Bicycles

Musguard rollable bike fenders now protect on the filthiest rides

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Musguard shows how its Omni mudguards deploy and roll away
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Riding through the muck with and without Musguards
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The new Musguard Omnis feature a more stable, freestanding design to work with the gamut of bicycles
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The Musguard Omni stands over the tire to block mud and moisture
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Taking a gravel route with the Musguard Omni mudguards
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The new Omnis are designed to bring Musguard's versatile, stowable design to more bicycle types
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Musguard Omnis getting work done
Musguard
At under 3.5 ounces and able to quickly detach and roll around the tubes or stow in a bag, the Musguard Omnis seem like a valuable tool for extended bikepacking, in which the weather is all but guaranteed to change a number of times
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The Musguard Omni features a few extra folds and dual straps for a more stable, self-supporting structure
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Two hook-and-loop straps secure each Omni to a bicycle's tube or seat post
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Musguard Omni all rolled up
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The tensioned polyethylene design makes for stable riding and easy rolling
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The Musguard Omnis are on Kickstarter now, and at just under $60, they seem like a good buy for cyclists who need mudguards sometimes, but not all the time
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The Omnis are designed to work with a variety of bikes, from traditional road bikes, to urban commuters, to gravel and cyclocross bikes, to some mountain bikes
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By creating a design that can strap to the seat post, Musguard avoids the problems with trying to mount to the varying styles of rear triangle/frame design out there
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Like the original Musguard, the Omni still works on bikes with traditional seat stays
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Front Musguard Omni
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Roll it up and wrap it right around the tube when the ground dries
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Musguard shows how its Omni mudguards deploy and roll away
Musguard
View gallery - 18 images

Cyclists can ride around for weeks in the summer without ever needing fenders or mudguards, but that one ride they need them, they really need them. In 2013, Slovenian startup Musguard bridged the divide with a set of ultra-packable mudguards that roll right around the bike's tubes for easy transport – out of the way on a clear day, eating up road spray within seconds when the going gets sloppy. Now, Musguard has introduced the Omni, a more versatile rollable mudguard ready for dirtier terrain like gravel and singletrack.

Back when the Musguard team was developing its original rollable mudguards between 2008 and 2013, the hipster ruled the city (or at least trendy parts of it), and his fixed-gear bike ruled the bike lane. So Musguard aimed its product at city single-speeders. Urban commuters and riders were an obvious target because rapid-deploy mudguards could mean the difference between showing up to work sopping in street sludge or rolling in clean and dry – a solid value proposition for dedicated bike commuters.

While not necessarily dead, the fixie and single speed craze isn't quite what it was back then, and cyclists have largely moved on to the next shiny things: gravel riding and mullet mountain bikes are a couple that come to mind. Musguard figures a new breed of mudguard is in order.

The original Musguard was designed specifically with traditional frame geometry in mind, relying on high split seat stays and the brake bridge for support. Made from 0.8-mm recycled polypropylene, the Omni still works with that type of frame, but it's also compatible with a much wider variety of frame geometries, from traditional road bikes to full-suspension mountain bikes.

Musguard deployed
Musguard

Musguard has added a few extra folds and creases to give it the sturdier structure the original Musguards lack, and two silicone-coated hook-and-loop straps to prevent the swiveling that would otherwise occur without the seat stays keeping the mudguard steady. The company says the Omnis remain upright and stable even in the bumpy terrain inevitable in many types of biking.

The rear Omni mudguards come in two sizes, providing coverage for tires up to 3 inches (76 mm) wide. The front Omni comes in a single standard size for tires up to 2.8 in. That's enough coverage for standard bikes running tires slimmer than full-blown fat tires, making Omnis an option for many bike styles, including gravel bikes, cyclocross bikes, cargo bikes, tourers and mountain bikes.

The new Omnis are designed to bring Musguard's versatile, stowable design to more bicycle types
Musguard

The front and rear guards can roll up individually or stack atop each other, storing around a tube on the bike or in a backpack or bike bag. At 3.3 oz (93 g) or less, the front/rear pair doesn't add much weight no matter where it's stored. Not only is the rollable design handy for storage, it helps maintain the coiling tension, according to Musguard, ensuring that the mudguards ride straight and stable when put back in use.

Musguard is hosting a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funding it needs to begin Omni production, offering pairs for pledge levels starting at €49 (approx. US$56), a €10 discount off the planned €59 (US$67) retail price. Supporters can choose their rear size after pledging support. It seems like cyclists are welcoming the new design with open arms and hearts because the campaign has nearly quadrupled its $11,500 goal with 37 days left to go. If things continue moving along as planned, deliveries will begin in the oft-messy month of March, 2022.

The video shows Musguard Omnis doing work out in the wild and also getting unrolled and strapped to the bike.

Source: Musguard

View gallery - 18 images
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5 comments
c w
I hadn't noticed these before. About $35USD before any shipping or tax. Not bad.
guzmanchinky
I just ordered 2 pairs of these. I plan on taking my ebikes up to the Pacific Northwest and I could just see getting caught in a rainstorm...
Grunchy
The reason people delete mudguards is the same reason they delete chain guards: it’s a few less ounces of weight. These mudguards are the worst solution possible. They are permanently attached so you can never escape the weight penalty. And they are spring-loaded so that when you hit a bump, they retract - even if you’re in a rainstorm and actually need them!
It’s a kickstarter project so it’s almost definitely a scam, let’s use our heads people.
windykites
When you stir the front wheel, the mudguard doesn't move with it. strange design. Can they not be left unrolled all the time?
Grunchy is complaining about the extra weight! Come on, man! Skip breakfast: Problem solved.
ppeter
The rear mudguard looks fine. But what exactly is the front mudguard supposed to accomplish, other than adding some weight to the bike? I mean, as soon as You drive a slight curve, not perfectly straight ahead, You'r legs get dirty from the front wheel - right?