Mudguards - Mountain Bike Zen
To Mudguard Or Not To Mudguard
Ok for roadbikers this is a standard piece of kit but for the mountain bike rider it is a considered choice. Fitting and removal are pretty straight forward. Just remember to grease the bolt before fitting so you can take it off easily if you change your mind.
The pro's are obvious, it stops mud and stones flicking up off the tyres into your face and up your back, saving your bum cheeks from a complete drenching and keeping some troublesome grit out of your eyes.
The con's are a little less obvious...it does not stop all of the mud flicking off the tyres and into your face and up your back. They add a little weight to the bike. They are likely to get damaged in a crash. If badly fitted or subject to heavy impacts they can snag onto your tyre and lock out the wheel causing total lockout of the wheel, at high speed this is not good.
Mudguards are fairly inexpensive so you may want to experiment, if you do a lot of wet weather riding they may pay off.