If you’re looking for the best mountain bike front mudguard and don’t want to spend over £20, this Zefal Deflector is a great option. We tested the FM20 previously, but the FM30 is slightly longer in the tail and crucially has a recessed section that sits under the fork brace and creates a bit more space between the guard and the tyre. Like the RRP tested here, the FM30 is a rigid Polypropylene fender with a three-point fixing and attaches the brace and legs with either six zip-ties or three thin Velcro straps — both are included in the box. The Velcro straps are useful if you want to remove the guard regularly for storage or portage, and the ties offer a more permanent fixing. To stop the sharp edge scuffing the fork, the zip-ties come with soft compound Rislan covers.

The back section of the FM30 is as long as any here, so offers good coverage at slow to medium speeds where mud is peeling off from the rear of the tyre. It’s only 120mm long at the font, which doesn’t quite match the RRP Pro Guard Max or Crud XL Fender but we only really noticed a bit of spray when absolutely blitzing it down a wet fire road. If you’re riding soggy bridleways or slippery singletrack, the FM30 offers more than enough coverage and splatter protection.