a career playing to that most ... More....
The best team pursuit rider, ever? With national, world junior, Commonwealth, world senior and Olympic titles to his name, Aussie, Luke Roberts ... More....
Here at Pez we pride ourselves on being on the case of who's up and coming - but sometimes even Pez misses the boat. The first we heard of Tom Faiers ... More....
The cheer from the cabin next door to ours - below the Grenoble velodrome - told us that the result Flanders had been holding its breath for, had ... More....
An epic day of rain, pain, and suffering is now behind me, and I’ve got the lactic acid as proof after suffering through a super-tough, 3-climb stage ... More....
Sometimes my best rides have been those with the least forethought, the least amount of time, the most luck, and just plain looking for the squiggly ... More....
Soup, on many levels, is one of the best things to eat this time of year. It’s warm, it’s a great way to stay full without over-eating (when ... More....
The Wounded Warrior Projects Soldier Ride provides rehabilitative cycling events for severely injured service members. Soldier Ride is not about ... More....
Race report: Alejandro Valverde stayed upright to seal his Vuelta victory – the first Grand Tour win of his career. On such a short stage, ... More....
Race Report: Today David Millar won his 5th stage in all his Vuelta’s, he was given one of the swords that Toledo is famous for along with the ... More....
John Murphy has been promising big things for a long while now. The rider has moved consistently up the ranks over the past six years starting as a ... More....
They call it the ‘World Championship of Six Days’ – Munich. And the 2009 winners were – Bruno Risi and Franco Marvulli (Switzerland) from world ... More....
It’s still the off season, but BMC are gradually plugging the holes in their 2010 race roster, while Lotto are trying to do the same for their 2010 ... More....
America will never be Belgium, but as of 2009, it does have its own hardman Classic. In its first professional edition, the Tour of the Battenkill ... More....
Here at PEZ, we adore the mud-filled fun of the cyclocross season, but it's an all too rare event to be able to cover the racing like we do during ... More....
I was at the coffee shop the other day answering questions about those funny gold cranks on my bike (which, during the winter when I am riding my ... More....
We love bike racing at PEZ. We really do. Just like our favorite pros though, there's a time at the end of every season for pause, a time for ... More....
