BBB BFD-22 SlimGuard Fenders

BBB's BFD-22 SlimGuard Fenders are lightweight full-length mudguards supposedly capable of accommodating pretty much any road frameset and tyres up to 30mm. Hmm... For the most part I'm pleased to agree, but on the basis of several weeks' testing, I'm not convinced they'll perform convincingly with 30mm tyres.

Curved seat tubes will require forgoing the rear's lower section, and compatibility with builds such as my beloved 'Teenage Dream' proved more involved than BBB's promotional video suggests.

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There are refreshingly few parts. Four powder-coated mounting brackets, two sets of resin-coated aluminium stays, four composite mudguard pieces and a rubberised clip for tethering the rear's lower section to the seat tube.

Having removed both wheels, slacken the brake mounting bolts, slip those brackets between the calliper's knurled washer, and nip tight with your 5mm Allen key.

Slide the stays aboard the lower guards and plug them into the mounts, then reinstate the wheels, clipping the stays aboard the hub's quick release skewers.

Close the quick releases and give the wheels a quick spin to check nothing's binding. Now introduce the front piece, and theoretically you're rattle-free and road ready...

In reality? 

I had to slide the lower section along, file that rear-mounting bracket and swap to a nigh-on slick 25mm tyre to create the 5mm minimum clearance required. The stays also needed some trial and error tweaking during the formative 20 miles; a drop of model glue was also necessary to prevent them creeping out of alignment over washboard surfaces.

That done, they've proved the best means of tethering 'proper' guards with said frameset and they look good. As long as you've remembered that precautionary lick of glue they'll remain unobtrusive and completely rattle-free. Those looking for SKS Longboard-rivalling coverage will be disappointed, but it's pretty close to standard narrow-section chrome plastics with 23-25mm section rubber.

There's no danger of damp derrières and disgruntled riding companions, though you need to bargain on a little spatter adorning your rear triangle and fork crown areas. The bottom bracket shell and front mech also get a dousing, depending on how low-slung you can get the rear guard.

Along waterlogged lanes, mud and silty detritus can also accumulate briefly between the tyre and mudguard, but binding was never an issue and it bailed within three revolutions of the rear wheel.

Day rides and/or longer commutes in these conditions also demand overshoes if soggy feet and sullied shoes are to be avoided, and given their ingenuity elsewhere, some plug-in rubberised mud-flaps wouldn't be a big ask at this price point. I found some nice examples at the bottom of my bodge box and glued them on, with pleasing results.

The rubber strap that tethers the rear guard to the seat tube isn't particularly supple, and it split within the first 100 miles. Again, a quick rummage and a scrap piece from a long defunct light set came to the rescue, but annoying just the same.

> Check out our guide to the best mudguards here

Subjectively, these have proved a real hit with me, solving the full-length mudguard headache presented by this particular bike, and in that respect, to me they're worth the money. Objectively, in stock form, overall protection is good rather than great with tyres exceeding 23mm, and they're let down by some minor details.

If you cannot fit full-length chrome plastics and don't want to go the bespoke route, these are well worth a closer look. If you were prepared to accept less protection, Crud's Roadracer Mk2s and similar designs are much cheaper options.

Verdict

Work surprisingly well on bikes that traditionally rule out full-length guards, but more refinement is needed to justify price