An interesting process of mounting and securing them, but once on they’re functional, light and good looking.
Reasons to buy
+
Very easy initial mounting process
+
Extremely light at 260g per pair
+
Easy removal - they're not 'on for good' from October to March
Reasons to avoid
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Rear mudguard had to sit very high to avoid rubbing
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You may have to carry spare mudguard parts when riding
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Described on the box as ‘quick-fixing mudguards for all road bikes’ (provided they have less than 38mm tyre width and 700c wheels) the Mk3 Roadracer is designed to be versatile and light.
They’re made almost entirely of plastic and velcro and can be assembled without tools. It's about as close to an ‘ass saver’ as you can get while still actually counting as a fender / mudguard.
As a result of this light construction, the fenders themselves are very light and are one of the best bike fenders / mudguards for those without dedicated mudguard mounts on their bike.
Crud Mk3 Roadracer: installation
You know there’s room for disaster when you open up the instructions on the box and the first words you read are ‘use hacksaw’. These fenders / mudguards come with a large (really large) number of Velcro strips, too. Perhaps, rather than clip-on mudguards, ‘stick-on’ might be more appropriate.
As well as Velcro and hacksaws, other items either suggested or included are rubber vibration dampeners and a zip tie.
Out of the box, it feels a bit like a ‘make your own mudguard’ kit, rather than a pre-existing product. Ever the fan of (90s British TV reference incoming...) Art Attack, I got to work affixing them to my bicycle.
Attachable to disc and rim brake bikes, these mudguards are relatively easy to install. These guards are only compatible with 700c wheels and tyres up to 38mm wide – perfect for a winter road bike but probably not sturdy (or wide, in many cases) for a gravel bike mudguard.
Installing these mudguards takes about fifteen minutes to get them on, and a seemingly infinite amount of time to get them 'just right'. The mounting process is via Velcro-like strips, which are stuck to the forks and seat stays.
(Image credit: Tom Epton)
Crud Mk3 Roadracer: the ride
Once they’re in the right place, there aren't really any complaints to be made about the mudguard-ing performance itself.
The sticky mounts aren't re-usable and I did have one come off, though thankfully it wasn't mid-ride. Happily, ample spare parts are included – but it did lead me to popping a spare couple of sticky things and a wipe in my pocket on my next ride. If one goes and you don’t have these you’re riding home with a mudguard in your pocket instead…
The rear mount is held to the frame with a zip tie (not a brilliant look) and vibration dampeners (small rubber dots) and pile strips are mounted to the inner surface of the guard to reduce vibrations.
Crud includes plenty of spares of these. If you get them in the right place, they’re secure as long as the sticker stays in place – but bringing spares is wise. They’re not perfect by any stretch, but are quite impressive considering the fact that they’re stick-on guards.
(Image credit: Tom Epton)
Crud Mk3 Roadracer: value and conclusion
The Crud Mk3 Roadracer retail at $43.99 / £39.99, so are averagely priced clip-on mudguards. The Flinger Race Pro fenders / mudguards are a more expensive option at $75.89 / £54.99, and then at the cheaper end of the market, there's LifeLine's Narrow Road Clip-On fenders / mudguards for $23.99 / £19.99.
Overall, the Crud Mk3 Roadracers perform as well as any other set I’ve tested and fit low clearance frames as well as being disc brake compatible. They’re also quite secure despite the fact they’re basically stick-on.
The only slight hiccup is you should bring spare mounting stickers out with you - but these aren't big or heavy and plenty come with the set. As the Crud’s are so lightweight, it means they don’t make your bike feel quite as ‘wintery’ as other mudguards can, and look great too.
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Tom Epton is a freelance writer and data scientist. Originally training as a scientist after completing his studies in physics he realised that cycling was what he wanted to spend his life thinking about. Now he works with manufacturers, athletes and teams using cutting edge data science methods to find performance gains. Tom writes primarily about sport-science and tech!
