Are bicycle mudguards a relic of bygone days?

Are bicycle mudguards a relic of bygone days? They might add a little weight, and spoil the lines of a sleek road bike, but given how often it rains here, the reason why so few bikes sold in Britain come without them fitted as standard is a mystery.

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The penalty for cycling without bicycle mudguards at this time of year is a damp and gritty streak up your back so just as well that the range of after-market bicycle mudguards available is broad. In addition to the plastic designs you'd expect are more unusual options - including bamboo. For example, the Mandy Fender is a stylish bamboo mudguard designed to adapt to almost any type of bicycle and wheel size.

The design is light, durable, weather-resistant and environmentally sustainable. A layer of memory film laminated between two layers of bamboo veneer allows the mudguards to shaped to a particular size of wheel and re-shaped to suit a different bicycle further down the line if necessary. .

Win a set of bamboo bicycle mudguards

We have a set of the Many Fenders to give away. Just let us know what type of bike you plan to fit them to and we will pick a name at random.

Cycle cover from Britain's most ethical insurance provider

On the face of it, one cycle insurance policy is much like another, but the devil is the detail. How much excess you will be charged is just one of the things that vary wildly between providers. Another is so-called ‘new-for-old’ replacement – many insurers use this term, but if your bicycle is more than a few years old, devalue it severely. This means you are left out of pocket when you come to replace it.

The ETA has been judged to provide the most ethical insurance in Britain. Our cycle insurance has a low standard excess of 5% (minimum £25) and offers a new-for-old for life – however old the bike if it’s stolen you get enough to buy a new model.

For over 25 years we have been providing straightforward, affordable bicycle insurance. Whether you use your bike to commute, shop, race or amble in the park, ETA Bicycle Insurance has you covered. We never devalue bikes no matter their age, allow you to buy your replacement bike wherever you like, replace stolen quick-release components and handle claims in-house.

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