Product Review - Crud Catcher Road Racer Mk 2

[PaulE]

A month or so ago in the Roadbikerider.com e-mail I saw a Jim Langley review of Crud Catcher Road Racer Mk 2 fenders for road bikes. They sounded like just what I was looking for so a friend and I each ordered a pair.

The fenders go on easily with re-usable/removable zip ties and o-rings. I put them on my Legend with 700x25 Continental Gatorskins, which fit. The only interference the fenders have with these bigger tires is the new tire nubs that will eventually wear off.

I took my first ride with the fenders on today. They are full fenders and work very well. They stay in place and don't rattle either.

If you want a set of fenders for your road bike which doesn't have fender eyelets or any other provision for fenders, I highly recommend the Crud Catchers.

[oldpotatoe]

What I found was with such small clearances, every little piece of 'crud'(get it!!) the tires picked up scrapped the crap outta these fenders AND I found them to fit loosely and that were constantly making noise. Maybe I had the MK1 but I took mine off after one ride.

[Lifelover]

What I found was with such small clearances, every little piece of 'crud'(get it!!) the tires picked up scrapped the crap outta these fenders AND I found them to fit loosely and that were constantly making noise. Maybe I had the MK1 but I took mine off after one ride.

Ditto. I have very, very, very little experience with fenders but the one thing I did learn is that running them with tight clearance is problematic.

YOu may find that you need to run them with 23s

[richpur]

One of those cases where practicality and aesthetics collide. I'll think I prefer flying crud and a wet back. :beer:

[sjbraun]

After I saw the weather forecast, I bought pair of SKS Race Blades prior to last year's Gran Fondo Colnago in San Diego. Boy, was I glad I did. We road in pouring rain for 5 1/2 of the 6 hours it took us to ride the event. Unlike all my fenderless pals, my backside stayed clean.

I think the SKS mounting system is easier to use than the one used on Crud Catchers, no zip ties to mess with. I can install or remove both fenders in less than a minute. They work well on my Pegoretti and I've even used them on my commuter that uses 33mm Jack Browns.
Living in Tucson, I don't get caught riding in the rain often, but these go on so easily, I use them when roads are wet (we seem to get a lot of rain at night,) or if there is a hint of rain in the forecast.

Steve-who will leave the Race Blades at home this morning

[lurpy]

One data point on durability; a riding buddy broke his front mk2 laying down the bike while repairing a flat. :crap: The eyelet on the strut broke up by the fender.

By his own admission he was trying to work fast (big group waiting on a freezing day) and could have been more careful laying the bike down, but it sure didn't take much.

[michael white]

I've used Race Blades for years. I always thought that they were a good compromise. Actually, after riding for the past six months with full aluminum fenders from a prominent marketer, I think Race Blades are better: no noise, lighter, easy on and off. What's not to like? Not as pretty, perhaps, but then, they come off in a second. Crud Mk 2 should be just as good if not better.

[bike22]

man, i am so skeptical on this product. i can't believe that it works well and doesn't rattle.
maybe i'll buy a set and see for myself.

[benner]

I have a set of these on my rain bike. (ok, I only have one bike)
I would say these fenders do the job, but crap gets caught in the low clearance and they are not quiet. However, it's not bad enough for me to take them off and they were inexpensive.

[yatescc]

I've had a set for about a year now. I only use them in the late fall/early spring. They're reasonable effective in keeping the water off your back. They are definitely not silent, but the noise of the guides rubbing along the rim doesn't bother me. The best part was that they were cheap.

[Auk]

Very few fenders are dead silent if made from plastic. I used the Mk1 all of last winter and spring, loved them. The Mk2 look to be a huge improvement on the rear coverage on following riders and the back of the seattube.

[PaulE]

I like that they are full fenders, there is plenty of clearance between the brush guides and my Open Pro rims, and the only noise is from the new tire nubs rubbing the inside of the fender. My downtube's underside and seattube's backside were pretty clean after a dirty ride. The rear fender also has some extra protection for the front derailleur. After riding through a puddle, they are noisier until the tires dry off. It is not a lot of noise and will be good for the winter. My friend has them on his bike with 700 x 23 tires and they are really quiet on his bike.

At under $35 delivered to my door from Probikekit, if I only get one winter out of them I'll be satisfied but I think they will last longer for me. YMMV.

[yashcha]

I have both the mk and the mk2 and the design improvements of the mk2 is quite noticeable. They were much easier to adjust and the coverage in the back is long enough that riders behind you do not get irritated.

I could not use the front one because there is too much toe overlap and it broke off on the first ride. Also make sure the little screws are on tight because they can come loose on rough road.

I have been using these on everyride since it seems to rain almost everyday here in Belfast. Also we have a ton of grit, sud, and muddy stuff on our roads and the fenders are constantly making some sort of a buzzing or humming noise.

Maybe I just need to wash my bike...
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f331/yashcha/84bb89b0.jpg

[crownjewelwl]

I bought a pair of Mk2s for the winter. Installation was pretty straight forward. The trouble I had was that my front Campy brake would push the fender down enough to make contact with the tire no matter how much I adjusted it. I corresponded with Mr. Crud who sent me a picture (I think from Velodramatic) of using fishing line to hold up the front of the fender (also with Campy brakes). I opted to simply use a hacksaw and cut off the front.

So I don't have any coverage up front, but they still serve their purpose. Once you get over the disconcerting noise of crud making its way through, I think they work pretty well.

Better than having nothing!

[rpm]

Bontrager has a new line of fenders that look interesting to me.

http://bontrager.com/products/accessories/fenders

There's the Nebula that is a quick-on-and-off and then there is the "Approved" and the "NCS" which look like they have come up with different methods of adjusting the seatstays from the typical plastic fender.

I really dislike dinking with the seatstay attachments on the usual plastic fenders. I've seen only the NCS model in my Trek shop. It has adjustments in the middle of the stay that avoid having those ugly stay ends poking out from the fenders.

Fenders are one bike component that could use some real innovation. We're using 70-year old designs and they're a pain to deal with.

[trangalang]

I had a set the MK2's on my GT Edge. Clearances were tight for the rear, and I wasn't able to have the piece that sits behind the seat tube to set properly without rubbing my rear tire. I had a flat on my clinchers so threw on my tubulars to test fit them (21c opposed to my 23c clinchers).

Installation was pretty straight forward. The front fender piece that sits behind the front tire wasn't tucked in far enough, but I fixed it after taking the picture :crap:

http://i745.photobucket.com/albums/xx94/trangalangalang/P1060333.jpg?t=1294091377

I took them out on one ride on my 23c gatorskins before deciding that they're just not cut out for my bike. The rear piece would stay pretty well, and I didn't have any problems with any dirt/rain/mud spewing up on my back. Although I cannot share any experiences with the piece that's supposed to shield my drivetrain (I can imagine it to work fairly well though).

As for the front piece, even after correctly adjusting the piece that sits behind the tire, I wasn't able to have it fit perfectly with my bike. I guess it had to do with my bladed fork; the plastic pieces that rests against the fork was sitting on a sharp point causing it to sway side to side. I mean, the fenders did their job and shielded the water great, but they would just not stay put. After 20 or so miles, the front fender just wouldn't stay still. Even after re-adjusting them, I couldn't find a way for the front fender to fit without constantly hitting the sidewalls of my wheels with the fork that was on my bike. I'm pretty sure that If I had a rounded fork, I would've kept them. Ended up selling them to a great friend of mine, and they seem to be working out for him.