Flinger Unisex's Race Pro Road Bike Mudguard Set, Black, 700x18-32c

Product Information

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. If there’s a particular component that’s affecting your comfort, start there. If your saddle makes you numb half an hour into a ride, change to one of the best road bike saddles. Similarly, if your handlebar and stem are the wrong size, your bike won’t fit properly. You’re better off spending time and a little money getting the fit absolutely spot on before you start thinking about saving weight or making your bike more aero. 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. 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. 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.

There are three widths available, and these 37mm wide mudguards are able to accommodate up to a 30mm tire. They looked in proportion when using a 28mm tire and there was a good amount of space to the side of the tire.

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? 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. 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.

If your road bike doesn't have mudguard mounts, there are still a lot of mudguards options available to you. 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. Think mudguards aren't cool and that they'll spoil the lines of your bike? Think again. Even professional cyclists fit mudguards to their training bikes through the winter. Mudguards are an absolute essential for cycling on British roads, and while nothing can beat a set of full-length bolt-on guards with storm flaps for coverage, many bikes these days – particularly those built for performance – don't come with the necessary eyelets to attach traditional guards. This is where the market for clip-on guards has grown, and while they will always be a compromise they can reduce the need for an extra bike – and in the case of the Flinger Race Pro Clip perform exceptionally well. 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

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? 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? 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?