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We’ve all been there. You’re out on a leisurely cycle around the country, or riding your way through the city on your way to or from work. Suddenly, the heavens open, and before you know it, you’re caught in a downpour.
Puddles to start to form on increasingly muddy stretches of road. But no matter – you’ve protected yourself and your bike from the dirt with a solid, dependable bicycle fender.
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Below, we’ve listed eight brilliant cycle mudguards of different types and at affordable prices, so you too can keep yourself and your bike clean on less accommodating rides with your ideal mud guard.
Whether it’s mudguards for hybrid bikes, road bike mudguards, folding bike mudguards, push bike mudguards, quick-release bike mudguards, or mudguards for 20-inch wheels, you’re bound to find the perfect protection here.
What Are Bicycle Fenders?
Fenders are, as we alluded to earlier, mud guards for your bike. You’ll need them if you want to help prevent coating yourself and your bike in puddle splashes, or in a horrible shade of dirt.
Sure, they may seem unnecessary when riding in fair, dry weather, but unless you live in a desert, you’ll eventually discover what an enormous differences they make when cycling on waterlogged, dirty or even snowy roads.
Indeed, riding in damp conditions without fenders will spray your chain, derailers and brakes with dirty, muddy water, which will often be mixed with gasoline residue. This can be extremely detriment to your bike’s components parts – so don’t take that risk. Equip yourself with the best mudguards possible.
Best Bike Splashguards
In this guide, we’ll look at the best bike mudguards, including:
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Best Clip-On Mudguards
Perfect for bikes which don’t have fender eyelets, clip-on fenders are a cheap mudguard which will still cover most, if not all, of the essentials as far as a good mudguard is concerned.
They’re also easier and quicker to swap between bikes, rather than a more traditional solid set of fenders which may be ‘better’, but will also be bolted to your bike frame and fork. Here are what we consider the best clip-on fenders:
1. Ass Savers Regular – Black (Rear)
The first of two clip-on recommendations from the wonderfully-named ‘Ass Savers’. this black fender is as simple and effective as they come.
It adds hardly any extra weight to your bike and is easy to mount with a few light folds. And while it may not be the best choice if you’re cycling in your suit on the way to work, it’s great if you’re kitted out in cycling gear in some old clothes that you don’t mind getting a little dirty. Still, though, much if not all of the dirt will be avoided.
2. Ass Savers Mudder Mini (Front)
Our second Ass Savers shout-out, the Mudder Mini, is similarly easy to mount and secure to your bike thanks to its adjustable anti-slip straps, and again, are among the best lightweight mudguards at just 21 grams.
These clip-on road bike mudguards are also greatly versatile, fitting all fork sizes easily and seamlessly, and does an excellent job at keeping your face and headset bearings free of spray and grime.
Just mount to the fork legs just above your front tyre and the amount of spray in your bike’s most important areas will dramatically reduce straight away.
Best Front Bicycle Fenders
The longer the front mudguard, road bike or otherwise, the better chance your feet will have of staying dry. If you’re looking for a bike front mudguard which might offer a little more in the way of sturdiness, these two are the way to go:
3. Topeak Front Fender (£19.99)
This black bicycle splash guard from Topeak boasts a highly-polished underside, which helps prevent a build-up and keeps your bike far cleaner than it would be without it.
Ideal for 29″ mountain bike tyres but compatible with all standard front forks including reverse arch designs, its unique quick-release attachment system allows for a perfect fit on to the front of the bicycle.
4. SKS Black Front Mudguard (£16.99)
This SKS bicycle front fender is similarly light and one of the best universal mud guards, offering compatibility with disk brakes and fitting aero forks.
It also includes an adhesive protection kit to prevent damage to its artwork – so it can still look the part while quite literally doing the dirty work.
Best Rear Bike Mudguards
5. Zefal RM90+ Deflector Mudguard
We’d also point you in the direction of this rear mudguard from Zefal, which weighs 238g and, while designed primarily for mountain bikes with wider tyres, these are also among the best road bike mudguards, and will quickly screw on to all seats measuring between 25 and 32 mm.
Its over-moulded flap offers a particularly large area of protection, while its reflective ring provides enhanced visibility.
Best Bicycle Mudguard Sets
Simple after bicycle mudguards that are really a jack of all trades? Take a look at these two sets of fenders for bikes:
6. TAGVO Retractable Bike Mudguard (£10.99)
Made of durable, environmentally-friendly material, this TAGVO bike fender is portable and adjustable, so you can fold in sunny weather, and stretch back out when the rain starts falling.
It can fit any front fork hole bigger than 18mm in diameter, and any rear with diameter bigger than 26mm, and thanks its little Allen wrench, fitting to or removing it from your bike is as easy as can be.
Its wide, lengthy designed will do a sterling job of protecting your bike from mud and rain, and the fenders themselves are easily washable, too.
7. RideGuard MTB Front PF1 + Rear PF2 Set
Available in a range of eye-catching designs, RideGuards clip-on mudguards are made from 100% recycled plastic and take just seconds to attach to your bike, with no tools required.
The front PF1 guard fits wheel sizes from 24-29″, as well as Plus Size and Fat Bike wheels that are up to 3″ wide. The guard fits all suspension forks with a forward facing fork brace.
The rear PF2 guard, meanwhile, is secured beneath your saddle – and fits all standard rail saddles and even compatible bags.
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