They look a bit rough! Are these the final production parts?
The photos show 3D-printed prototypes — the final injection-moulded product will be much nicer, with a smoother finish and better logos. We'll update the photos as soon as we have production samples.
They look too small to do much! How do they work?
The goal isn't to keep your bike clean — it's to keep mud out of your eyes and mouth. CombOvers are shaped around the 2 key trajectories mud takes to reach your face, so material only goes where it's actually needed. Most of the material in a conventional mudguard isn't actually blocking any mud. This really needs pictures not words - see our (explainer video)[@@@] for the full picture.
Won't mud go through the gaps between the slats?
No! The slats are carefully positioned so that mud always hits the face of a slat, never a gap. From many angles it looks like there are gaps the mud could slip through, but those angles don't match the trajectories mud actually travels on. See our (explainer video)[@@@] for more details. From the rider's point of view, you can never see the part of the tyre that's flinging mud towards you — even if you can see other parts of the wheel — which is exactly what you want.
But when I steer my front wheel, won't the mud just go around the side of the CombOver?
In practice no! Interestingly, below about 10mph, mud from the wheels can't travel fast enough to reach your face before gravity pulls it down again. Above that speed, you mostly steer your bike by leaning, keeping the front wheel fairly straight - CombOvers are designed to match how much you steer the wheel above that speed. See our (explainer video)[@@@] for more details. So if the mud can get around the CombOver, it isn't going to reach your face anyway.
Will they keep me completely clean?
No! CombOvers are born of a philosophy that only the face truly needs to be protected from mud: keeping mud out of your eyes and mouth. In practice, when combined with a shorty fender, you should be clean from about your chest upwards.
Do I need a shorty fender as well?
If you are riding with front suspension, then we highly recommend the combination, especially our Toupee. They block different mud trajectories and are complementary rather than redundant. They each protect your face from roughly 50% of mud and the combination will protect your face from about 95% of mud. See our (explainer video)[@@@] for more details.
Shouldn't mudguards be as close to the wheel as possible?
All else being equal, yes - that removes the influence of air resistance and bike movement on mud trajectory. In practice that location has other drawbacks: it requires more material to reach that location, such designs are inevitably flexible and fragile and tend to rub the wheel or interfere with the frame or the rider's feet or just clog with mud.
Note, the other extreme is also a solution: shielding your face, e.g. a face mask and goggles, but then you still have to clean your goggles!
Are they really aerodynamic?
The horizontal slat design and slim profile create less drag than a conventional solid mudguard. For road and gravel riders this matters; for mountain bikers the gains are smaller but still beneficial.
Will CombOvers fit my bike?
CombOver was conceived for mountain biking but works equally well on gravel and road bikes. CombOvers use no brackets, adapters, or frame-specific fitment. They work with any wheel size, frame size, or tyre width. Full suspension, hardtail or rigid all work.
They will almost certainly fit a non-ebike*. CombOvers mount to the sides of the down tube and head tube. As long as the sides of those tubes form a vertical plane and are similar in width they should fit. Frames often have cables near here: they rarely prevent fitting, as usually the CombOvers can simply be placed just above or below them.
* Many e-bike down tubes are wider than a normal head tube. Some bikes taper in for the head tube, some make the head tube wider to match. Depending on if and how smoothly they taper, and how snug to the frame you're happy with, CombOvers may or may not fit. To prevent any gap between the CombOver and the frame, they need to be mounted on a flat surface 30cm long. Ultimately, you'll have to test with your bike.
Do they work for plus/fat bikes?
Probably. It all depends how wide your tyres are relative to the width of your frame. CombOvers protrude about 35mm either side of the frame. On a 'normal' modern frame that gives a total width of about 130mm - easily enough for a 3" plus tyre (we've ridden this set-up lots). Probably not quite enough for a 5" full fat tyre. If you have an e-fat bike the wider frame and tyre will cancel out and it will work well.
How do I fit them?
We recommend using 2 zip-ties (supplied) and it takes under a minute. Full illustrated instructions are included, see video at [link coming soon]. You could also attach them using narrow hook-and-loop tape, elastic bands, or adhesive tape. However, these are trickier and/or less secure.
In brief: separate the pair, position one half against each side of the down tube, loop a zip-tie loosely around both through the slats, check they sit flush, snug it up, add a second zip-tie towards the front, tighten, trim the zip-ties.
I have cables on my down tube — is that a problem?
CombOvers fit around cables. When positioning, route the zip-ties to avoid trapping any cables or hoses against the frame. Some frames may position cable brackets or have internal cable routing on the side(s) of the down tube. In most cases, the CombOver should fit fine next to these, above or below. Rarely, this will not be possible - please contact us at info@combover.co.uk for a refund.
Can I trim CombOvers to fit?
They can be trimmed with scissors if you like, e.g. making shorter for a small child's bike.
Which side is which?
The curved portion of the spine is mounted towards the front, so that each side forms an upwards bow (like an 'n' not a 'u'). [diagram coming soon]
Will it rattle or make noise?
No. CombOvers fit tightly to the frame itself, nothing protrudes where it can rattle against other bike parts.
Do CombOvers cause any problems when riding or handling the bike?
CombOvers won't get in the way when riding, carrying or standing with your bike.
While riding, CombOvers are in front of and below your knees — no contact at all. If you straddle the bike very close to the handlebars, e.g. negotiating a gate, they can lightly brush your legs, but they're flexible with no sharp edges.
How do I store or transport my bike with CombOvers on?
They stay out of the way. Because CombOvers sit against the down tube rather than projecting from the fork, they do not take extra space when the front wheel is removed. Just leave them on.
I leaned my bike against something and the slats are bent!
In general Polypropylene is robust to this and they will return to the correct shape on their own. If they have been left squashed for a long time, they may take a while to unbend and will benefit from a bit of manual help. They will then continue to work fine.
What are CombOvers made from? Are they recyclable?
Polypropylene (PP, recycling code 5). In an ideal world you'd pop them in your recycling bin at end of life — PP is a recyclable polymer. In practice, recycling infrastructure is built around standard shapes like bottles and tubs; also, black items are invisible to optical sorters, and even brightly coloured CombOvers may not be recognised as a known product form. Take-back schemes sound appealing but the transport emissions for a 25g item outweigh the recycling benefit.
Our best advice: check recycling options when they eventually wear out. We've made CombOvers as small and light as we can, built to last many years — that's the best we think we can do for the environment.
How long do they last?
The polypropylene used in CombOvers is resistant to moisture, mud, and UV — expect many years of use. See our materials answer above for the full environmental picture.
How much do they weigh?
25 g for the pair — a small fraction of most other mudguards.
How do I clean CombOvers?
Hose them down with the rest of the bike — that's all they need. Polypropylene doesn't harbour mud and dries quickly. They'll happily tolerate a more comprehensive bike wash too if that's your thing.
What is the returns/refund policy?
Let us know at info@combover.co.uk and post them back unused and in sellable condition and we'll refund you.
CombOvers are covered by a 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects — if something fails, contact us at info@combover.co.uk and we'll sort it.