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review

Zefal Shield R35 Road Mudguard Set 2024

7
£41.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Good option if your bike doesn't accept proper mudguards, and you have suitable clearance under your down tube
Rear coverage is great
Can be moved between bikes without additional fitting components
Adjustable/choice of mudflaps for optimal coverage
Installation is a little fiddly
Front guard needs a good bit of clearance to totally avoid rubbing
Weight: 
340g

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The Zefal Shield R35 Road Mudguard Set is designed to be used on any road bike without traditional mudguard eyelets, which in 2024, sadly, means pretty much all bikes. The mudguards have clearance for up to 700x32mm tyres, and the straps have enough adjustability to work with even the deepest of aero tubes, but fitting can be a bit finicky, and although the coverage at the rear on both my road bikes was great, up front, clearance was a bit of an issue.

The stays are fixed with Velcro-type straps and supported with rubber blocks which didn't show any signs of wearing the paint on my frame, but you might want to put some tape on first just to be doubly sure.

2024 Zefal Shield R35 Road Mudguard Set 2024 - rear guard clamp.jpg

I found the mudguards a little finicky to fit. The rubber blocks aren't attached to the stays, so you almost need a third hand to hold them in place while setting up the mudguard and securing the strap. Once you've provisionally installed the guards, you can make minor adjustments with a hex bolt that lets the mudguard pivot up and down – although any bigger adjustments need to be made by releasing the straps and resetting the original position.

Once fitted, the guards worked okay. The rear was really good, and offered loads of protection in wet and grimy conditions. You get three mudflaps in the set, of different lengths, so you can lengthen the rear to suit your requirements. However, purely because of the nature of the design, the drivetrain and frame remain unprotected – unlike solid wraparound mudguards that will offer a good bit of protection to the front derailleur and back of the seat tube. So don't expect to be able to get away with not cleaning your bike throughout the winter if these are your only form of protection.

> Survival tips for cycling in the rain

The front mudguard caused a few headaches for me. I tried it on both of my road bikes – a Curve Belgie and a Specialized Tarmac SL7 – and had a couple of issues.

2024 Zefal Shield R35 Road Mudguard Set 2024 - front guard clamp.jpg
2024 Zefal Shield R35 Road Mudguard Set 2024 - front guard detail.jpg

On the Curve, the rear brake hose enters the frame underneath the down tube. Obviously, this is pretty unusual routing, but it did mean that the guard would rub on the hose.

On the Tarmac, there wasn't quite enough clearance to run 30mm tyres without the mudguard tapping against the down tube. In fairness, my SL7 is a 52cm and I'm running 30mm rubber, so on a bigger frame, or a frame with more relaxed geometry, or if you were to drop a tyre size, you might not have this issue.

2024 Zefal Shield R35 Road Mudguard Set 2024 - front guard 2.jpg

The mudguards feel solid and I can't see any obvious points of failure. They're made of thermoplastic that has a little bit of flex in it, so shouldn't fatigue from road buzz over time and, provided you don't crash or lose any of the parts when swapping them between bikes, there's nothing to suggest these won't last season after season.

2024 Zefal Shield R35 Road Mudguard Set 2024 - rear guard extension.jpg

There are a number of alternatives out there, the Crud Roadracer3 being an obvious one, and I'd say the overall performance of the Crud model is maybe a little better – but there's a lot less adjustability, and you have to install Velcro-like pads on every bike you'd like to mount them on. They are a little cheaper at £34.99, though.

Or there's the adjustable SKS Raceblade Pro XLs, for tyres up to 32mm, which Mike reviewed back in 2016 and thought were excellent – but they're now £50.

Another alternative is the Ass Savers Win Wing, which costs £23.99 and offers a similar degree of coverage at the rear, but there is no front guard.

For more options, check out our guide to the best road bike mudguards.

Overall, the Zefal Shields are a good choice if your bike doesn't have mudguard eyelets – but you might just want to make sure you have enough clearance between your front tyre and the down tube.

Verdict

Good option if your bike doesn't accept proper mudguards, and you have suitable clearance under your down tube

road.cc test report

Make and model: Zefal Shield R35 Road Mudguard Set 2024

Size tested: Wheel Size: 700c / 28

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Zefal says: 'Specially designed for road bikes, the mudguard Shield R35 will protect you from splashes in wet weather. It is sold as a set (front and rear mudguard). The mounting is easy and universal: the MD-Strap fastening allows an attachment on the rear stays and on the front fork. Thanks to its position close to the wheel, it is both discreet and efficient. Delivered with 3 mud flaps of different sizes, you can adapt the length of the rear mudguard to the geometry of your bike.'

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

The mudguards are attached with a simple Velcro strap and sturdy rubber block, and are adjusted with a hex bolt – so when installed they are solid and remain in place. There are three different flaps included so you can customise the fit for your own bike.

From Zefal:

Features:

Adjustable universal mount: Quick to install and remove

Adaptable length: 3 mud flaps supplied of 20, 60 and 120mm

Universal road: For 700c / 28" tyres up to 32mm

Rotating: optimum protection thanks to the perfect fit on the bike

Discreet and efficient: Positioned close to the wheel

Technical Specifications

Suitable For: Road Bikes

Wheel Size: 700c / 28"

Maximum Recommended Tyre Width: 32mm

Mounting: MD-Strap For front 10 to 55 mm and rear 10 to 32 mm. Front 210 mm / rear 150 mm straps length

Protection Level: Maximum

Material: Technopolymer

Mudflap: 3 supplied

Front Dimensions: 498 x 34 x 210 mm

Rear Dimensions: 572 (with mud flap 20 mm) x 34 x 210 mm

Weight: Front 166g, Rear 177g (with mud flap 20 mm)

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10

The mudguards are well made as one single piece of Technopolymer plastic. The rubber blocks that support the struts against the frame aren't attached and fell off a few times during installation, which was a bit fiddly, but once installed they were solid and didn't budge.

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

They worked OK. Fitting them to a bike with racy geometry was quite tricky – especially on the fork where clearance was tight underneath the down tube. Coverage at the rear was pretty good, but the frame remains rather exposed to dirt and grime, which isn't an issue with proper mudguards.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

Being a single piece of plastic, there are no joints that could wear. Once these were set up properly, there was minimal wobble and I can't see any obvious parts that would wear.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10

While these aren't heavy at 340g for the pair, and certainly lighter than bolt-on guards, the Zefals are nearly 80g heavier than the Crud Roadracer Mk3s, which I see as their most obvious competitor.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

At £41.99 they're in line with their competitors.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The guards worked OK. The rear was certainly more effective than the front, which I had to fit pretty close to my tyre owing to my frame's geometry, so rubbed on my tyre a little.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

I liked the rear coverage – it was definitely better than an Ass Saver-style guard, and kept my back free of grime on some wet rides. Once installed, which was a little fiddly, the guards were really solid and didn't flap around too much.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

I didn't like the front one very much. It was tricky to install on both of my bikes, and didn't offer that much coverage.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

They're a little more than Crud's Roadracer Mk3s, now £34.99, which I see as Zefal's main competitors in this space, and around the same as SKS's Raceblade Pro XLs. Ass Savers' Win Wing costs £23.99, but that's just for the rear.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Maybe

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Maybe

Use this box to explain your overall score

They're good, overall. Installation was fiddly but they were solid when set up, and can be transferred between bikes without having to buy any additional mounting kit.

I would check clearance between your front tyre and your down tube before committing to these, though – to really get the most out of them you need a good bit of space to ensure there's no rub, so they don't work too well on more aggressive race bikes.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 28  Height: 175cm  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride: Road (Tarmac SL7)  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, mtb, Occasional Ultra Racing

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1 comments

Avatar
anke2 | 4 weeks ago
1 like

The front one seems a bit useless - what is it protecting, if not the feet, chain(wheel)  and entire bottom bracket area? I found that "ToeSavers" can provide a nice extension - they are flexible enough to be bent into a shape that fits for most mudgards - and if you do well, can even be fixed "permanently" by strong, double sided sticky tape.

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