Grouptest - Mountain Bike Mud Guard: Part 1
4 December 2012 | By AngusMcIntoshMud guards aren't the best looking or most streamlined component that you put on your bike but during the winter you'd be mad to overlook putting on mudguards in some form. Mudguards are there to fulfill one goal and one goal only... to keep muck and dirty water out of your face, mouth and eyes so it's easier and altogether more comfortable to ride your bike.
We have taken some of the most popular mudguards in existence today from prestigious brands such as Crud with their 9th generation down tube mounted "Crud Catcher" right up to present day designs from Mucky Nutz with the fork mounted Bender Fender and rear moto style fenders from Topeak to give you a helping hand when it comes to choosing the number 1 solution when it comes to staying mud free and may even leave you with a tiny amount of style credibility when out on the trails, but no promises...
Crud Catcher
The first version of the front crud catcher was born when Pete Tomkins Mr Crud himself decided that he wanted a more stylish option for keeping the crud out of his face that wasn't a milk carton strapped to the down tube on his shinny new bike. He contacted a tool maker and hey presto the Crud Catcher was born! Most mountain bikers have used the legendary product in some form or another and this mk.9 version we have on test here is the latest and greatest with a flexible rubber nose and rubber frame pads for even easier and quicker fitting.
Fitting this on our Lapierre Test bike it was a struggle with the cable routing going along the downtube of the bike. The Crud Catcher mud guard is designed for round profile tubes and consequently didn't fit perfectly on the bike but with some perseverance I eventually found a solution for fitting.
In terms of mud stopping capabilities. The Crud Catcher is absolutely great and it doesn't even look to shabby on your pride and joy.
Race Guard
The Race Guard was designed with 1 bolt fitting the goal, for both simplicity and speed of fit. Just like the crud catcher it has evolved with time into this model that we have on test here but still maintains the original values and design from the first prototype on day 1.
Fitting the race guard was a real pain fitting on our test bike with the lower part of the Reverb seat posts 31.3 mm diameter and the 6 inches of travel meaning the guard had to have 6 inches of clearance from the tyre as to stop the guard tagging the wheel in the event of a bottom out. Even with the amazing simplicity of the 1 bolt fitting system I wouldn't recommend putting this on any kind of modern full suspension trail or enduro bike.
I really didn't get on well with the Race Guard and found it more of an annoyance with it forever bouncing of the back wheel under suspension compression.
The Race Pac from Crud Products consists of the famous Crudcatcher front fender and the rear race guard all in a handy pack that comes in at a bargain £19.99.
Crud Fast Fender
The Crud Catcher Fast Fender was developed in conjunction with Steve Peat as a solution for a handlebar mounted front fender that if your so inclined can have a race number plate directly attached. A pretty novel idea that also combats the need for many different attachment brackets as every single bike has a set of handlebars!
The Fast Fender can be installed on both 31.8mm and 25.4mm diameter handlebars with the rubber shims supplied but it is a little fiddly with a small allen key bolt and a nut that I nearly lost on multiple occasions. I found the best way was to flip the bike upside down and then crawl around on my hands and knees as I attempt to tighten the bolt without the nut falling out... Not exactly ideal but once it's on it's very easy to adjust and remove when the winter has passed.
Not exactly a looker but when it gets really wet this thing will keep all the mud and slop out of your face that you can throw at it!
Mucky Nuts Bender Fender
The Mucky Nuts Bender Fender is essentially a single sheet of plastic that is bent around the inside of the arch in-between the fork stanchions facing backwards extremely close to the tyre to catch the mud flinging into your face before it even gets up to speed. It's compatible with nearly every fork on the market, weighs next to nothing at 22g and only costs 9 quid. It can even be mounted on the rear of some bikes to stop mud getting in the shock and front mech. It's a true fit and forget solution for mud guards and it doesn't even look too shabby either!
Initial fitting of the fender bender is a bit fiddly with the plastic forever trying to spring back straight and having to measure and cut the velcro to hold it in place was a bit of a pain but once the guard has been in situe for a week or so it holds some of it's curved shape therefore making re-fitting a 60 second job.
One of the best out there for stopping the mud before it picks up speed and it's quite the looker!
Buy Mucky Nuts Bender Fender Here
Mucky Nuts Bender Fender XL
The Mucky Nutz Bender Fender (XL) is essentially an extra large version of the original bender fender that offers even more protection than the original as essentially it's double the size. This XL model lends itself more to rear mounting with it's increased size but still functions when used at the front. It is attached using hook and loop velcro straps that you cut to size yourself to ensure perfect fit on most bikes and can easily be removed and cleaned. and as an extra bonus your getting nearly twice as much coverage for the £11 price tag only £2 more than the standard Bender Fender.
I had the same issues fitting this XL version as the standard Fender Bender with the guard trying to spring back to flat again. The XL guard was even more springy than the standard model making it harder still to hold it in place during attachment but once again re-installation is a sub 60 second job!
A supersized version of the awesome Muck Nutz Bender Fender that catches even more mud... Say no more!
Buy Mucky Nuts Bender Fender XL
Rapid Racer Products Neoguard.
The Rapid Racer Products Neoguard is a super lightweight neoprene mudguard that attaches between your fork crown and the arch on your fork lowers. It's designed to be as lightweight and minimal as possible as well as being super fast and easy to fit and durable when washed with chemicals and even a jet wash best of all when it comes to the end of the winter you can stick it in the washing machine on a 40 degree cycle and then forget about it until next winter.
The idea behind the neoguard is that no mud will stick to the guard and weigh you down as every time the fork compresses it will shake the mud that was stuck clear maintaining the guards 20g weight.
Fitting the Neoguard is a 2 minute job straight out of the packet. simply fasten the velcro straps and your ready to roll. It's both simple and small enough to keep rolled up in your pack and if your caught out in the rain stop trailside and whack it on to keep the mud from your eyes!
The Neoguard is a pretty novel solution and you see quite a lot of people running them out on the trails and at downhill races for the simple reason that they work! the only downside to the neoguard is clearance between the velcro and your tyre especially if your running a wet weather spike tyre on some forks. But there is no doubt this simple innovation keeps the mud from your face as well as any other option out there!
Lightweight and reasonably effective but started to clog up when it got really mucky and never really cleared as it was supposed to.
Buy Rapid Racer Products Neoguard
Stay tuned for the conclusion of our Mud Guard group test with more offerings from Mucky Nutz, Powa Products, Cycra Guard and Topeak.
