Review Mudhugger FRX and rear 29er mudguard

gunshot72

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2019
51
50
Rushden, UK
Product Image:
fkcmQqBvSuKmA0Ufm9jlIA.jpg


Product name: Mudhugger FRX and rear 29er mudguard
Price paid: 45
Score (out of 10): 9

Review: After a recent snowy wet freezing ride and getting utterly soaked I invested a bit of cash in some Mudhugger mtb specific mudguards. Some riders say that mudguards are ugly and to some degree they're correct but at the end of the day if you're going to ride all year round and in the worst of British weather then mudguards make total sense. The Mudhugger range is very well designed and made from rigid plastic, so doesn't flex under load and vibration. Very simple to fit (with cable ties supplied) and they keep clear of any size of tyre/wheel combination. The front FRX mudguard keeps the worst of the dirt away from the forks and your face, as well as any bar mounted accessories like lights and computers. The rear 29er mudguard is outstanding. It keeps my backside, seat, seat post, shock and linkages free of the usual clumps of muck and all of the muddy water splashes at bay. My Osprey backpack is also clean after some seriously wet off road riding. Brilliant all round.
 

Russell

Well-known member
Dec 16, 2018
211
149
Iow
They are good but not perfect. If running 27.5+ or 29er the front will need an extension on the back of it to stop the mud going in your face, I used a bit of a plastic bottle. The rear could do with extending forward of the seat stays to stop all the mud going on your shock and pivot bearings. Also you definitely need to fit the clear stickers if you care about your paint.
 

Kernow

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Rear mudhugger 29 is about your only choice on the rear on iether a 29er or a 27.5 with anything more than a 2.3 tyre . And works well . Who cares how cool it looks , a wet muddy cold back and bag isn’t very cool iether ,neither is the accelerated wear of not using a mudguard .
The front MH is too short to be really effective and will clog in some muddy conditions . I’ve tried both versions
The new crud xl is the way forward on the front , it’s simply a leap ahead of anything else and works very well on both wheel sizes so easy to fit and remove and It looks good too .
I also use a crudcatcher on the downtube when it’s really mucky it keeps the battery clean and stops spray up

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R120

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Apr 13, 2018
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I dont like the way the fork seals are exposed on the Crud catcher, I wouldn't go for a guard that doesn't cover them. For me RRP have it licked with their guards.
 

Gary

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I dont like the way the fork seals are exposed on the Crud catcher, I wouldn't go for a guard that doesn't cover them. For me RRP have it licked with their guards.
Puzzled me why they weren't designed to protect them better, it wouldn't have been difficult to add a seal guard and still allow the anti clogging flap to do it's job properly. it's not actually that bad but more shit does get on the stanchions and seals with the CRUD. Especially if it's a splashy day.
I'm actually still running the CRUD.
If you've ever had a mudguard clog with snow you'll realise why I'm keeping it on for a bit longer.
 
Last edited:

Rob Rides EMTB

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Jan 14, 2018
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Used the Crud for the first time this weekend. Forgot my clear glasses (didn’t need them with this) and for the first time ever in muddy conditions I had no mud splatter on my GoPro lens that can totally ruin a shot ?
 

Kernow

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Gary did you have the rrp fitted before . I had that one on before the crud More exposed fork seals with the crud was my first thought but after trying them both back to back I can’t say I noticed much difference , hard to choose which was most effective ,
I preferred the way the crud is fitted with extra clearance , I used to get the odd stick pick up in the rrp , although it didn’t ever cause a problem I felt a big stick or stone would break the tie wraps and perhaps jam up , where the crud’s mounts would give , splitting hairs I know
 

Dee Scee

Member
Dec 21, 2018
192
98
Berkeley
I dont like the way the fork seals are exposed on the Crud catcher, I wouldn't go for a guard that doesn't cover them. For me RRP have it licked with their guards.
rrp standard on front is plenty to keep vision and face clear. i’ve gotten in a few high speed rides with it and it works.

the mudhugger on the rear does keep mud off the seat and your ass, and my back stayed dry. but, my jersey was too trashed to wear in the car. shorts were ok! shoes, legs, knee/shin guards pretty wet and muddy.

also, the rear mudhugger does not really protect the bike/linkage.

finally, the rrp front was easy to mount and has required no adjustments through a dozen rides and two pretty good crashes. the mudhugger rear breaks cable ties at a rate of about one per 30 mins. bring extra, and plan to stop and replace them as you ride.

still, like rob says, with our bikes, we’re gonna go out rain or shine, so you gotta do something. those little mini-skirt fashion clips on the front won’t cut it.
 

100 Cols

Member
Mar 9, 2018
103
152
Côte d'Azur, France
I think the rear Mudhugger looks absolutely hideous when installed on top of the rear fork, so I put it inside instead, after widening and modifying it a bit with a heat gun. Also cut it shorter.

I've had no clearance issues using two separate tire/wheelsets, 40 mm ID rim with 2.80 G-Ones and 35 mm ID rims with 2.80 Rekon+ @rear.

IMG_20190126_132259.jpg


IMG_20190129_191453.jpg
 

Kernow

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
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I think the rear Mudhugger looks absolutely hideous when installed on top of the rear fork, so I put it inside instead, after widening and modifying it a bit with a heat gun. Also cut it shorter.

I've had no clearance issues using two separate tire/wheelsets, 40 mm ID rim with 2.80 G-Ones and 35 mm ID rims with 2.80 Rekon+ @rear.

View attachment 10351

View attachment 10352
Not being rude but you basically cut the most needed parts off , modified for looks but it no longer does its job ? Each to their own I guess still better than nothing
 

Kernow

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Jan 18, 2018
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Shifty

E*POWAH Elite
Aug 29, 2019
249
442
Wiltshire
I’m personally not a fan of the zipper tie look, but I like the way it hugs closer and is probably better than mine. I prefer the seat stem design I have.
 

DrStupid

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Jul 10, 2019
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Pleasureville Ky
I’m personally not a fan of the zipper tie look, but I like the way it hugs closer and is probably better than mine. I prefer the seat stem design I have.
Having done machine maintenance for the last 25 years or so, I can honestly say that I love zip ties!
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
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Weymouth
On my Levo I use the RRP Enduro front guard and my own design rear guard. I have also used the Mudhugger FRX (front guard) on the rear....with about 25mm cut off the front of it. That worked ok but is very close fitting so probably not the best for claggy mud conditions. I am more interested in bike than personal protection and the front RRP protects the stanchions and dust seals whilst my diy rear guard protects the pivot bearings rear shock and dropper.
 

iainc

Active member
Jul 21, 2019
171
134
Glasgow
I have a set of the Mudhugger ones on the way though a bit wary of the rear one eating holes in the seat stays...Some horror stories around, even with the correctly applied frame tape etc..
 

Mikerb

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May 16, 2019
6,103
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Weymouth
The more coverage the mudguard provides the greater the force exerted on the fixings especially if those forces act at a distance from the fixing point. Normally on full mudguards there are 2 fixing points a distance apart. I took that into account with my diy rear mudguard .....it is straight so does not sit close to the tyre other than near the fixing point.
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
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Mar 29, 2018
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a mudguard that doesn't follow the shape of the tyre and doesn't protect the motor/wiring/shock is a bit of a fail for an Emtb IMO

I run an RRP on the rear of my Sommet all year round to protect all of the above.
I don't actually care about having a dry arse when proper mountainbiking (and let's face it Emtbs don't have the battery range for more than a few hours use in proper mtb terrain in minter/wet conditions anyway. An extended rear mudguard just gets in the way of me moving around the bike. (eg. manualling)
For commuting in met weather I fit a polypropelene (same material as an OG mucknuts fender) extension to the rear of the RRP that 3M Dual Locks in place and is fixed with a single ziptie and keeps all road spray off my arse/back. and takes seconds to fit/remove.
The attachment gives about the same coverage as a mudhugger rear, but being lighter and less rigid puts way less "force" on the fixings.
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
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I have a set of the Mudhugger ones on the way though a bit wary of the rear one eating holes in the seat stays...Some horror stories around, even with the correctly applied frame tape etc..
Duuuuuuuuuuuude!!!

Careful with all that worrying. ;)
it's just a bike. It's honestly not worth stressing over

Ps. When we hooking up for a ride? and where do you fancy?

PPs. Mastic tape the stays instead of frame tape and you're worries shall vanish forevar!
 

iainc

Active member
Jul 21, 2019
171
134
Glasgow
Cheers Gary, not ridden it yet as away with family for a few days. Maybe just a bike, but it cost more than a few cars I’ve had over the years. Will drop you a PM once I’ve ridden it a few times ?
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
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Sweet! Lookin forward to it.

I've never had a car/van in my entire life more expensive than my most expensive bikes.
I've no idea why you would.
 

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