Slovenian bicycle accessory company Musguard has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the latest version of its rollable mudguards which were first launched back in 2013. The original smashed the $10,000 goal with $44,633 pledged and now Musguard is bringing out the mudguards with increased compatibility as well as new environmentally focused approach with recycled materials used.
Bike mudguards protect your bike and rear side in wet conditions, but not all rides are this grim. Musguard’s offering caters for those who don’t want mudguards on the bike all the time. You can get clip on mudguards such as SKS’s Veloflexx mudguards and Crud’s Roadracer MK3, but the USP of Musguard’s offering is it’s rollability and packability for conveniently storing when not in use.
“Musguards roll up really small which makes them perfect for packing or storing,” says the brand. “They can even be rolled on the bike frame itself.”
The rear Musguard OMNI now fits a much broader range of bicycles, with the brand claiming it's effectively compatible with every bike thanks to the new silicone coat hook and loop straps.
There’s also now a wider option to suit bigger tyres, offering better protection for off-road riding.
The original version was aimed primarily at the urban, fixed-gear community. It needed to be squeezed between the seat stays and supported by a brake bridge to achieve stability, but the new OMNI does not.
“A new folding and mounting system we spent a year developing makes a really thin sheet of material (0.8 mm) sturdy on it's own,” says Musguard. “It can even be secured firmly to a seat post.”
The OMNI mudguards are produced locally in Slovenia in compliance with EU environmental standards and are now made of a recycled version of polypropylene.
“This was a tough one to pull off,” Musguard admits.
"Minimum orders of any recycled materials are large and costly, but we managed.”
How effective are the mudguards? Well, thanks to the close fit, Musguard promises “they eliminate or drastically reduce the amount of dirt splashed on you while riding.
“Low, close-to-the-tyre position is key - the sooner you catch the spray the less dirty you get.”
No tools are required to fit these mudguards. “Application is simple and fast thanks to durable silicone-coated hook and loop straps which grip the bike like there is no tomorrow,” says Musguard.
The brand claims the mudguards weighs in at just 90 grams for the set.
You can support the Kickstarter campaign over here.
All the usual Kickstarter rules and regulations apply which can be found here.
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13 comments
A lot of negative comments here - yet none seemed to have tried the product.
I ride the first version on my gravel bike since a year and am very happy. These are always on my city/gravel-bike rolled up as a "backup" when it might rain or it might not. They are very light and fold up/down within seconds.
The mudguards are effective from protecting yourself even in nasty weather.
I do not like the optics of mudguards but when it rains or its a little wet and I am heading somewhere without full kit this is ideal to stay dry.
Indeed these are not fantastic if you are doing a group ride and have people behind you. They will get wet!
But thats not the point of these IMHO. They are not meant to replace fully, always mounted race guards or similiar and have a place in the market. And yes they are not cheap but at least its made in europe and recycled materials
Those before-and-after photos with the splattered overalls are a nice touch, but: Why would you want a mudguard that's easy to carry around without attaching it to the bike?
Either you want to look sleek and mudguardless, in which case you'll suffer a bit of mud all the way through your ride, or you want to be prepared for anything and you'll set off with the mudguard fitted.
Are there people who'd stop at an unexpected puddle, open up their luggage, fit a mudguard which they packed for just this eventuality, then continue riding...?
My reason for going mudguardless on a gravel bike is that trails and mudguards don't mix. But I also use my gravel bike for commuting so therefore mudguards would be quite useful for that purpose. I would like to be able tofit mudguards and be able to take them off quickly alternating between road/trail rides. Being able to carry them is an added bonus but normally I would decide if I'm going off road just to accept I might get a bit wet during the road bits before and after I get mega muddy.
These however don't have the group ride benefits of full length mudguards so are probably not much better than an ass saver.
They are also uuuuuuugly!
FUGLY.
If you have a £100 BSO and don't care I would understand but to fit those to a decent bike?
Perhaps they should do a test with the person in the white overalls riding behind a rider using these mudguards.
quite clearly that is not the intended function. If you are being spalshed drop back. After all drafting in the mud is not a thing.
In my experience, these kind of mudguards are also used on the road a lot due to ease of set up and because they can be used on all bikes.
As noted above in the article, these mudguards were originally aimed at the urban fixie market.
If I ran a cycling club, these types would be banned on club rides. I wouldn't draft an urban fixie, who knows what wierd stufff they would do.
Of course these are not intended for club rides since most clubs require full-length guards.
Not everybody rides in a group and most of my riding is solo. I can see the appeal after having trouble trying to fit mudguards onto bikes in the past.
I was never referring to group rides as it's clear that using these is pretty anti social.
I live in London and commute daily. Often I'll be riding behind another cyclist and in my experience they often use mudguards like these which are pretty unpleasant for others on wet roads.
it sure is nice when you have someone with full mudguards fitted infront of you but i do not see how these make things worse for people than when riding behind someone who is not using mudguards at all?
might sound egoistic but as long as i stay dry i am happy, if you do not want to get wet keep your distance to my wheel. its not like commuting is supposed to be a group ride.
By definition, cycle commuting in London is a group ride because of the sheer numbers. Commuting on a bike without full mudguards is anti-social.