Review: Mudhugger Front & Rear Mudguard Set

For a long time mudguards were dismissed by mountain bikers, at least those that I rode with; they were seen as cumbersome, ineffective and unsightly. In recent years that seems to have changed dramatically though, almost every mountain bike I see out on the Isle of Wight trails in the winter months is now fitted out with "fenders" of some description.

Mudguards are no longer just for road bikes, and the Mudhugger is a prime example of why. Made of lightweight but super strong plastic composite, and with a design that fits neatly and smartly to the frame and forks, it holds next to no performance penalties, yet a significant advantage in terms of protection.

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The Mudhugger Rear Guard

Starting with the rear guard: the Mudhugger takes a new tack on fitment; rather than attaching to the seatpost, as is the norm with MTB mudguards, it instead has a split design that mounts to the seat stays using cable ties. This means there are no bolts or brackets to break or corrode, and weight is significantly reduced compared to designs that do use these features.

Attaching a long rear guard with just zip ties may sounds like a recipe for a wobbly plastic tail, however that couldn't be further from the case... The Mudhugger rear guard is actually rock solid, more so than many seatpost guards that I have used. The strong plastic composite appears to stay firmly in place and is completely unnoticeable even on rough ground.

The fitting is dead easy too; with no worries about whether the guard will securely clamp to the seatpost or whether it might swing around.

Quite simply, this works. It provides reliable and solid protection with a low weight, low profile design, and there is nothing to rattle loose or wear out. Neat.

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The Mudhugger Front Guard

The front guard is similar to the Bender Fender that I have also reviewed here (Link) on the blog. Similar to that guard it fits under the fork bridge and provides protection from spray that is sent through the fork and back into your face; however this guard also provides some added protection from upwards spray patterns straight off the front tyre. The added protection is noticeable, and although I still use a down tube mounted guard as well, this certainly receives less spray than with the Bender Fender, suggesting the Mudhugger is adding extra protection. 

The front guard is designed to attach using Velcro straps onto the fork lowers and bridge. However from past experience, I decided to ditch these in favour of zip ties. Despite not being able to use the fork bridge straps (as I fitted this guard to a Manitou fork with its abnormal rear facing arch), the fork leg zip ties and the fact that the guard pushes outwards onto the fork, has still held the guard very firmly in place. 

The most impressive thing with the Mudhugger guards is the quality and strength. These really are built to last. If the SKS Chromoplastic is the Rolls Royce of road bike mudguards, this is the Land Rover Defender of the mountain bike world. Built to function, built to last and as sturdy (if not more so) than any of the competition. 

At just £39.00 for the set (at the time of writing), these present great value in my opinion, and are available direct from themudhugger.co.uk (Link)

N.B. This set was designed for 26 and 27.5 inch wheel sizes, however there is a 29er version being released imminently!

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Edit: The two pictures below show the NEW 29er MUDHUGGER SET. Demonstrating the extra coverage and length compared to the 26 inch wheelset. They work just as well and continue to be a great choice of mudguard.