Not being as old as old Mick or even older old Doug ! I'm certainly no authority, but up here in the far far northern reaches of Great Britain where it's wet all the time, and we are not known for exaggeration...
Anyone not old enough to race, riding a "racer" immediately ripped off the guards- much to their fathers disgust - and had aspirations to be anyone from Anquetil thro to Merckx. Mudguards were for old folks three-speeds and you were classified as being either a sissy or a girl.
anyone old enough to race wouldn't have been seen dead racing with guards fitted for fear of being known as the club "Gringo"... How on earth could you get a reputation for being a hard rider when you worried about getting the famous streak up the back of your jersey... If you were a "Gringo" that would have been your World Champions jersey...
Funnily enough those short aluminium guards made a fleeting appearance on some "real" racing machines, but only until everyone realised they were about as much use as an ashtray on motorbike, chocolate teapot, chocolate fireguard etc. etc. Great for keeping dog poo off your brakes though.
Bob Reid Stonehaven Scotland...
http://www.flying-scot.co.uk (mapped)