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. Full-length mudguards are commonly referred to as traditional mudguards, because they’ve been around for many, many years. They are most often a permanent fixture on touring bikes. Due to their length and sides, they cover a large percentage of both wheels and provide the best protection from spray generated by the wheels.

If you’re planning to kit out your road bike with some mudguards, then you’re in the right place. We’ve rounded up our list of the best road bike mudguards, and divided them into those that braze-on, and those that clip on. Not sure which type of fenders you should go for? We’ve also included a handy guide to how to choose the best road bike mudguards for you. 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. 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. This is probably the easiest decision you can make surrounding fenders because your bike makes it for you; it will have eyelets for braze-on mudguards or it won’t.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. If your road bike doesn't have mudguard mounts, there are still a lot of mudguards options available to you. 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? Clip-on mudguards don’t require the frame to have eyelets or long-reach brake callipers, or extra clearance. Instead, they attach to the frame using simple fastenings like rubber bands, Velcro or zip ties. This gives far more versatility than full-length mudguards as you aren’t hindered by bike choice, and it means you can keep riding your favourite road bike through the winter if you want to.

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. The flare makes for a wider stance and confident handling at speed, even on rough roads. The end of the drop section is straight for a palm’s width and immediately above that is a pistol grip for all-out efforts where you need access to the shifters and brakes. The construction consists of a sandwich of thin aluminium encased in plastic. It’s not quite as rigid as an all-metal design, but thanks to the sturdy stays, our tester didn’t have any issues with rubbing. But naturally, if you try to cram a wider tire than recommended - or if the clearance between your seatstays is particularly tight - you can still experience issues. Mudguards stop water and dirt from your tyres spraying upwards over you, your bike, and anyone riding behind. 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.This is probably the easiest decision you can make surrounding fenders because your bike makes it for you; it will have eyelets for braze-on mudguards or it won't. To stop your toes from clashing with the stay end caps, the Full Metal fenders / mudguards use a single stay design that is kept higher on front fender than a double stay type. It made low speed manoeuvring easier, although there was still toe overlap on my bike but that's the bike and not the mudguards fault. Mudguards are key to keeping dry – or drier than you’d otherwise be – in typical British conditions. That’s especially true in winter when water tends to stay on the roads for longer. If you’re riding year-round, make sure you have some of the best bike lights to keep you safe too. 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.