A Cycling & bikes forum. CycleBanter.com

Go Back   Home » CycleBanter.com forum » Regional Cycling » Australia
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Grit spatter on legs - what to do about it?



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old May 31st 11, 03:18 PM posted to aus.bicycle
Travis
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 231
Default Grit spatter on legs - what to do about it?

The last couple of weeks in Perth have been fairly wet. I've been
rained on quite hard, but the sand and other crap I get spattered with
matters more.

I've ordered some mudguards from eBay for the front and back wheel,
but a friend who used to live in the UK says bike shops over there
often sell plastic leg protectors to be worn specifically to try to
shield the legs from all that muck.

My current strategy is just to take a full change of clothes including
extra shoes to uni but if these leggings are any good that would save
some weight, plus I'd rather not get spattered in the first place
because it's really hard to quickly clean my legs up in the men's
bathroom and I'm never entirely grit-free when I put on my pants.

I really hope the mudguards will make a large difference, but my
experience with mudguards (my road bike has a seatpost fender)
indicates that they only provide modest protection and one way or
another I'm still going to get wet sandy shoes.

What solutions do you guys use?
Ads
  #2  
Old May 31st 11, 08:56 PM posted to aus.bicycle
Geoff Lock[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 475
Default Grit spatter on legs - what to do about it?

On 1/06/2011 12:18 AM, Travis wrote:
The last couple of weeks in Perth have been fairly wet. I've been
rained on quite hard, but the sand and other crap I get spattered with
matters more.


I've ordered some mudguards from eBay for the front and back wheel,
but a friend who used to live in the UK says bike shops over there
often sell plastic leg protectors to be worn specifically to try to
shield the legs from all that muck.

My current strategy is just to take a full change of clothes including
extra shoes to uni but if these leggings are any good that would save
some weight, plus I'd rather not get spattered in the first place
because it's really hard to quickly clean my legs up in the men's
bathroom and I'm never entirely grit-free when I put on my pants.

I really hope the mudguards will make a large difference, but my
experience with mudguards (my road bike has a seatpost fender)
indicates that they only provide modest protection and one way or
another I'm still going to get wet sandy shoes.

What solutions do you guys use?


I use plastic shopping bags wrapped around my feet and taped down with
electrical tape but the pedals sometimes rip holes in the bags and my
shoes get wet anyway. I have managed to work out how to pedal carefully
without ripping the bags and my feet have been dry the last coupla times
it's been raining. I simply rip off the old bags at the end of the ride.
I also carry spare bags and a roll of tape with me. Environmentally
unfriendly and the electrical tape costs money

Mudguards fitted just above the wheels, eg hanging off the front fork
and hanging just above the rear wheel will stop virtually all the spray
from the tyres. Well-worth the cost if you ride a MTB but as I ride a
road bike, mudguards kinda spoils the lines on my *ahem* racer and I
look less than Thor Hushovd so I don't use mudguards on my road bike - I
just live with the spray and pretend to look cool. Heheheheh!! Well as
cool as having shopping bags at the end of my feet will allow me

I am still trying to find the ideal wet weather gear myself as I
currently use a hodge-podge mismatched set consisting of a sorta
waterproof Adidas wind cheater top and sorta waterproof Rainbird pants.
My wet weather gear kinda works but I do still get a bit damp when it
buckets down. Once I start warming up under the wet weather gear, being
a bit wet doesn't really worry me. I just make sure I try to get to
somewhere warm and dry at the other end. Doesn't always work out in
which case I try to at least stay warm.

I used to have a problem with water seepage thru the seat of my wet
weather pants but I think it was Zeebee who suggested using a garbage
bag down the back, inside the pants and yes, it works a treat Now to
find some kinda spray which will put a rubberised skin on the inside
seat of my wet weather pants.

I am yet to master wet weather riding and staying completely dry whilst
still being reasonably aerodynamic but I am sure it must be possible
without too much hassle. I dunno, maybe some kinda coverall lightweight
waterproof suit with strong material for the soles where it contacts the
pedals. I think I am babbling again and not being very helpful to you
  #3  
Old May 31st 11, 11:16 PM posted to aus.bicycle
terryc
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 134
Default Grit spatter on legs - what to do about it?

Travis wrote:
The last couple of weeks in Perth have been fairly wet. I've been
rained on quite hard, but the sand and other crap I get spattered with
matters more.

I've ordered some mudguards from eBay for the front and back wheel,

IME, you need the full mudguards and flaps on the bottom(especially for
the feet).

Otherwise/in addition, rain pants.
  #4  
Old June 1st 11, 04:26 AM posted to aus.bicycle
Zebee Johnstone
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,960
Default Grit spatter on legs - what to do about it?

In aus.bicycle on Tue, 31 May 2011 07:18:00 -0700 (PDT)
Travis wrote:

I really hope the mudguards will make a large difference, but my
experience with mudguards (my road bike has a seatpost fender)
indicates that they only provide modest protection and one way or
another I'm still going to get wet sandy shoes.


Proper mudguards will make a big difference, whaletails not so much.

maybe a set of legwarmers? take 'em off when you get to uni.

A size large set of sock protectors from a farm shop? Those are the
elasticated legging things you sometimes see outdoor workers wear that
cover a chunk of shin down to the top of the boots to keep burrs and
cement out of your socks.

Zebee
  #5  
Old June 1st 11, 04:41 AM posted to aus.bicycle
Rob
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 107
Default Grit spatter on legs - what to do about it?

On 1/06/2011 1:26 PM, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
In aus.bicycle on Tue, 31 May 2011 07:18:00 -0700 (PDT)
wrote:

I really hope the mudguards will make a large difference, but my
experience with mudguards (my road bike has a seatpost fender)
indicates that they only provide modest protection and one way or
another I'm still going to get wet sandy shoes.


Proper mudguards will make a big difference, whaletails not so much.

maybe a set of legwarmers? take 'em off when you get to uni.

A size large set of sock protectors from a farm shop? Those are the
elasticated legging things you sometimes see outdoor workers wear that
cover a chunk of shin down to the top of the boots to keep burrs and
cement out of your socks.

Zebee


You can get these gaiters from Saddlery type shops as well. waterproof,
strap under the boot etc
  #6  
Old June 1st 11, 12:10 PM posted to aus.bicycle
Dave Hughes
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 228
Default Grit spatter on legs - what to do about it?

On Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:26:34 +0000, Zebee Johnstone wrote:

A size large set of sock protectors from a farm shop? Those are the
elasticated legging things you sometimes see outdoor workers wear that
cover a chunk of shin down to the top of the boots to keep burrs and
cement out of your socks.


I'd completely forgotten doing that a couple of years ago. It worked
pretty well, but the commute was so short that I tended to just wear full
overpants and not worry about getting sweaty.

--
Dave Hughes -
"If you're bored, find something and break it"
Jamie Rapson - 1996

  #7  
Old June 1st 11, 08:35 PM posted to aus.bicycle
Geoff Lock[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 475
Default Grit spatter on legs - what to do about it?

On 1/06/2011 12:18 AM, Travis wrote:
The last couple of weeks in Perth have been fairly wet. I've been
rained on quite hard, but the sand and other crap I get spattered with
matters more.

I've ordered some mudguards from eBay for the front and back wheel,
but a friend who used to live in the UK says bike shops over there
often sell plastic leg protectors to be worn specifically to try to
shield the legs from all that muck.

My current strategy is just to take a full change of clothes including
extra shoes to uni but if these leggings are any good that would save
some weight, plus I'd rather not get spattered in the first place
because it's really hard to quickly clean my legs up in the men's
bathroom and I'm never entirely grit-free when I put on my pants.

I really hope the mudguards will make a large difference, but my
experience with mudguards (my road bike has a seatpost fender)
indicates that they only provide modest protection and one way or
another I'm still going to get wet sandy shoes.

What solutions do you guys use?


Hmmm... my post didn't show up!!! Oh well, here it is again. Sorry about
that...

===begin===

I use plastic shopping bags wrapped around my feet and taped down with
electrical tape but the pedals sometimes rip holes in the bags and my
shoes get wet anyway. I have managed to work out how to pedal carefully
without ripping the bags and my feet have been dry the last coupla times
it's been raining. I simply rip off the old bags at the end of the ride.
I also carry spare bags and a roll of tape with me. Environmentally
unfriendly and the electrical tape costs money

Mudguards fitted just above the wheels, eg hanging off the front fork
and hanging just above the rear wheel will stop virtually all the spray
from the tyres. Well-worth the cost if you ride a MTB but as I ride a
road bike, mudguards kinda spoils the lines on my *ahem* racer and I
look less than Thor Hushovd so I don't use mudguards on my road bike - I
just live with the spray and pretend to look cool. Heheheheh!! Well as
cool as having shopping bags at the end of my feet will allow me

I am still trying to find the ideal wet weather gear myself as I
currently use a hodge-podge mismatched set consisting of a sorta
waterproof Adidas wind cheater top and sorta waterproof Rainbird pants.
My wet weather gear kinda works but I do still get a bit damp when it
buckets down. Once I start warming up under the wet weather gear, being
a bit wet doesn't really worry me. I just make sure I try to get to
somewhere warm and dry at the other end. Doesn't always work out in
which case I try to at least stay warm.

I used to have a problem with water seepage thru the seat of my wet
weather pants but I think it was Zeebee who suggested using a garbage
bag down the back, inside the pants and yes, it works a treat Now to
find some kinda spray which will put a rubberised skin on the inside
seat of my wet weather pants.

I am yet to master wet weather riding and staying completely dry whilst
still being reasonably aerodynamic but I am sure it must be possible
without too much hassle. I dunno, maybe some kinda coverall lightweight
waterproof suit with strong material for the soles where it contacts the
pedals. I think I am babbling again and not being very helpful to you

===end===
  #8  
Old June 1st 11, 08:37 PM posted to aus.bicycle
Geoff Lock[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 475
Default Grit spatter on legs - what to do about it?

On 2/06/2011 5:35 AM, Geoff Lock wrote:
On 1/06/2011 12:18 AM, Travis wrote:
The last couple of weeks in Perth have been fairly wet. I've been
rained on quite hard, but the sand and other crap I get spattered with
matters more.

I've ordered some mudguards from eBay for the front and back wheel,
but a friend who used to live in the UK says bike shops over there
often sell plastic leg protectors to be worn specifically to try to
shield the legs from all that muck.

My current strategy is just to take a full change of clothes including
extra shoes to uni but if these leggings are any good that would save
some weight, plus I'd rather not get spattered in the first place
because it's really hard to quickly clean my legs up in the men's
bathroom and I'm never entirely grit-free when I put on my pants.

I really hope the mudguards will make a large difference, but my
experience with mudguards (my road bike has a seatpost fender)
indicates that they only provide modest protection and one way or
another I'm still going to get wet sandy shoes.

What solutions do you guys use?


Hmmm... my post didn't show up!!! Oh well, here it is again. Sorry about
that...


DAMN!!! I am looking like an amateur here My post has shown up TWICE!!!

My apologies to all.
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
TT ya legs off JayWoo Australia 5 October 19th 06 01:32 AM
TT ya legs off gplama Australia 0 October 18th 06 01:09 PM
Where did my legs go? David Martin UK 3 February 21st 05 12:52 PM
"The Race: A Novel of Grit, Tactics & the Tour de France" Steven L. Sheffield Racing 0 August 9th 04 02:58 AM
These old legs PopeSamXVI Unicycling 8 June 14th 04 11:29 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:08 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CycleBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.