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Clip-on mudguards usually don’t wrap as much of the wheel as full-length mudguards, nor have the sides or front rubber flap. This means they don’t keep as much rain and spray off your body or bike. However, they do keep most of the water off and can make a huge difference on wet roads. They can easily be removed and stored in the garage during the summer. Depending on what kind of mudguards your bike can take, you’ll also want to consider what length of mudguard your bike should wear.
Though they might not seem like the most thrilling accessory, bike fenders/mudguards come in a variety of styles and sizes, as well as having different installment methods and intended uses. We chose top performers for mountain bikers, road cyclists, and people who want traditional mounting styles versus clip-on ones. These fenders come at range of price points, so there’s something for everyone, no matter what style of riding you’re doing throughout the rainy season. Where you’re planning on riding will have some bearing on what type of mudguards to look for. Portland Design Works Bike fenders are great for rainy or muddy rides, and can be popped on and off depending on conditions. There are several varieties of fenders to choose from, with models intended for different attachment points, sizing, and varying styles of bike. There are smaller, lighter models as well as more full-coverage ones, depending on conditions and your preferred style of riding. Some bikes come with fenders, and others you’ll have to buy aftermarket and install yourself.Mountain bikes, because of the huge variety of design thanks to factors like suspension and huge tyres, need a mudguard fitted very high above the wheel. The solution is a rear mudguard that clips onto the seatpost so the height above the wheel can be adjusted, and a front mudguard that's attached to the down tube. Your fender choice depends on your style of bike, though the ones we've covered are primarily intended for road riding or touring. Traditional bike fenders typically provide maximum wheel coverage—these are the models you want for touring bikes, commuter bikes, and road bikes. Whether or not you want a fender on your mountain bike comes down to personal preference. Fenders for mountain bikes will be shorter and accommodate for suspension and more varied riding terrain than their counterparts intended for other types of bikes. Material With that extra long coverage, our reviewer found that the Bontrager NCS fenders/mudguards offer more protection than many other ‘full-length’ mudguards. The rubber mudflaps at the ends of fenders further add to the length and help reduce road spray for your feet or friends, but these aren’t as long as we see on some other mudgaurd sets. The worse the conditions you ride in, the more you’re likely to benefit from long-coverage mudguards. Whatever the time of year, bicyclemudguards (or fenders) will protect you from road spray – leaving you drier, comfier and infinitely more presentable. As a bonus, they’ll also protect your bike and kit from wear, while saving anyone riding behind you from a face full of second-hand tyre gunk.
As the guards will be going on a bike that is also ridden ‘ sans fender’, the ease of fitting and removal is important, as is the speed and simplicity. We like a guard set to be easy to keep together off the bike. Too many parts to get lost or slide under the fridge are never a good thing. How we test Most bike fenders are made from either plastic or metal, with some utilizing both. Most bike fenders these days are made out of polycarbonate plastic, which is flexible, yet durable, and typically mounts more easily than metal versions. The struts aren’t as stiff as metal fenders, however, which means they can rub or jostle over bumpy terrain. Wet and muddy conditions can hamper your road cycling experience, covering both you and your bike in debris from tyre spray. The Pacific Northwest is famous for its wet weather, so it's no surprise that Portland Design Works makes some of the best fenders out there. Made from anodised aluminium, the PDW Full Metal fenders offer full wrap coverage and laser-etched graphics. Mudguards can even offer a performance advantage. Yes, really. By keeping you dry and comfortable, they allow you to train more effectively than if you’re wet and cold. By keeping as much of the water off your body as you can, you're going to be able to ride for longer, and faster, when the roads are wet.There are three widths available, and these 37mm wide mudguards are able to accommodate up to a 30mm tire. They looked in proportion when using a 28mm tire and there was a good amount of space to the side of the tire. That’s thanks to a full wrap of the tyre, protecting bike and rider from road grit and grime, durability provided by the hammered alloy material and the ability to work with a wide range of different tyres and wheel sizes, too. There’s a shiny stainless steel version available as well.
You should consider hybrid bike mudguards which are easily removable so that just like your adaptable bike you can change the mudguard set up depending on what you're planning to do. Look for fenders that have some contouring or a rounded shape, if they are too flat they won't offer all that much protection.
It’s a design that makes fitting and removing the guards themselves a doddle. There’s no need for tools or fixing mounts, and by following the easy-to-understand instructions provided on the box, both mudguards can be in place within minutes. Once installed, both will stay securely in place, while further removal and refitting is a less involved process than initial setup. We often have mudflaps on sale or in our outlet by top brands like Brooks, Bibia, SKS and Westphal. Made from robust polypropylene, these German mudguards have a feeling of quality about them. The front is easy to fit via rubber straps which loop around the fork.
If you’re in the market for a set of ‘proper’ mudguards then buy once and buy right would be our advice – and the Portland Design Works Full Metal Fenders are about as good as mudguards get. There are fenders / mudguards which do provide more coverage at a similar price - even within SKS’s own range, such as the SKS Longboards. If wet weather protection is most important to you, the choice between the two is pretty obvious. But there will be those who prefer the tidier looks of the Bluemels Basics. Mudguards stop water and dirt from your tyres spraying upwards over you, your bike, and anyone riding behind. The other advantage of these mudguards is that they offer the most protection to the bicycle. They keep all the water and mud away from the rim brake callipers (if your bike has them), which really don't like being dowsed in gritty water, and it's the same for the front derailleur. They also keep water away from a saddle bag and rear light that you might have attached to the saddle/seatpost, so that's another plus for mudguards. We hope that the information we’ve outlined in this guide will help you make a smart decision on which mudguards to buy- potentially enabling you to shop by bike type if, for example, you’re looking for gravel bike mudguards or cyclocross mudguards specifically.Mudguards are also a vital courtesy on group rides. Sit directly behind a bike that’s not fitted with mudguards on a wet ride and you’ll soon realise just how much water tyres can spray up. A long rear mudguard, preferably with a flap, keeps spray out of the face of the rider behind you. Many clubs and riding groups demand mudguards over the winter.
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