The worse the conditions you ride in, the more you’re likely to benefit from long-coverage mudguards. Bike fenders are great for rainy or muddy rides, and can be popped on and off depending on conditions. There are several varieties of fenders to choose from, with models intended for different attachment points, sizing, and varying styles of bike. There are smaller, lighter models as well as more full-coverage ones, depending on conditions and your preferred style of riding. Some bikes come with fenders, and others you’ll have to buy aftermarket and install yourself. Once installed, both will stay securely in place, while further removal and refitting is a less involved process than initial setup. We often have mudflaps on sale or in our outlet by top brands like Brooks, Bibia, SKS and Westphal. SKS’s Bluemels Basic fenders / mudguards do a reasonably good job of keeping you dry. Their coverage isn’t as long as some - and our tester did find that you get spray over your feet from the front wheel and anyone following behind will still get a coating.

The SKS Raceblade Pro XL Stealth Series guards tip the scales at 380 grams, when weighed with the rubber attachment straps. They are compatible with 700c wheels and tire widths of up to 32mm. The front fender provides a coverage of 565mm and the rear 730mm. 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, combined with the minimally fussy fitting, makes the SKS Raceblade Pro XL Stealth Series better than any of its clip-on competitors - which generally either don’t fit as well or don’t offer as good protection. Value-wise they are a bit more expensive than the competition, but they are also readily available for less online.

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Similar to the SKS Raceblades, attachment to the bike frame is via rubber mounts on the stays with wide, trimmable rubber straps to hold them in place, so they stay put well and your pride and joy won’t get scratched. Although they’re described as narrow, there are two widths available, to fit both 25mm and 32mm tyres. 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. Depending on what kind of mudguards your bike can take, you’ll also want to consider what length of mudguard your bike should wear.

Why? Well, the front and rear mudguards serve slightly different purposes, and how much you value front or rear protection will depend on your personal preferences. That’s thanks to a full wrap of the tyre, protecting bike and rider from road grit and grime, durability provided by the hammered alloy material and the ability to work with a wide range of different tyres and wheel sizes, too. There’s a shiny stainless steel version available as well.

Having said that, even clip-on long-coverage mudguards aren’t as easy to fit as many short-coverage options. Also, because they tend to fit closer to the tyre than short-coverage guards, you may need to be more cautious of trail debris. Full-length mudguards also offer the best protection for your bike, helping to keep water, salt, and grime out of the components. 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? The ProGuard from RRP is a rigid polypropylene guard that comes in two sizes – standard and maximum. The standard is pretty big and offers plenty of protection, but the Max is 21mm longer at the front and 68mm longer at the rear so really ups the ante. It has a three-point fixing via the brace and fork lowers. There are 24 crown holes for zip-ties allowing it to accommodate a wide range of brace sizes and shapes and it’s compatible with 26in, 27.5in and 29in forks and (RRP claims) tyres up to three inches in diameter. The extended side mouldings also help protect the fork seals. To fit the Pro Guard, you do have to punch out some tiny holes, which is okay but there is a bit of trial and error getting it set to the correct angle. The Max size can also move a bit when riding hard and when sending it off a drop there was often a hard crunch as some part of the guard bottomed out on the fork/tyre. That said, if you want to ride 60mph through a peat bog and stay dry, this is the guard we’d recommend – dirt doesn’t get in your eyes, on your clothes, no matter how wet it is or how fast you’re going. Easily the best guard on test.

With a variety of holes (a bit like a belt), this can be fitted to almost any road bike, even those with wide aero forks. 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.Clip-on mudguards usually don’t wrap as much of the wheel as full-length mudguards, nor have the sides or front rubber flap. This means they don’t keep as much rain and spray off your body or bike. However, they do keep most of the water off and can make a huge difference on wet roads. They can easily be removed and stored in the garage during the summer. The two main things to keep an eye out for are clearance (the distance between your frame and wheels), and if your frame has eyelets. Eyelets mean you should be able to fit full-length mudguards (depending on clearance). If not, clip-on mudguards are what you'll have to work with. What types of mudguards are there?