Buddy Flaps – Sharon’s Cross Check…

Front Buddy Flap…

I bought Sharon a set of Buddy Flap mud flaps for her Surly Cross Check more than a year ago and just managed to get my lazy butt in gear to install them.

The complete set…

They are long thick vinyl flaps with reflective stickers applied. I’ve used them on both my LHT’s and been happy with them. I like the fact they come down nearly to the ground at the front for complete splash protection. I also like the custom graphics. The flaps themselves are quite durable, but the reflective sticker can be damaged. I suspect the nice folks at Buddy Flaps would send you a new sticker set to fix any damaged ones, but I haven’t asked them yet.

Rear Buddy Flap…

You can get all sorts of graphic options on your Buddy Flaps including custom images/text. The package comes complete with all the hardware you need to mount them. You just drill some holes in your fenders and bolt them on.

The old mudflaps…

Her old mud flaps worked fine, which, is part of the reason it took me so long to get the new flaps installed. However, the new flaps do look a lot nicer.

A happy bike commuter…

I’m still of the opinion that given the reasonable cost a set of Buddy Flaps is a great upgrade for any fendered bike. This customized touch makes us smile every time we climb aboard.

Buddy Flaps Review

Buddy Flap on my Surly LHT…

I like fenders, but without mudflaps that reach near the ground fenders alone don’t cut it. The front one will still throw crap at your cranks/BB/rings as well as your feet. The rear fender will still treat the rider behind you to a brown shower of road grit. Neither is a good thing so if you are going to bother installing fenders finish the job with some mudflaps.

In the past I’ve used cut up milk jugs and rubber stair tread material to DIY mudflaps. This works and it’s cheap, but it’s also fairly F-UGLY. Then I found out about Buddy Flaps mudflaps. They make stock and custom mudflaps for your bike. I ordered a few sets and have been using them for about a year.

Buddy Flap on my Boulder Bicycle All Road rando rig…

They come in front and back sets with a longer and shorter option to suit different fenders. Just measure how far from bottom of each fender to the ground the nice folks at Buddy Flaps will get you the right length. Each set includes all the mounting hardware you need. You will have to drill your fender to install.

The Good:

• reasonable price ~$14
• custom options are fun
• nice and long [I like that!]
• excellent width for wide tires
• thick durable material [stay down better at speed to keep tire spray in control]
• reflective rear flap material for visibility

My 700c Surly LHT with Buddy Flaps…

The Bad

• fairly heavy compared to DIY options
• milk jugs are free and Buddy Flaps cost $14
• reflective material is glued on and will come off with hard use [flap is still 100%]

One of my rear flaps has totally lost the cool reflective material and is straight up black. The flap itself will last years of use as it’s made of very durable material, but expect to lose the reflective decal after a year or less of regular use. Buddy Flaps may replace the reflective decal, but I haven’t got around to asking.

Sharon’s Buddy Flaps that are going on her Cross Check…

Overall I like these flaps and the cool designs are fun. It would be nice if they lasted longer, but as long as the flap itself is durable I can live with the decorative part coming off. Ideally these buddy flaps should ship with an extra set of the decals since there is no way they’ll stay on for the long run.

If you don’t care about the decorative aspect of these flaps the DIY milk jug solution works just fine.