The Mucky Nutz MugGuard Rear is absolutely massive, and is designed not only to keep water and mud off your back but also to withstand the hardships of challenging trails. But can the MugGuard Rear match the impressive performance of its front-specific counterpart?

Mucky Nutz MugGuard Rear | Price: £ 38 | Weight short/long: 150 g/216 g | Length short/long: 349 mm/834 mm | Manufacturer’s website

While our colleagues at the ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine did already put Mucky Nutz’s front fender through the wringer in their extensive “Best Mudguard of 2024” comparison test, we decided to test the MugGuard Rear version. Even at first glance, this fender looks impressive: It seems to scream “You shall not pass!” at every puddle and mud patch it passes with its 216 g system weight and 834 mm length in the extended version.

When the weather clears, the MugGuard Rear can be more than halved in length thanks to a secure sliding mechanism, which allows you to remove one part, reducing the weight to 150 g. Both versions are made from 100% recycled plastic and are available as a bundle from the UK for £38 (approx. €45) plus shipping. The Mucky Nutz MugGuard Rear also protects the bottom bracket area and shock, and is compatible with wheel sizes from 26″ to 29″, and tire widths up to 3″.

Installing the Mucky Nutz MugGuard Rear

During our test period, Mucky Nutz introduced a useful upgrade to the Velcro straps included for mounting the MugGuard Rear, leaving no room for complaints. Compared to previous versions, these straps are now wider, and come with an improved rubber coating and a small plastic tensioning clip, which significantly simplifies installation.

Thanks to these improvements, it’s now even possible to remove the MugGuard Rear occasionally, for instance, for bike park sessions. Initial installation takes no more than 15 minutes and requires no tools. Once the main body is mounted, the process becomes much quicker, as the entire system can then be easily removed and reattached using the four Velcro straps.

The “dial” allows you to perfectly adjust the angle of the MugGuard to fit your bike.

We recommend starting off with the short version of the fender for initial installation, as it provides less leverage. Ideally, assemble all the individual parts before attaching them to the bike and thread the Velcro straps through the designated slots in the plastic mounts beforehand. This secures the rubber protectors within the mounts, preventing them from slipping off during installation. Using the dial, you can determine the optimal angle for your bike and lock it in place with the two round plugs.

Once assembled, position the entire system on the seat stays and simply tighten the four Velcro straps. Although all contact points are sufficiently rubberized, it’s advisable to use an additional protective tape layer under the straps, because the combination of water and sand could eventually damage the paint. Additionally, some of the plastic edges are still a bit rough, but can be easily smoothed down with sandpaper or a Stanley knife.

The old Velcro straps were fiddly and lacked proper rubber coating.
All weaknesses have been eliminated with the new straps.

The Mucky Nutz MugGuard Rear on the trail

When properly installed, the MugGuard Rear sits securely on the new attachment straps. Nonetheless, we were initially skeptical: wouldn’t this long lever arm cause the fender to rip off after the first few jumps? Not at all! The MugGuard holds up impressively well, even on rough, challenging trails. While the old attachment system resulted in some rattling, the upgrade has minimized noise, only producing minor rattles on extremely rough sections and larger jumps.

What’s especially impressive is the fender’s effectiveness, which comes as no surprise since it was developed in the UK: the length and width of the MugGuard Rear effectively block water and mud from reaching your back or the shock, even in the foulest weather. However, converting from the long to the short version after a few uses was more troublesome than expected. When riding in wet conditions, mud accumulates in the overlap area between the two fender sections, causing them to stick together almost as if they were bonded with carbon paste.

Grit in the works: conversion becomes a real struggle – it’s not falling off by accident though.
The protective performance of the Mucky Nutz MugGuard Rear is outstanding.

Conclusions about the Mucky Nutz MugGuard Rear

Designed for British weather, this fender has to deliver – and it does. The protective performance of the Mucky Nutz MugGuard Rear is simply excellent. Thanks to the improved mounting system, the fender is now fully trail-ready, yet can still be removed with a reasonable amount of effort if needed. However, switching between the long and short versions can require significant force and patience, as the sliding mechanism tends to get blocked by dirt.

Tops

  • Excellent protective performance
  • Tool-free (de-)installation
  • Fully trail-ready

Flops

  • Contact points may damage paint over time
  • Switching between long and short versions is stiff
  • Edges are not smoothly finished

For more information visit muckynutz.com.


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Words: Jonny Grapentin Photos: Mike Hunger