How to Choose Bike Fender & Mudguards | Buyers Guide 2022
Fenders are often not considered as important bike accessories. However, if you know the benefits this bike component offers every rider, we are sure that you won’t hesitate to buy a pair for yourself.
In this article, we have talked about how to choose bike fender & mudguards in great detail so that you understand its importance very well and then decide whether to buy a pair for your bike or not.
How to Choose Bike Fender: Everything You Should Know
Page Contents
- How to Choose Bike Fender: Everything You Should Know
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What are Bike Fenders for? Are Bike Fenders Worth It?
- Will a Set of Mudguards or Fender Protect Me From Rain?
- What Size Bike Fenders Do I Need?
- How Should My Fenders Attach to My Bike?
- What if My Bike Frame Does Not Have Pre-drilled Eyelets?
- Can You Put Fenders on a Road Bike?
- Is a Front Mudguard Necessary?
- Do I Need Fenders on Both Wheels?
- Should I Keep Fenders on My Bike Permanently?
- Should I Modify My Fenders?
- Wrapping Up
Why Should You Use Fenders?
A bike fender or a mudguard, however you call it, is a bike accessory that is placed in the front and rear wheel of a bicycle. Not only a look enhancer but mounting this component on your cycle also has several benefits.
For starters, a bike fender will block the water, mud, and grime of the road from spraying on your face and help you to stay clean while riding. It also keeps your bike from getting dirty.
As a pair of fenders reduce the amount of grime sprayed onto your bike, they also make sure that the moving parts of your cycle are less affected by the grit when riding in wet conditions.
This not only prolongs the life of the moving components but at the same time also saves a lot of your money on regular maintenance.
Fender Types
While selecting, you must keep in mind that mudguards are not one-size-fits-all. Instead, from an array of different types and sizes of offenders, you have to choose the one that best suits your bike type as well as your needs.
Some of the most common types of fenders available in the market are:
Full Fenders
As the name suggests, the full fenders are specially designed to cover the entire front and back tires so that they can provide you the highest level of protection from water, mud, and road debris.
It usually come in pairs to ensure all-around protection. In addition, these mudguards are relatively heavy duty, durable and last for a long time compared to the others.
Partial Fenders
This works very similarly to full ones. However, these mudguards don’t cover the entire wheel; this component covers a portion of the wheel, and hence it is called partial fenders.
Even though these are don’t cover the entire wheel doesn’t mean that it works less effectively.
In fact, it is an excellent option for commuter bikes that don’t have enough clearance between the frame and the wheels to fit a set of full fenders and protect themselves from the dirt and debris of the road.
Clip-on Fenders
A clip-on fender is attached to the seat post and is extended over the rear tire to offer a decent amount of protection from rain and mud.
As the name suggests, this mudguard can be clipped directly onto your seat post or front fork to prevent water and mud from reaching your face while riding.
This is the best option for you if your bike doesn’t have pre-drilled eyelets where you can set a pair of full or partial fenders.
Front Fenders
One more type of fender that can protect you from rain, mud, and dirt is the front guard fender. These are generally used in conjunction with clip-on or rear mudguards to keep away mud and water from the riders faces.
Mud Flaps for Fenders
Just as the above one, a mud flap can be attached to your back mudguard base to make sure that your back or your friend (who is sitting at the back) is safe from getting drenched in the mud and water from the road.
What Makes a Good Fender?
In most cases, especially if you live in a humid area, fenders can become an integral part of your bike. And therefore, you must be very careful when investing your money in any fenders.
The crucial aspects that you must keep in mind when selecting are:
Fit
The fit of the mudguard is very important as it helps to hold it with the wheels securely. If the fit is off, there are high possibilities that the fender might fall off and cause accidents.
But the good news is that most of them have a universal size and fit almost all the bike wheels like a glove.
However, some models cater to specific types of riding, and that’s why before making your final purchase, make sure that the fender fits perfectly to the bike and your riding style to score the most suitable one for you.
Weight
The weight of the fenders affects the bikes performance in more ways than you can imagine. So when getting a pair of mudguards for your cycle, make sure that you pick the super lightweight ones.
The weight of this accessory influences the speed, at the same time, affects the balance as well.
If its heavy in weight, they will increase the cycle's overall weight, which means that it will be difficult to maneuver and you might not enjoy your ride to the fullest.
Moreover, as these components are attached to both the front and rear of your bike, heavyweight fenders have the potential to affect your balance while riding and cause accidents.
Size & Shape
Another important feature of a bike fender is its size. Even though many brands offer one size fits all fenders, you must still make sure that the one you are buying fits your bike and riding style perfectly or not.
When the fender sits high enough above the bike tire and doesn’t catch, rub, or break due to friction with the rubber, you will know that it is the perfect size for your bike.
In addition to the size, you should also keep an eye on the shape . Choose a mudguard that curves with the tire and has a contoured shape.
The reason for choosing a curved one over the flat fenders is that it will provide more coverage and better protection from the tire spray.
Cleaning
When buying a fender for your bicycle, always make sure that it is easy and effortless to clean. The best mudguards should always be easy to clean to keep it ready for the next ride.
As this bicycle component blocks the mud, dirt, and debris, it collects them in the process and results in build-ups.
If you don’t clean it now and then to eliminate these build-ups, your fenders will lose their workability and won’t be able to stop the muds from spraying onto your face as effectively as before.
We would suggest you to look for fenders that can be quickly wiped off or hosed down so that you don’t have to waste a lot of your time for cleaning it for the next ride.
Braze-on Vs. Clip-on
Braze-on and clip-on are two different types of the fender attachment process. So while purchasing the mudguard, don’t forget to keep an eye on these mountain systems because different bicycle requires different attachment processes.
While you have to attach the braze-on mudguards into the two small eyelets on the bicycles front fork, clip-on fenders will use clip-on mounts for the installation process.
Length
Bicycle fenders are available in various lengths to ensure that you find just the right length for the right amount of wheel coverage.
While longer mudguards are meant to provide more protection as they cover more of the tire, shorter ones are more preferable for bicycles with limited clearance between the frame and the wheels.
Choose the length wisely to enjoy the best protection against dirt and debris while riding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Bike Fenders for? Are Bike Fenders Worth It?
The main purpose of bicycle fenders is to protect the rider from the road's mud, water, dirt, and dust. If you love to ride in wet conditions or on gravel roads, then these are absolutely worth it.
The mudguards will stop everything that your tire picks up and flings and keep you clean after the ride.
Will a Set of Mudguards or Fender Protect Me From Rain?
A mudguard will not protect you from the rain, but it will keep the sitting water on the road away from your face by blocking it while riding.
If you live in a region where it rains a lot, then investing in an excellent pair of fenders might prove to be a great decision.
What Size Bike Fenders Do I Need?
It’s better to choose a set of full fenders for maximum protection. However, if your bicycle doesn’t have enough clearance, you must choose a pair of partial fenders to avoid any friction against the wheel.
How Should My Fenders Attach to My Bike?
Even though there are a few different ways that can be attached to the bike, in reality, they are not much too different from each other.
While some of the mudguards are mounted to the front of the handlebars or at the back seat, others can be connected to a lower point in the frame near the wheels.
How your fender would be mounted to your bike entirely depends on the type and brand of mudguard you choose to attach to bicycle.
What if My Bike Frame Does Not Have Pre-drilled Eyelets?
If your bike frame does not have pre-drilled eyelets to attach, you have a couple of options to mount to the cycle.
You either can pick a mudguard that you can attach to the front or rear fork instead of an eyelet opening, or can choose a clip-on pair of fenders for easy, effortless installation.
However, if you want to attach your full fenders without an eyelet, then use zip ties to secure it in place so that it doesn’t fall off while riding the bike.
Can You Put Fenders on a Road Bike?
Yes, you can put on your road bicycle.
Even though many fenders in the market suits all types of bicycles, we would suggest you pick the ones specially made for road bicycles to enjoy the best services.
Is a Front Mudguard Necessary?
Yes, a front mudguard is extremely necessary. This is because the front-mounted fenders provide immense protection to your face from the mud, dirt, and debris. Without a front mudguard, your face is exposed to anything and everything that comes in your way when you are riding your cycle.
Do I Need Fenders on Both Wheels?
Yes, it would be best if you had on both wheels. If you have a mudguard on only one wheel, the other wheel will most definitely spray water and mud at you.
With just one fender, the purpose of having mudguards on a bicycle won’t be served properly.
Should I Keep Fenders on My Bike Permanently?
Even though the fenders generally don’t impact your bike's performance, it’s better that you don’t use them always.
We would suggest you mount this accessory to your bike only when the weather is not favorable or going for a ride in the mountains or the countryside.
However, it's better to keep the fenders permanently if you often go for a ride on gravel roads or mountains.
Should I Modify My Fenders?
Why would you want to modify when they are completely alright?
Furthermore, modifying this bike accessory might damage it and you won’t be able to use it for your intended purpose.
However, if you are experienced and have the right tools and accessories, then you can modify your mudguard and make it more useful for your bike.
Wrapping Up
When it comes to keeping yourself clean and dry while you ride in a wet condition, nothing can provide you better protection than a set of excellent fenders.
Therefore, we would suggest you not to hesitate to invest in a pair of mudguards and enjoy your riding to the fullest.
