Well actually let's not and that is why mudguards were invented. Every autumn and winter the same subject comes up in every cycling club . Mudguards, there style, size, fixing, mud flap design and always, always, when to use them and should you use them. Riding a bike is great but getting wet and muddy is not so good. Mudguards will protect you, your bike, your brakes and wheel rims and of course your fellow riders. Riding in a group in winter is a great way of sharing the load, rotating around and all taking some of the head wind and adverse weather. However, if the rider in front does not have mudguards then you will get very wet and very muddy from a torrent of water and muck spray. The Shropshire lanes are a fantastic way to explore our county but in the winter months they can be very muddy and very dirty. So please consider not just yourself but more importantly your fellow riders. Also, you could add a homemade mud flap to the rear mudguard because they are never long enough and the longer the better, as the saying goes.... Keep dry and keep cleaner with a riding group that has full length mudguards and mud flaps when necessary and if not please don't be offended if you are asked to ride at the back of the group. (Peter C Dec 19)

If you ask ten people how to clean a bike you will get ten very different answers so this is number eleven, the way I clean my bike that works for me and may also for you. Light spray with a hose the while bike to remove loose mud, but never spray into any bearings such as wheels, crank, headset or cassette. Use a soap cleaner such as Muc Off pink and spray the whole bike then brush to work into all areas. Use the light hose spray to wash off the cleaning agent residue. Use kitchen roll paper towel to dry the bike but not the cassette, chain or derailleur at this point. Make sure there are no pools of water on any bearings. Use a clean piece of paper towel on each side of the disc rota if fitted. Clean the rota until the kitchen roll is clean after use. Now the drive chain. Use a rag, the same rage each time, to dry the chain and remove old oil and grease. Run it along the top length vigorously then rotate the crank to clean the next length of chain. Repeat until all the chain is clean and dry on all four sides. Use the same rag or paper towel to touch dry the cassette, derailleur and crank. Lubricate the chain link by link with a small drop of appropriate oil, I use Muc Off C3 Wet on the winter bike and C3 Dry on the summer bike. Apply a drop on each derailleur jockey wheel bearing. Run the chain up and down the cassette by changing gear. I like to polish off water marks on the frame and use Mr Sheen polish but not on wheel rims, brakes or disc rotas. That’s it, except that every couple of months I remove the rear wheel and clean the cassette with a de-greaser spray, vigorous rubbing with a brush and rinsing off with a fine hose spray. The cassette cleaning should be done with the wheel angled down so water runs off the cassette and not back into the bearings and free hub. Spin off excess water and dry with kitchen roll.

(Peter Crinson Jan 20)