How to fit mudguards to Ribble bikes

When it comes to fitting mudguards, the two most popular options are:

1. Fit a pair of clip-on guards. While these may be easier to fit and remove, they rarely offer the same level of protection as traditional mudguards.
2. Fit full coverage guards. While they may be a little more fiddly to fit, the unmatched level of protection they offer makes them the gold standard when it comes to mudguards.

However, there may be one slight wrinkle with this plan. You see, mudguards have changed little in design in the last few decades. Which poses no problem if you own a rim-brake bike, but disc brake bikes are another matter entirely. To fit full length guards to this type of bike, you will need to exercise a little mechanical innovation.

Before deciding which mudguards to purchase, you must first determine if they will actually fit in your frame. For instance, Gravel and all-road bikes are designed to accept large-volume tyres. This renders a narrow mudguard useless, as it simply isn't wide enough to prevent all the crud and water from being sprayed up your back and over the bike.

Similarly, trying to attach a mudguard designed for wider tyres to an endurance road bike with limited tyre clerance is liable to end in abject failure. They simply won't fit in the frame. So, before you go parting with your hard-earned cash, check that they are the correct width for your tyre and frame combo. All mudguard manufacturers quote the tyre widths which a particular model is compatible with. Take the Ribble range for instance:

• Ribble 33mm mudguards = 23 - 28 mm tyres.
• Ribble 46mm mudguards = 30 - 40 mm tyres.

Assuming you now have the correct mudgards to suit the tyres and frame, let us delve into ther murky depths of how to fit them...

This graphic demonstrates the various mounting points for attaching a front mudguard to any of our current frameset models.

Most front mudguards will include an L-shaped bracket which is designed to allow it to be fitted to a rim brake caliper. This is surplus to requirements for the purposes of a disc brake bike and must be removed to facilitate it being bolted to the fork crown.

Please note, bracket removal is not required for rim brake equipped bikes.

The rear mudguard attaches in precisely the same way as the front. However, unlike the front, there isn't an L-shaped bracket to remove.

Whichever model you own will directly affect how a rear mudguard attaches to the frame. The graphic below illustrates how some frames feature a bridge between the seat stays and some don't. The frame material and how much tyre clearance it offers are the determining factors in whether there is a built-in bridge or not. Alloy and titanium frames will include one, but carbon won't.

If you own a Ribble SL R or SL carbon series of frame you will require a removable bridge that can be purchased in the frame spares section of our website. They are model specific, so please ensure that you order the correct one to match your frame. If you need assistance in determining which is correct, please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.

The majority of our alloy and titanium frames require the mudguard stays to be bolted to the outside of the frame in the dropout area. Our Endurance SL R and SL Series carbon frames, on the other hand, require the stays to be bolted to the rear of the seat stays. We've found that some adapters like these work best for such frames.

We hope this guide helps you ascertain how to fit mudguards to your Ribble bike. Please don't hesistate to get in touch should you require further guidance or assistance.

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