Review Mudhugger FRX and rear 29er mudguard

[gunshot72]

Product Image:

Product name: Mudhugger FRX and rear 29er mudguard
Price paid: 45
Score (out of 10): 9

Review: After a recent snowy wet freezing ride and getting utterly soaked I invested a bit of cash in some Mudhugger mtb specific mudguards. Some riders say that mudguards are ugly and to some degree they're correct but at the end of the day if you're going to ride all year round and in the worst of British weather then mudguards make total sense. The Mudhugger range is very well designed and made from rigid plastic, so doesn't flex under load and vibration. Very simple to fit (with cable ties supplied) and they keep clear of any size of tyre/wheel combination. The front FRX mudguard keeps the worst of the dirt away from the forks and your face, as well as any bar mounted accessories like lights and computers. The rear 29er mudguard is outstanding. It keeps my backside, seat, seat post, shock and linkages free of the usual clumps of muck and all of the muddy water splashes at bay. My Osprey backpack is also clean after some seriously wet off road riding. Brilliant all round.

 

[Russell]

They are good but not perfect. If running 27.5+ or 29er the front will need an extension on the back of it to stop the mud going in your face, I used a bit of a plastic bottle. The rear could do with extending forward of the seat stays to stop all the mud going on your shock and pivot bearings. Also you definitely need to fit the clear stickers if you care about your paint.

 

[Kernow]

Rear mudhugger 29 is about your only choice on the rear on iether a 29er or a 27.5 with anything more than a 2.3 tyre . And works well . Who cares how cool it looks , a wet muddy cold back and bag isn’t very cool iether ,neither is the accelerated wear of not using a mudguard .
The front MH is too short to be really effective and will clog in some muddy conditions . I’ve tried both versions
The new crud xl is the way forward on the front , it’s simply a leap ahead of anything else and works very well on both wheel sizes so easy to fit and remove and It looks good too .
I also use a crudcatcher on the downtube when it’s really mucky it keeps the battery clean and stops spray up

 

[R120]

I dont like the way the fork seals are exposed on the Crud catcher, I wouldn't go for a guard that doesn't cover them. For me RRP have it licked with their guards.

 

[Gary]

I dont like the way the fork seals are exposed on the Crud catcher, I wouldn't go for a guard that doesn't cover them. For me RRP have it licked with their guards.

Puzzled me why they weren't designed to protect them better, it wouldn't have been difficult to add a seal guard and still allow the anti clogging flap to do it's job properly. it's not actually that bad but more shit does get on the stanchions and seals with the CRUD. Especially if it's a splashy day.
I'm actually still running the CRUD.
If you've ever had a mudguard clog with snow you'll realise why I'm keeping it on for a bit longer.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Used the Crud for the first time this weekend. Forgot my clear glasses (didn’t need them with this) and for the first time ever in muddy conditions I had no mud splatter on my GoPro lens that can totally ruin a shot ?

 

[Kernow]

Gary did you have the rrp fitted before . I had that one on before the crud More exposed fork seals with the crud was my first thought but after trying them both back to back I can’t say I noticed much difference , hard to choose which was most effective ,
I preferred the way the crud is fitted with extra clearance , I used to get the odd stick pick up in the rrp , although it didn’t ever cause a problem I felt a big stick or stone would break the tie wraps and perhaps jam up , where the crud’s mounts would give , splitting hairs I know

 

[Gary]

Yeah I had the RRP on for ages and replaced it with the crud for review purposes.
They're both great guards. Both have their advantages.
my thoughts on each here:
Rapid Racer Products Proguard Review - EMTB Forums
Crud XL Fender Review - EMTB Forums

 

[Dee Scee]

I dont like the way the fork seals are exposed on the Crud catcher, I wouldn't go for a guard that doesn't cover them. For me RRP have it licked with their guards.

rrp standard on front is plenty to keep vision and face clear. i’ve gotten in a few high speed rides with it and it works.

the mudhugger on the rear does keep mud off the seat and your ass, and my back stayed dry. but, my jersey was too trashed to wear in the car. shorts were ok! shoes, legs, knee/shin guards pretty wet and muddy.

also, the rear mudhugger does not really protect the bike/linkage.

finally, the rrp front was easy to mount and has required no adjustments through a dozen rides and two pretty good crashes. the mudhugger rear breaks cable ties at a rate of about one per 30 mins. bring extra, and plan to stop and replace them as you ride.

still, like rob says, with our bikes, we’re gonna go out rain or shine, so you gotta do something. those little mini-skirt fashion clips on the front won’t cut it.

 

[Dee Scee]

I dont like the way the fork seals are exposed on the Crud catcher, I wouldn't go for a guard that doesn't cover them. For me RRP have it licked with their guards.

also @R120 - “proguards front and rear. ftw” ?

 

[100 Cols]

I think the rear Mudhugger looks absolutely hideous when installed on top of the rear fork, so I put it inside instead, after widening and modifying it a bit with a heat gun. Also cut it shorter.

I've had no clearance issues using two separate tire/wheelsets, 40 mm ID rim with 2.80 G-Ones and 35 mm ID rims with 2.80 Rekon+ @rear.

 

[Kernow]

I think the rear Mudhugger looks absolutely hideous when installed on top of the rear fork, so I put it inside instead, after widening and modifying it a bit with a heat gun. Also cut it shorter.

I've had no clearance issues using two separate tire/wheelsets, 40 mm ID rim with 2.80 G-Ones and 35 mm ID rims with 2.80 Rekon+ @rear.

View attachment 10351

View attachment 10352

Not being rude but you basically cut the most needed parts off , modified for looks but it no longer does its job ? Each to their own I guess still better than nothing

 

[Kernow]

Yeah I had the RRP on for ages and replaced it with the crud for review purposes.
They're both great guards. Both have their advantages.
my thoughts on each here:
Rapid Racer Products Proguard Review - EMTB Forums
Crud XL Fender Review - EMTB Forums

Bloody hell I hadn’t seen those reviews before Gary , they look like professional magazine articles . Very good indeed , don’t know how I missed them .

 

[100 Cols]

Not being rude but you basically cut the most needed parts off , modified for looks but it no longer does its job ? Each to their own I guess still better than nothing

Modified for looks it might be, yet its job it's doing still. In mountainous terrain I ride, not in swamplands.

 

[Gary]

Bloody hell I hadn’t seen those reviews before Gary , they look like professional magazine articles . Very good indeed , don’t know how I missed them .

Thanks mate. Your compliment genuinely means a lot .
@Rob Hancill deserves major props for helping me out on the IT side (a massive learning curve for me).

 

[Alan wolfe]

Got this for mine was for front wheel but b put on back

 

[DrStupid]

Love this product! Finally a fender that works and looks awesome too.?

 

[Ghost Rider]

Mudhugger at rear w. 27,5 x 2,8, RRP at the front, might change front to a Zefal.

 

[Jamsxr]

Love this product! Finally a fender that works and looks awesome too.?

View attachment 17671

“Looks awesome” ?

 

[DrStupid]

“Looks awesome” ?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

 

[DrStupid]

Another mudhugger rrp combo and another successful installation. Not the prettiest thing is she?

 

[Shifty]

I’m personally not a fan of the zipper tie look, but I like the way it hugs closer and is probably better than mine. I prefer the seat stem design I have.

 

[DrStupid]

I’m personally not a fan of the zipper tie look, but I like the way it hugs closer and is probably better than mine. I prefer the seat stem design I have.

Having done machine maintenance for the last 25 years or so, I can honestly say that I love zip ties!

 

[Mikerb]

On my Levo I use the RRP Enduro front guard and my own design rear guard. I have also used the Mudhugger FRX (front guard) on the rear....with about 25mm cut off the front of it. That worked ok but is very close fitting so probably not the best for claggy mud conditions. I am more interested in bike than personal protection and the front RRP protects the stanchions and dust seals whilst my diy rear guard protects the pivot bearings rear shock and dropper.

 

[iainc]

I have a set of the Mudhugger ones on the way though a bit wary of the rear one eating holes in the seat stays...Some horror stories around, even with the correctly applied frame tape etc..

 

[Mikerb]

The more coverage the mudguard provides the greater the force exerted on the fixings especially if those forces act at a distance from the fixing point. Normally on full mudguards there are 2 fixing points a distance apart. I took that into account with my diy rear mudguard .....it is straight so does not sit close to the tyre other than near the fixing point.

 

[Gary]

a mudguard that doesn't follow the shape of the tyre and doesn't protect the motor/wiring/shock is a bit of a fail for an Emtb IMO

I run an RRP on the rear of my Sommet all year round to protect all of the above.
I don't actually care about having a dry arse when proper mountainbiking (and let's face it Emtbs don't have the battery range for more than a few hours use in proper mtb terrain in minter/wet conditions anyway. An extended rear mudguard just gets in the way of me moving around the bike. (eg. manualling)
For commuting in met weather I fit a polypropelene (same material as an OG mucknuts fender) extension to the rear of the RRP that 3M Dual Locks in place and is fixed with a single ziptie and keeps all road spray off my arse/back. and takes seconds to fit/remove.
The attachment gives about the same coverage as a mudhugger rear, but being lighter and less rigid puts way less "force" on the fixings.

 

[Gary]

I have a set of the Mudhugger ones on the way though a bit wary of the rear one eating holes in the seat stays...Some horror stories around, even with the correctly applied frame tape etc..

Duuuuuuuuuuuude!!!

Careful with all that worrying.
it's just a bike. It's honestly not worth stressing over

Ps. When we hooking up for a ride? and where do you fancy?

PPs. Mastic tape the stays instead of frame tape and you're worries shall vanish forevar!

 

[iainc]

Cheers Gary, not ridden it yet as away with family for a few days. Maybe just a bike, but it cost more than a few cars I’ve had over the years. Will drop you a PM once I’ve ridden it a few times ?

 

[Gary]

Sweet! Lookin forward to it.

I've never had a car/van in my entire life more expensive than my most expensive bikes.
I've no idea why you would.