CombOver - Front Mudguard
CombOver - Front Mudguard
Description
Like a comb, over your wheel...
Mud still flies. But your face stays clean.
CombOver protects your face, eyes and mouth from trail debris. Using your bike frame as part of the shield and an angled slat construction puts material only where it's needed. The result? 25g - a fraction of the weight of the competition and almost invisible from the side.
Super effective. Any mud type. No fork crown interference. Fit and forget. Light. Aerodynamic. Silent. Discreet enough to leave on permanently - and on UK trails, you'll be glad you did. Prefer flamboyant? That's covered too.
Fits ANY wheel, tyre or frame size. MTB, gravel and road compatible. Easy to transport and store your bike - it stays out of the way. Zip-ties included.
For full coverage, pair with a fork-mounted shorty: the Toupee for MTBs, or the Toupee Gravel for rigid gravel bikes.
Designed in the Peak District, UK
Patent Pending
Rider feedback
Jon (tester, prototype)
"Worked beautifully for 120 km around the Peaks at the weekend. They got a proper testing - the weather was dismal."
Chris (tester, prototype)
"Proper wet one today - jacket clean as a whistle, unlike the legs. I've done about 200 km with it on and loving it. Proper brightens up the bike."
Features
Proper Protection
Covers yer face.
Discreetly Dirty
Looks like nothing. Sounds like nothing. Rides like a full fender.
Superlight
25g
Downside Design
On your down tube sides. Out of the way, but in the line of fire.
Missing Middle
The gap in the middle isn't missing. It was never needed.
Directional Defence
Angled to intercept mud head-on. Maximum block, minimum material.
Filth Filter
Horizontal slats stop rising mud. Air flows straight through.
Smooth Steering
No fork crown interference. No toe overlap. No suspension conflict.
Specifications
Type Off-road front mudguard (down-tube mounted).
Weight 25g the pair.
Width Protrudes 37mm each side of the frame (~130 mm total on a typical frame - easily enough for a 3″ plus tyre).
Length 290mm for each side.
Colours Black, Yellow, Orange, Green.
Mounting 2 zip-ties (supplied) to the sides of the down/head tubes, needs a roughly flat vertical area 290 x 12mm - takes about a minute.
Compatibility Any wheel size, tyre width and frame size; full-suspension, hardtail or rigid; MTB, gravel and road. Non-e-bikes almost always fit. Some tapered e-bike down tubes may not suit, or where the zip-tie may block battery removal (see FAQ).
Material Polypropylene (PP, recycling code 5) — tough, weatherproof, UV-stable, flexes and springs back.
Warranty 12-month against manufacturing defects.
Fitting Instructions
Fits in about a minute using 2 zip-ties (supplied), see our fitting instructions.
- Separate the CombOver halves and remove the connecting pieces.
- Position one half against the frame, reaching the front of where the frame meets the fork crown. The curved part of the spine faces forward, so each side bows upward (like an "n", not a "u") with the slats roughly horizontal.
- Loop a zip-tie loosely around the CombOver. Avoid trapping any cables.
- Slide the second half through the zip-tie on the other side. Check both halves sit flush with slats horizontal, then snug it up.
- Loop the second zip-tie around both halves nearer the front. Tighten both zip-ties and trim the excess.
FAQs
They look too small - how do they work?
The goal isn't a clean bike, it's keeping mud out of your eyes and mouth. CombOver is shaped around the two trajectories mud takes to reach your face, so material goes only where it's needed — most of a conventional mudguard isn't blocking any mud at all. See how they work.
Won't mud go through the gaps between the slats?
No. The slats are positioned so mud always hits a slat face, never a gap. The angles that *look* open don't match the trajectories mud actually travels on.
Do I need a shorty fender as well?
Yes. Mud reaches your face two ways: flung up directly off the back of the wheel; and indirectly thrown up and forwards, then blown back at you. A shorty closes the indirect path; the CombOver blocks the direct one. On MTB, each block ~50% on their own, together ~95% (there's a bit of overlap).
Already have a shorty (or short moto fender) on your bike? Perfect - keep it: adding a CombOver completes your protection. Starting from a bare bike? Obviously we recommend our own... On an MTB, pair with a Toupee. On a rigid gravel bike, pair with a Toupee Gravel.
See our explainer for more details.
Will CombOvers fit my bike?
Almost certainly. No brackets or adapters — any wheel size, tyre width or frame size; full-suspension, hardtail or rigid; MTB gravel and road. They mount to the vertical sides of the down and head tubes. Some e-bikes don't fit — tapered down tubes, or those where a zip-tie would obstruct battery removal.
What are they made from? Are they recyclable?
Polypropylene (PP, recycling code 5) — recyclable in principle. We've made them as small and light as possible, built to last many years, which we think is the best environmental call.
How long do they last?
PP resists moisture, mud and UV — expect many years of use.
More detailed answers and more FAQs