Crud Road Racer Fenders

My long-suffering Francesco Moser roadbike is now sporting some fenders. A 1970s racing bike that originally came with tubulars, the frame has very tight clearances, and the rear brake bridge is particularly low.  Even with 23mm tires it will not fit conventional fenders. That is why I wanted to try the Crud Road Racers - described as "mudguards for race bikes with minimum clearances." These fenders are rated to fit bikes with 4mm of clearance under the brake bridge. The Moser has just barely that.

Crud is an English company, and according to the packaging information the fenders are manufactured in Yorkshire, UK.  Crud has recently become a sponsor, but the fenders pictured are mine and not a complimentary sample. My discovery of the Road Racers is owed to local randonneur Pamela Blalock, who uses them on her main brevet bike and prefers them to other fenders she's tried. Pamela describes the Cruds as highly durable, easy to install and remove, and extremely lightweight - a combination of characteristics that appealed to me. On a pure roadbike with narrow tires, I do not want permanent fenders. But I do want the option of installing them on occasion. While temporary clip-ons exist, they are flimsy and do not provide adequate coverage. The appealing thing about Crud is that they are real, full coverage fenders with the same easy on/off versatility.

Being entirely unfamiliar with Crud fenders to start with, it took us some time to understand how they are put together and what the installation procedure is. There is a brief instructions manual and an online video that might be a good idea to watch before starting. But once you know it's done, I would say the process should take 15 minutes tops.  

The installation does not require any tools, and it does not require the hand strength to use real tools. Everything is affixed by hand using moderate pressure, with a combination of the plastic bolts, zip ties and rubber bands included in the kit. 

The fenders are modular - the blade in 3 parts, plus the stays -  making them easy to store and transport.

To install the fenders, the fork/stay attachment points are first installed using the double rubber bands provided. The fender is then partially assembled, slid under the brake bridge, and then the stays are attached to these points.

This is the attachment point for under the brake bridge. On some bikes it might be necessary to deflate the tire or remove the wheel to do this.

And here is the screw connecting the different parts of the blade. 

Zipties are used to affix the fender to the brake bridge.

And also to affix the rear fender to the seat tube, above the front derailleur. 

At the point where the fender attaches to the seat tube, there are two sets of holes that the zip-tie can go through, and we managed to tear one of them when adjusting the fender, so be aware. This point of attachment should be the last step, after the fender's position is set.

This part of the fender provides extra coverage. The clearances are tight here and it's close, but does not interfere with the derailleur.

As part of the installation, Crud provides these fuzzy adhesive pads to guard the tire from rubbing the fender directly.

Here they are peaking out from the sides.

The rear of the front fender is very close to my toe, but there does not seem to be overlap with my feet strapped in.

The front part of the front blade is a little skimpy compared to the rest of the fenders, but otherwise the coverage they provide is excellent.

Aesthetically, I think the Cruds look elegant and appropriate on a racy roadbike. When fitting bikes like this with fenders, the classic ones don't really look right and the clip-on ones are extremely ugly. To my eye, these look just right. And if you want to make them fancy, they can even be painted. 

The clearance under the rear brake bridge on my Moser is only borderline adequate for these fenders and I am still deciding whether it's a good idea to use them regularly. But I will definitely use them on my new roadbike, where the clearances will be sufficient.

If the fit is right, I think the design is great for road/racing bikes that have tight clearances and no eyelets, or where you simply do not want the commitment of metal fender installation. While I can't speak for the fenders' durability at this stage, I am pleased with their full coverage, easy installation and removal, light weight, and subdued appearance. More pictures here.