Winter can be pretty harsh on your bike when you factor in a combination of the traditional British wet weather and living in a heavily forested area like Sherwood Forest. Therefore a degree of protection is in order for riding the mountain bike throughout winter.
For that reason I recently purchased a BBB Grand Protect XL rear mud guard for the 29er Mountain Bike. (BFD-14R). At around a tenner off eBay I decided to take a chance having only ever used one of the original Crud Guard rear fenders on an MTB years ago.
I particularly liked the idea of having something I could easily remove for when transporting the bike in the car. The Grand Protect features a quick release easy locking system which is supposedly suitable for seat posts 25.0- 34.9 mm in diameter so should suit the gross majority of bikes. I can also easily transfer it to my cyclocross bike for the occasions when I fancy some protection.
Above is my first attempt at mounting. From a first ride test after heavy rain I found that pretty much all the rear spray that I would be subjected to was removed from mid thigh upwards. The adjust ability of the BBB rear fender means that I should now be able to raise the height of the seat post clamp and angle the fender closer to the bridge between the seat stays for better coverage above the knee.
The Grand Protect is made from a lightweight composite material. The flap itself is relatively sturdy although the connection between clamp and flap is where I feel the mud guard is let down as there is some flex and visible movement whilst riding. It's not noticeable unless you look behind you however a more robust production would help to resolve this and by reducing the vibration sent through the connector I suspect would increase longevity.
After a first 20 mile test ride around the trails of Clumber Estate I was relatively pleased to have a dry behind and the product stayed in exactly the position I originally set it up. It was also barely noticeable whilst riding which bodes well for a winter of abuse.
So far it's doing it's job and for a tenner I cannot grumble too much. Lets see how it copes with a winter of riding as so far my only main issue has been with cyclocross-style dismounts I often clip the top of the mudguard with my leg.
For that reason I recently purchased a BBB Grand Protect XL rear mud guard for the 29er Mountain Bike. (BFD-14R). At around a tenner off eBay I decided to take a chance having only ever used one of the original Crud Guard rear fenders on an MTB years ago.
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| The BBB Grand Protect XL Rear Mudguard BFD-14R on the 29er |
I particularly liked the idea of having something I could easily remove for when transporting the bike in the car. The Grand Protect features a quick release easy locking system which is supposedly suitable for seat posts 25.0- 34.9 mm in diameter so should suit the gross majority of bikes. I can also easily transfer it to my cyclocross bike for the occasions when I fancy some protection.
Above is my first attempt at mounting. From a first ride test after heavy rain I found that pretty much all the rear spray that I would be subjected to was removed from mid thigh upwards. The adjust ability of the BBB rear fender means that I should now be able to raise the height of the seat post clamp and angle the fender closer to the bridge between the seat stays for better coverage above the knee.
The Grand Protect is made from a lightweight composite material. The flap itself is relatively sturdy although the connection between clamp and flap is where I feel the mud guard is let down as there is some flex and visible movement whilst riding. It's not noticeable unless you look behind you however a more robust production would help to resolve this and by reducing the vibration sent through the connector I suspect would increase longevity.
After a first 20 mile test ride around the trails of Clumber Estate I was relatively pleased to have a dry behind and the product stayed in exactly the position I originally set it up. It was also barely noticeable whilst riding which bodes well for a winter of abuse.
So far it's doing it's job and for a tenner I cannot grumble too much. Lets see how it copes with a winter of riding as so far my only main issue has been with cyclocross-style dismounts I often clip the top of the mudguard with my leg.
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