Mudguards are essential for wet conditions when going mountain biking. But what makes a good mudguard? This article will give you the rundown on the best front mud guard MTB, so you can make an informed decision on which mudguard will work best for you and your bike.
- Part 1: What Is A Front Mud Guard MTB
- Part 2: Fitting A Front Mudguard On Your Mountain Bike
- Part 3: What To Look For When Choosing A Front Mud guard MTB
- Part 4: The Best Front Mud Guard MTB On The Market
Part 1: What Is A Front Mud Guard MTB?
A front mud guard MTB, otherwise known as a front fender, is something that you attach to the front of your mountain bike. During the winter, or in wet conditions. They are essential to have to prevent mud and dirt from flying in your face as you ride.
Some of the top-range mudguards will help keep you spotlessly clean, even in the worst conditions. Using a mudguard is an easy and affordable way to make mountain biking much more pleasant for you. You’ll be likely to stay out on your bike much longer, and you’re likely to be having a lot more fun if you’re staying comfortable and clean.
They’re not just good for the winter either. If you haven’t used a front fender MTB before, the difference they make across a multitude of riding conditions will surprise you. In addition, if you’re planning on riding with friends. They’ll appreciate you using a mudguard in wet conditions. Likewise if you are looking to join a mountain bike riding club. Many clubs even have it as a requirement that you have mudguards equipped.
Furthermore, mudguards help to extend the life-span of your bike. They’ll cut the amount of mud and dirty water that will find its way into your bikes moving parts. This can especially affect your bike’s bearings over time. A mudguard will certainly help keep the bike a lot cleaner and healthier than if you were to ride without one.
Part 2: Fitting A Front Mudguard On Your Mountain Bike
It’s important to fit and mount your front mud guard MTB correctly in order to avoid any accidents or wear and tear on the bike.
A poorly fitted mudguard can flop around in the wind and rub against your front tire. Not to worry though, once you know how to mount them the right way you’ll know you’ll be riding safely.
The process of fitting a mudguard differs depending on what mudguard you purchase for your bike. Many mudguards are either strapped, bolted or zip-tied on. Make sure to check the instructions your manufacturer provides you in order to know how to fit your specific model correctly.
The mudguards that offer the most protection and stability mount between the fork legs and under the crown. In this position, the amount of mud spray the mudguard blocks is optimized, as it’s fitted close to the tyre. It’s likely to stay rigid and not shake when riding. This is great progression from when the market was run by mudguards that were easily affected by wind, no matter how you fitted them!
Part 3: What To Look For When Choosing A Front Mud Guard MTB
Before we get into the nitty gritty details of the best options to choose from in a front mudguard, it’s important to understand what to look for in your mudguard mountainbike. Some mudguards are better at doing some things than others.
So one may suit you best whilst another will suit another rider best.
Strength
The first important factor to look for in a front mudguard is its strength. If your mudguard gets bent in a collision, it’s important that it has the ability to bend back into shape. The best mudguards material is polypropylene, a flexible, squash-proof material that is very durable.
Protection
Another thing to look for in your front mudguard is how much protection it will provide you. Is it long enough? A mud guard MTB that is long will block the most spray. You’ll also want a mudguard that will work for you at all speeds. Some are not as good when you are travelling fast.
You may still find yourself getting covered in some dirt now and then. Alternatively, you can find mudguards that will cover against mud spray in all speeds, so you can ride worry free. Where your mudguard attaches is also an important factor for protection. The best models now attach to the lowers of the fork on your bike. Being this close to the tyre, your mudguard can inevitably block more spray. Not only this, placed here it will track the wheel as you steer. Constant protection!
Ultimately you want your mudguard to allow your goggles to never get dirty, and for them to suppress as much mud spray as possible.
Compatibility
Is the mudguard compatible with your brand of bike? If you are using wide or tall tires on your bike, make sure the model you are buying is suitable. Once fitted, it’s best to check the space you have between your tires and fender.
The last thing you want is for your mudguard and tires to be rubbing against each other, as the tires will not last long like this. If you have a clearance of at least 18mm, then you are good to ride without having to worry.
Once you fit the mudguard, it’s a good idea to decompress your fork and then compress it until it is full of air. If the fork lowers do not contact the mudguard with the fork fully compressed, they never will, which is what you want!
Blockage
If you’re planning to ride on trails that may have thick mud, it’s nice to have a mudguard that doesn’t require maintenance after finishing biking. Mudguards can become blocked in trail conditions such as these.
However, there are mudguards that feature a sharp-edged scraper at the guards’ rear, helping it to clear mud and prevent itself from becoming blocked. This is great, and certainly helps stop there from being a big build-up of dirt.
The CRUD XL is the first and only guard, though, to feature an escape-hatch. This escape-hatch feature means that mud will push up and clear itself from the mud-guard, leaving very little mud to have to clean off between biking.
Removability
Another factor that could influence your decision on what mudguard to purchase is its removability. If you know you’re going to be biking on a trail that will not be muddy or wet, then it can be nice to have the option of a quick removal. Then you’ll be able to show off your bike in all its natural beauty!
A vast amount of top-quality fenders do not have the easiest of removal processes, but luckily there are a couple of options that do if this is something you’d like as a feature.
Recycled
Last but certainly not least, is your mudguard materials recyclable? They are 100% recycled plastic or polypropylene, whilst others are made from non-recyclable materials.
Part 4: The Best Front Mudguard MTB On The Market
There are almost countless amounts of mudguards on today’s market. You can opt-in for a cheap option, some have cool pop-culture-inspired designs that you may be interested in sporting.
The lower-grade mud fender mtb will offer you and your bike minimal protection, however. They’re okay when riding in conditions where the trail is only slightly muddy and wet. However, they won’t cover you for all riding conditions. Here are the best mudguards you can buy for full protection and durability, covered for all mountain bike riding conditions.
Mojo Dfender
Price – £49
The material of Mojo Dfender is plastic, is very durable, and has the ability to bend itself back into shape.
It also provides great protection. With an extended rear section, it stops mud spray coming from the back of the front wheel and up towards the bike. It’s centre section protects the fork from being sprayed. The front of the Dfender is wide and hangs just above the front tire, allowing it to catch the spray which flings up and forward, and stopping you from riding into it!
With this mudguard, you won’t even need goggles unless conditions are really bad. The mudguard is widely compatible and has options to fit most Fox and RockShox Forks. It does not fit 29er or Boost Rockshox forks, but Mojo claim to be working on a new clamp to make the mudguard compatible with these.
There’s nothing to prevent the mudguard from getting blocked up with mud over time. So expect to have to clean out this one between some rides.
The MojoDfender uses a clamp to fit it securely onto the fork crown, instead of using throwaway cable ties. The clamp can be tightened, loosened, and removed without using tools, which is a big plus. Once you have a bit of practice fitting the Mojo Dfender to your mountain bike, you’ll have no trouble doing it in under a minute. This makes for exceptional removability, and the mudguard will stay still and secure no matter how fast you are going.
RRP ProGuard Bolt-on.
Price – £31
The RRP ProGuard Bolt-on mudguard has great durability because it is from polypropylene mix. Don’t expect to have this one break on you!
This mudguard is available in both standard and a 21mm longer version that will offer even more protection. It has a long front, which angles down slightly at the end to help it cope with high speed mud spray. The rear of the mudguard is also long, with a raised flick to offer it more protection. It features a seal shield on the sides to prevent mud from finding its way onto your fork.
It is compatible with a number of forks. The inside of the fender will require a clean every now and again.
The RRP Proguard Bolt-on mudguard attaches with screws onto the brace of the fork. You won’t have to use any cable-ties. The downside to this is that it takes a little longer to remove than other mudguards.
AMS Mudguard
Price – £14
AMS Mudguard is flexible and solid plastic. It is collision-resistant and can bend back into shape if need be, making for consistent and reliable spray protection.
We’d recommend riding with goggles for this one. As this mudguard is not especially long, it does not protect you and your bike from mud and water as well as others. However, it is a great cheaper option. If you’re biking in conditions that aren’t especially wet and thick with mud, this model will certainly suffice. It also covers the fork seals, increasing their longevity.
The AMS Mudguard has great compatibility. You can fit it on many different forks. Just make sure to use zip ties that are long enough to wrap around, and you’ll be good to go.
There is nothing to protect from build-up of mud on the inside of the fender, so it will require cleaning between some rides.
This mudguard is easy removal. The downside to this is that zip ties can be vulnerable to wear and tear so you may have to think about replacing them periodically. Not only that, but they can also rub on the fork lowers and crown.
Mucky Nutz MugGuard
Price – £19.99
The material of Mucky Nutz MugGuard is completely recycled plastic. It’s robust and has great longevity, and can bend back into shape effortlessly.
This mudguard provides great protection, and is one where using goggles for your rides is not a necessity if you have it fitted on your mountain bikes fork. There are options to get a shorter or longer version, both provide great protection. However, the longer one will keep you spotlessly clean.
Available in both 400mm and 600mm lengths, they can fit 26 inch, 27.5 inch and 29 inch wheels with tires up to three inches wide.This mudguard will require some cleaning on the inside every once in a while, as mud will build up over time. It’s affixed using zip or velcro ties, which is great for removability but isn’t the best option if you don’t want any rubbing to occur against the fork lowers or crown.
Crud XL Front Fender
Price – £19.99
The material of Crud XL Front Fender is strong injection-moulded plastic. It’s large and durable, and will bend back into shape should it ever need to.
This mudguard is very long and robust. Expect it to securely hang over your front wheel and protect you from mud spray expertly. The arms of the Crud XL are padded with neoprene where they contact the fork legs.
The Crud XL Front Fender has excellent compatibility with any kind of suspension.
A highlight of this product is its soft nose. You can ride without worrying that this fender will ever clog up with mud. Almost all of the mud caught inside will eventually escape and find its way back where it belongs – the ground! It’s the best mudguard on the market when it comes to preventing blockage.
Conclusion
You can install this mudguard without any tools. Instead you attach it to the fork using O-rings. This makes for quick removals. It can be fit back in a minute or two once you know how. It’s a big fender, so being able to remove it easily is a nice option to have. So those are some of the best mudguards on the market. What mudguard is right for you can depend on your needs. As well as the type of fork or wheel size on your mountain bike.
Ultimately, as long as it fits and gives you solid and consistent protection from intense winter conditions, you’ve got yourself a great mudguard. With one mounted, you can enjoy the wonderful sport of mountain biking! Without having to worry about staining your clothes, having mud fling in your face, or damaging your bike, making for a much more enjoyable ride.
