Joined in 2023 
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63 About this deal
Debs - I must admit, I did consider the Race Blades on a recent visit to an Evans store, but it seemed to me that the bracing pieces that rest on the rear stays would also have the same problem as I have with the Crud RoadRace Mk3 because of the peculiar way the rear stays twist. They don't present a single flat/curved face to any mounting system. I agree that the SKS post sales support is excellent so I may get in touch with them, then again I may simply accept that the guard is simply fixed which is somewhat ironic given the failings of the mk1. If you do lots of group riding I would defo suggest the defy guards as you will not spray sh!t all over your colleagues best glasses and kit! I have these and they are very good...BUT in fixing the previous problem when the guards tended to become unclipped they have made the fixing a bit too good. I have one guard that will come off but the other one will not unclip for love nor money. I must have spent an hour last night (with assistance as well) and we simply could not remove the front wheel longer guard from its clip. In the end I had to resort to removing the clip (with guard attached) by carefully unscrewing the brake bolt and then threading the clip through the bridge (which was all a little awkward with the guard in place). Ultimately, products are only as good as an individual finds them. I look forward to the mk3 version
In terms of price, they do retail at the more premium level. However the SKS Raceblade Pro XL are often available cheaper online and offer better protection than any other clip-on mudguards which are equally universally compatible but use different attachment solutions.
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When all that's said though, they're absolutely miles better than nearly every other solution for your road bike. The other full length option worth looking at is the Crud Roadracer and it's horses for courses. These 'guards are much more sturdy and easy to take on and off if you like to make a mudguard decision on the day. The Roadracers are lighter but fiddlier to get fitted, though they do protect you brakes from spray and extend further down behind the rear wheel. If SKS do some work on making the mounts less obtrusive then they'll be even better.
All mudguards rub from time to time but these SKS units are better than most thanks to the sturdy construction. The tight fit around the tyre meant the odd bit of sidewall rub on the climbs, but that's more down to flex in the wheel than any issue with the mudguard itself. My trusty old kitchen scales show the Crud mk2s are way under 200grams and the SKS RaceBlades XL are way over 400 grams. Alas on the first decent sized puddle in the road, which I rode in to at normal speed, circa 20kph with traffic in front and behind the front mudguard was overwhelmed and ripped off the duotech fixing, flinging it behind me and being run over by several cars.Having used the mudguards over many rides and on notoriously potholed Herefordshire roads, there has been no sign of movement in the mudguards and they haven’t hit the wheels when riding - which I wasn’t expecting. Fitting the guards is fairly straightforward but they're not the easiest; I found the plastic covers for the stay ends a bit bothersome and they're no better functionally than a simple rubber end cap. A decent set of bolt cutters makes chopping the stays to size a simple job. Once they're on, they're on; these aren't the kind of mudguards you throw on on a whim. You need half an hour to do a decent job of it and get everything nice and tight. Sloucher wrote: Debs - I must admit, I did consider the Race Blades on a recent visit to an Evans store, but it seemed to me that the bracing pieces that rest on the rear stays would also have the same problem as I have with the Crud RoadRace Mk3 because of the peculiar way the rear stays twist. They don't present a single flat/curved face to any mounting system. I assume you mean Crud? If so I'm surprised you didn't like them, as I've been using Crud Roadracer 2s since last September and have been very happy with them. Certainly, they're vastly superior to the SKS Raceblades they replaced. See my report below: Seems the only model that might fit doesn't have any protection for behind the seat tube. Maybe able to use the remains of my old Crud mk2 rear mudguard to fill that gap though
I really do like how the SKS Raceblade Pro XL Stealth fit so securely - as well as having such good adjustability - without the need for specific mudguard attachment points. I was even able to fit these to my time trial bike for a bit of added protection, and I was able to get the mudguards to fit totally fine.
RACEBLADE PRO SET
The P35 version that I tested is rated for a 20-28mm tyre (they're available for up to 60mm tyres) but a 28mm would be a real squeeze as the 25mm Zaffiros on my bike were pretty snug. Pretty snug meant barely any spray though; the profile of the Chromoplastics does a super job of keeping you dry and they're a sensible length too. I've broken several bits, generally through being an idiot. SKS customer service always came through, replacing broken parts free of charge every time. There's a five-year warranty for manufacturing defects as well. The great customer service makes SKS owners fiercely loyal to the brand and its products – pretty much everyone in my local club now runs RBLs, and whether or not they can be mounted is a key consideration come new bike time"
The SKS Raceblade Pro XL Stealth Series is a good fender/ mudguard which can be fitted to near enough any road bike frame and offer clearance for wider tyres up to 32mm which are now commonplace on road bikes.So are these the perfect clip-ons to protect your best bike from the ravages of the unpredictable British weather? Well, nearly. Functionally they're pretty much there, but I think there's some work to be done on the presentation before they'll be on every sportiviste's list. The dropout mounts especially are pretty crude, and there's no way you'd leave them on your posh bike. The brake mounts are less obvious but could still do with a bit of tidying up. The under-brake section is the other issue; some bikes won't have clearance for a guard strip there but many will, so it's a shame SKS don't offer some kind of under-brake guard as an option. Flygod, my fork and seatstays don't have mudguard eyes, how can I put the Giant Defy mudguards on? Do you know if they require specific mudguard eyes or are the kind of clip-on mudguards?
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