This, combined with the minimally fussy fitting, makes the SKS Raceblade Pro XL Stealth Series better than any of its clip-on competitors - which generally either don’t fit as well or don’t offer as good protection. Value-wise they are a bit more expensive than the competition, but they are also readily available for less online. You’ll be surprised at how much difference they make. Unless it’s raining hard, most of the wetness you feel when riding without mudguards is likely to have come from the road and your tyres. Mudguards keep you drier and more comfortable. Genetic describes the top sections as ‘semi-aero palm friendly’, meaning even extra-large hands get plenty of grip with just a single layer of bar tape. The industry’s growing affinity for disc brakes and wider tyres is leading to frames being built with more clearance than ever before. In turn, this leaves extra space for full-length mudguards alongside a wide pair of winter road bike tyres. However, many of the best road bikes still don’t have quite enough clearance, and even fewer have the correct mounts for traditional mudguards. Thankfully, there are plenty of low profile clip-on fenders that will work on just about any bike. Fenders – or mudguards – are seemingly going out of fashion. When I started riding a bike, it was a rule enforced on the club ride that mudguards must be used. Then, the ass saver started making appearances on weekly rides – and now even they are rare. It seems we’ve stopped caring about getting ourselves, our bikes and our riding buddies wet and muddy.

Finance is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. Performance Cycling Limited FRN: 720557 trading as Tredz are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are a credit broker not a lender – credit is subject to status and affordability and is provided by Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC. Terms & Conditions Apply. It was a good price,and quite happy with it,apart from the mudguard dilemma.I had some Flinger guards but they didn't have enough clearance.I also tried some guards a mate had given me,same thing wont fit.I have written too Specialized asking them for recommendations but 3 weeks down the line still no reply.I have FLINGER RACE PRO CLIP MUDGUARDS on now,but really want full guards.There's mudguard eyes on forks and rear,as well as the chainstay bridge.Any body had any joy finding a pair. Even full-length mudguard coverage doesn't necessarily prevent that arc of spray that comes from a fast-spinning wheel, fitting a flap (an Ass Saver performs well) to the end of your mudguards is a great way to offer absolute coverage, and it'll probably help you make friends on the winter club run. How close should it sit against the tyre?Other rivals include Bontrager with their NCS fenders / mudguards that are longer and easier to fit, but more expensive and the Portland Design Works Full Metal Fenders which are absolutely brilliant but are more than double the price of the Bluemels Basics.

There are, broadly speaking, two types of fender / mudguard: those for frames with mudguard eyes –‘fixed mudguards’– and those for frames without, known as clip-on mudguards. Of course even if your bike has mudguard eyes there’s no reason why you can’t use clip-ons if you’re looking for a lightweight, easily removable solution. Why fit fenders / mudguards? 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. If your road bike doesn't have mudguard mounts, there are still a lot of mudguards options available to you.Utilising a similar construction to SKS ‘guards, each mudguard has two stainless steel bridges fixed to it for the 4mm diameter, V-shaped stays to attach to.

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 If the items we have sent you are faulty, damaged or not as we described, we will cover the cost of collection and the delivery of the correct item. 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 protect you from the water (and accompanying gunk) that gets flung off your wheels as they spin. They come in a range of different shapes and sizes from simple flaps to keep your bum dry, to full-length coverage designed to protect you, your bike, and the rider behind you. The correct length mudguard will depend on your circumstances, but if ever you plan on riding with others, you should aim for full coverage.

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Look for fenders that have some contouring or a rounded shape, if they are too flat they won't offer all that much protection. The rear mudguard also mimics the fitting for SKS mudguards, with a hole to bolt onto the chainstay bridge, and a sliding bridge fixing onto the seatstay bridge. Look for fenders that have some contouring or a rounded shape, if they are too flat they won’t offer all that much protection. Threading your mudguard through a rim brake calliper isn't always a simple task, and must be considered when investing in a set. Some fenders are designed to split at this point to offer full-length coverage on race bikes. Which length and shape mudguards do I need?