Stop us if this has happened to you before; you get home after an excellent day out, but wet trails have left you and your bike looking a bit like a swamp monster, and your significant other won't let you in the house until you clean up, resulting in a frigid spray down with the hose — just us?
If the trails are muddy where you live, a fender or mudguard will catch some of the water and dirt thrown off your wheels, keeping you and your bike cleaner and lighter after a ride.
While you could take an old tube, chop it up and zip tie one end to your fork crown and the other to the fork arch; viola, you have a homemade mudguard. However, the purpose-built models available for only a few bucks are considerably more effective, and some are even pretty snazzy-looking in appearance.
Syncros Trail Fender
Clean Solution if you have Fox Forks
Ever wondered what those little bolt holes on the back of the fork arch on your Fox 34/36 are for? We're not totally sure, but Syncros has made good use of them with its trail fender. Made from impact-resistant polypropylene, the Trail Fender bolts directly onto the fork with two included Torx bolts, for rattle-free coverage.
Unfortunately for RockShox, Marzzoci, and MRP fork folks, the Trail Fender is only designed for Fox 34 and 36 forks with Boost spacing — there is a separate version for the 34 Step-Cast.
Mudhugger FRX
Hardshell Fender Designed for Speed
The hard plastic Mudhugger FRX is made from 100 per cent recycled polypropylene and is designed to fit everything from 26-inch wheels and tyres all the way up to a 29 x 3.0in. The side braces attached to the fork legs with zip ties or velcro should you want to remove it when you get back to the car.
The FRX version comes forward a bit further to stymie spray at higher speeds, the faster you ride the further forward on the wheel mud sprays. Weighing 80g the fender measures 450mm, and there are three mounting positions. It clears mud pretty well too but can sit a bit close to the tyre on some forks.
RockShox MTB Fender
Simple, subtle and looks good
This front fender from RockShox is a very simple design that mounts with zip ties and helps to keep mud, water and debris off the down tube, the stanchions and of course, your face. It’s compatible with all RockShox forks, is very easy to install and at 10 inches long, gives just enough coverage to let you ride through wet, muddy conditions to your heart’s content.
The aesthetic itself is subtle. The black fender comes with 12 color options for the RockShox logo, so you’re bound to find something that matches your bike.
All Mountain Style Front Mudguard
Incredible range of colors and graphics
With the simple design and lack of zip ties included, the main reason to buy this fender from All Mountain Style is for its looks. There are a whopping 23 color and graphic options to choose from, so there’s bound to be something to suit all personalities.
Choose from simple block colors and patterns, or go all-out with an animal graphic, like a bear, pitbull or tiger. Plus the fender has been treated with a special varnish to prevent the graphic from getting scratched. This one’s all about the looks!
Mucky Nutz Full Face
Contoured Flexible Mud Fender
While MarshGuard was an early player in the flexible fender game, Mucky Nutz was the first with the Bender Fender. The Full Face is an evolution of the original; starting out flat, with clever folds which give it some contouring that follows the shape of your wheel to provide better protection when it's attached to your bike.
The guard pops out in front of the fork arch, and the fender comes with reusable velcro straps for mounting. Installing the mudguard is a fiddly process, so if this is the fender for you, grab a second set of hands.
Blackburn Barrier
Customisable Coverage Mudguard
Blackburn's Barrier Mud Guard is another flexible mudguard that takes advantage of folds and contouring for added protection.
Made from recycled polypropylene, the fender comes with reusable velcro straps and will work with up to a 3in tyre. The underside features trim lines if you feel the need to chop a bit off the end.
Zefal Deflector FM20
Affordable Hard Coverage
The Zefal Deflector uses a four-point mounting system with either velcro or zip ties, both are included and its said to clear a 2.8in tyre of any wheel size. Made from tech polymer resin, the Deflector is uber stiff and provides decent coverage in front and behind the fork arch.
Mounting is simple, there's no faffing about trying to get it close enough to the tyre to block mud, and it comes with customisable decal options to match any frame.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A FENDER OR MUD GUARD
While there are purpose-built front and rear fenders, in our opinion, a front fender provides the most benefit, so we've honed in on this and looked for the best options.
1. Mounting
Forks aren't generally designed with mudguards in mind, so it's up to the mudguard brands to decide how best to secure the fender to the fork. In most cases, zip ties or velcro are the fasteners of choice; however, some of the hard plastic fenders feature a bracket.
2. Will it work with your car rack?
Unfortunately, not all of us live next door to a trail centre, and throwing your bike in/on the car is a necessary evil for lots of riders. Some fenders which stick out in front of the fork arch also get in the way of the telescopic arm which grabs the wheel on some hitch racks such as the Yakima HoldUp and Kuat NV.
3. Hard or soft
There are two schools of thought when it comes to fenders hard or soft. Hard mudguards can usually cover more of the wheel and offer substantial protection from spray. With that said the install process is a bit more involved and they will often need to be removed if you're putting your bike on a car rack and not everyone loves the aesthetic. Even the most rigid hard fender will buzz your tyre every so often and over time they may warp and will become more prone to flex.
Soft fenders, on the other hand, are usually lighter, more discreet and seem to buzz the tyre less, but in most cases don't offer quite the same level of protection.
4. Don't forget about your paint
Given these fenders and their mounting bits are in the direct firing line of everything that's kicked up off your front wheel, if you leave any of these fenders on your fork for long enough they will rub the paint off your lowers. So before you fasten those zip ties, consider picking up some frame protectors or some electrical tape to insulate your paint job.
