Mudguards are key to keeping dry – or drier than you’d otherwise be – in typical British conditions. That’s especially true in winter when water tends to stay on the roads for longer. If you’re riding year-round, make sure you have some of the best bike lights to keep you safe too. That’s thanks to a full wrap of the tyre, protecting bike and rider from road grit and grime, durability provided by the hammered alloy material and the ability to work with a wide range of different tyres and wheel sizes, too. There’s a shiny stainless steel version available as well. Wet and muddy conditions can hamper your road cycling experience, covering both you and your bike in debris from tyre spray.

There are a few options to choose from when it comes to mudguards, and which of these is right for your bike depends on the amount of protection you're needing - as well as what will practically fit your bike frame. Both units come in two parts and wrap a good stretch of the tyre. Certainly, they’re long enough to protect the rider – although not so much anyone following in their slipstream.Full-length mudguards are commonly referred to as traditional mudguards, because they’ve been around for many, many years. They are most often a permanent fixture on touring bikes. Due to their length and sides, they cover a large percentage of both wheels and provide the best protection from spray generated by the wheels. If your bike has the mounting points, these are the best mudguards you can buy. Full-length, and held in place by steel struts and stainless hardware, once chopped and bolted into place, they’ll provide exceptional coverage. You even get a traditional rear reflector. Having said that, even clip-on long-coverage mudguards aren’t as easy to fit as many short-coverage options. Also, because they tend to fit closer to the tyre than short-coverage guards, you may need to be more cautious of trail debris. The Bontrager NCS fenders / mudguards come in a range of sizes: from 18-25mm for old school road bikes and all the way up to 35-45mm for trendy new gravel bikes. The set we had on test was right in the middle, designed for 28-35mm 700c tires - which is typical for winter bikes these days.

SKS’s Bluemels Basic fenders / mudguards do a reasonably good job of keeping you dry. Their coverage isn’t as long as some - and our tester did find that you get spray over your feet from the front wheel and anyone following behind will still get a coating. We don't really need to say much here other than these are a must for your off-road adventure. Even on a dry day, you're likely to be cycling through mud and well... it's in the name. You'll need an MTB front mudguard as well as an MTB rear mudguard.With a variety of holes (a bit like a belt), this can be fitted to almost any road bike, even those with wide aero forks. The guard is pre-folded into a V-shape and is simply secured by inserting one end under your saddle (it works with any standard saddle). Requiring zero tools and only a modicum of intelligence, at 38cm long, this lightweight option offers pretty limited protection against road gunk. Clip-on mudguards usually don’t wrap as much of the wheel as full-length mudguards, nor have the sides or front rubber flap. This means they don’t keep as much rain and spray off your body or bike. However, they do keep most of the water off and can make a huge difference on wet roads. They can easily be removed and stored in the garage during the summer. This is probably the easiest decision you can make surrounding fenders because your bike makes it for you; it will have eyelets for braze-on mudguards or it won't.

Riding your bike in the winter without a mudguard is likely to result in you turning up at your destination like you've been dragged through the proverbial hedge. However, mudguards aren't just about keeping your clothes clean - they also help to keep your feet and legs dry and warm, as well as protecting your bike's frame and components. The other advantage of these mudguards is that they offer the most protection to the bicycle. They keep all the water and mud away from the rim brake callipers (if your bike has them), which really don't like being dowsed in gritty water, and it's the same for the front derailleur. They also keep water away from a saddle bag and rear light that you might have attached to the saddle/seatpost, so that's another plus for mudguards.

If you've never used mudguards, you’ll probably be surprised at how much difference they make. A lot of the water that covers you when you ride in the rain doesn’t come directly from the clouds, it’s thrown up from the road surface by your tyres, especially in lovely British drizzle. Suited to bikes that don’t have the standard fixing points, SKS Raceblades instead strap directly onto the fork blades and seatstays. A favourite among riders who want to keep using their best road bike through winter, the current version is a significant improvement on previous models. If you’re in the market for a set of ‘proper’ mudguards then buy once and buy right would be our advice – and the Portland Design Works Full Metal Fenders are about as good as mudguards get. You’ll be surprised at how much difference they make. Unless it’s raining hard, most of the wetness you feel when riding without mudguards is likely to have come from the road and your tyres. Mudguards keep you drier and more comfortable.