Crud has launched the XL Fender, a full front mudguard with soft deformable nose in the middle/fork brace area that doesn’t clog up with mud.

>>> The best mountain bike front mudguards

Crud XL Fender need to know

• Fits all front suspension forks
• No tools needed
• Fits in seconds
• Attaches with O-rings (Crud’s signature method)
• Under £30

Mudguards never used to be mountain bikes in the early days. Then along came Mr Crud and every (no, really) rider in the UK had a Crud Catcher (2 million units old and counting!) stuck on their down tube.

Then Crud Catchers disappeared for whatever reason – complexity of full suspension tubing etc – and we all slapped on neoprene ‘curtain’ mudguards that fitted between fork braces and fork crowns.

Now we mountain bikers are split into two camps with mudguards: sub-£10 modest bendy placky affairs, or sturdier larger rigid guards that retail for over £20. The latter, arguably best exemplified by the Mudhugger, seem expensive… until you’ve tried them and you realise they are significantly more effective.

For 2019, Mr Crud is back.

Crud has launched the XL Fender, a full front mudguard with soft deformable nose in the middle/fork brace area that doesn’t clog up with mud.

If it’s good enough for Danny Hart…

Mr Crud aka Pete Tomkins told Cycling Industry News, “It has become clear to us recently that the new forkbrace-mounted fenders have cut into our market share. Our new XL is a response to this. We have designed something that cannot clog, no matter how thick the mud.  It uses re-usable UV-proof stretchy 0-rings to fit totally securely to the fork legs. Fits in literally thirty seconds with a little practice.

“You can run it close to the tyre for rainy conditions, or raise it much higher for thick clingy mud. It’s made out of ABS-TPU, both materials are excellent for recycling.”

The Crud XL Fendershould be in shops in January and “will retail for under £30”.