Mudguards don't actually keep you dry!

Hi,

Cycling through central London in the pouring rain in my work clothes on my Strida 2.5 soon made me realise that neither the front or rear mudguards are long enough to prevent water flicking up from the front wheels and I got soaked!! :frowning:

Therefore would you recommend the mudguard extensions that I found at the link below or can you fashion something out of a sawn in half plastic water bottle with any success?:

vanmoof.com/shop/catalog/product … cts_id=186

Also the rear mudguard isn’t fitted centrally and is too far to the right. Is this easy to space out using extra washers and a hairdryer to heat the mudguard and mould it into a different position?

Thanks,

Steve

Hello, I have a Strida LT and face the same issue: the original mudguard extension does not prevent my backpack to get dirty by the water & mud projections. Fortunately, the backpack prevents somehow my jacket to get dirty!

Are the mudguard extensions sold as accessories longer than the original ones?

Thanks,

Bietrume

Hi,

I think you will have more success with the standard mudguard extensions if you bend them. I discovered this by accident. Because of the conditions of my commute, I often lay my Strida down (when folded). When the bike is resting on the rear rack, you will notice that the mudguard gets pushed up and back.

If you do this often enough, the mudguard stays in this position – almost perpendicular to the tire instead of parallel. If you don’t have the patience to “train” your mudguard, you could probably just bend it. Maybe a hair dryer would help? :slight_smile:

I never get splashed by my rear tire now. I don’t have a mudguard extension on the front tire, but I have never had a splash problem at the front.

StridaD

Same here, the bottom tube catches most of it.

Tom

Hi,

Mini and me have discovered this problem too. Even in slight drizzle, we both end up covered in mud and dirt. Why did I buy a WHITE Strida? So we don’t go out in the rain.

That and the fact that the last time I was out in wet weather, I nearly killed myself my skidding in a few puddles.

I’m waiting for the weather to improve before Mini and I adventure out together again. We will be back, but only once it reaches double figures in the temperature charts.

Rapunzel. (In the meantime, my hair is still growing :smiley: ).

Hi StridaD,

I noticed indeed the memory effect of the rear mudguard extension because I put my Strida folded in the boot of my car. But since a few weeks I have taken care NOT to fold the mudguard extension backwards… which is problably why I now get a dirty backpack!

But as the extension is made of rubber, the memory effect doesn’t last very long. I might try to keep it folded upwards by using some straps.

Regarding the front wheel, the bottom tube catches indeed a lot of dirt, but my shoes still get some of it. I am working in a rural town where the cycle tracks are quite muddy.

Bietrume

I got a rubber mudflap / fender extension for the front (fits same as rear - but used some contact glue as I lost rear one). I also found, by accident, that having something in the rear rack thingy also can act as a fender extension :smiley: … good job strida is simple and easy to clean !

(this is an old topic and I’m necroposting, but I haven’t found any newer topic).

What are the current ideas in this endeavor to keep the back dry? =)
I think of using some glue to keep mudflaps ‘erect’ =), but haven’t tried anything yet…

Just days ago I’ve seen a completely different approach:

Ok, a thin strip cut out of the plastic (don’t let the color confuse you) bottle works fine for keeping the mudguard erect. Probably a part of aluminum can would have been even better for this purpose.

But while this significantly reduces the amount of grime on the backpack, it does not eliminate it completely.
Maybe because the mudguard is not aligned with the wheel (as described by Biggsy50 in the first post in this thread) - is it common problem or is it designed that way?
I’ll experiment further and update…