Mudhugger MK2 Rear Mudhugger review

The MK2 Rear Mudhugger mountain bike mudguard’s promise of protection from slop seems alluring.

However, mountain bikers, unlike our road-riding friends who happily affix fenders in the winter months, have little enthusiasm for rear mudguards.

Their aesthetics are challenging at best, and until recently their functionality and design were often poor; it’s no surprise riders have been swerving them.

This affordable (£34.99) rear mudguard is intended to change that.

To sway your opinion, it has full-length wheel coverage, a sturdy attachment design, plenty of frame protection and a lightweight design (306g). Plus it’s conceived and made in the UK using 100 per cent recycled polypropylene (a type of plastic).

A robust and protective connection with your frame helps it remain in place even when the trails get rowdy, keeping your pride and joy damage-free.

However, ramp up bump frequency and size, and it tends to slap the rear tyre, producing loud bangs.

Feedback on its looks from other riders during testing was almost unanimously sceptical, but whether that’s important to you will come down to personal taste.

Mudhugger MK2 Rear Mudhugger specifications

Available in medium and large sizes, each suited to bikes with different chainstay angles (medium: 27 to 34 degrees, large: 22 to 28 degrees, in relation to the floor), the Mudhugger is claimed to fit “most mountain bikes with disc brakes”.

If you’re unsure whether it will fit your bike, the brand says to get in touch.

Along with the different seatstay angles they’re designed for, the medium (690mm) and large (775mm) guards are different lengths. Cut guides sit at the end of the guard so it can be shortened to your bike’s design.

It’s important the mudguard’s tip extends slightly beyond your rear tyre’s outer edge; if it doesn’t, it won’t fully protect you from mud splatter.

Both lengths, however, come with an all-new removable clip-in seat tube/bottom bracket protector. This runs between the seat and chainstays to prevent even more mud getting on your bike.

Its trimmable design means it fits multiple bike designs, but rear ends with seatstay bridges are unlikely to be compatible with the extra section.

The guard attaches to your bike using four Velcro straps, clamping it to the top side of the seatstay. These feed through slots, then wrap the frame. Zip ties can also be used.

Supplied frame protection is two-fold; firstly, thick, clear 3M protective tape wraps around your stays at the mudguard’s attachment point; second, the mudguard’s mounting area has channels for sticky rubber inserts that both grip the frame’s stays to provide extra protection and dampen vibrations.

All in, the guard weighs 306g.

Mudhugger MK2 Rear Mudhugger performance

I bolted the MK2 Rear Mudhugger to my trusty Marin Alpine Trail XR and its ebike counterpart, the Alpine Trail E2.

While the start of the UK’s 2023 summer was bone dry, the latter portion and into early autumn had relentless rainfall, perfect for testing the MK2 Rear Mudhugger.

Mudhugger MK2 Rear Mudhugger fitment and setup

Thanks to Mudhugger’s instructions, fitting the guard was simple.

Sticking the rubberised 3M tape onto its two channels and installing the clear, protective 3M tape onto the bike’s seatstays took no time.

Degreasing your frame prior to applying the tape is a crucial step if you want it to stay put long-term.

Securing the guard to the bike is simple; the reusable Velcro tabs make fastening it securely speedy and removal is just as quick.

Attaching the optional bottom bracket/seat tube piece, which clips into place, is also convenient. Thanks to its slim, malleable material, cutting it to fit the contours of my bike’s frame was a doddle.

Positioning the guard correctly in relation to your frame and back wheel is very important.

Too far up your seatstays and at bottom-out (for full-suspension bikes) it could contact your seat tube. Too far down and it will contact your tyre.

I deflated my shock’s air spring (if you have a coil shock, remove the spring then refit the shock without the spring installed) prior to riding to check the guard couldn’t damage my frame. I recommend owners of the MK2 Rear do the same.

Mudhugger MK2 Rear Mudhugger on-trail protection

Getting home from a wet, muddy ride with mostly immaculate kit is a novel experience, even after months of using the MK2 Rear Mudhugger.

Since using the guard, my washing machine has sighed in relief; bundling mud-encrusted kit into its ever-tiring drum is now a thing of the past.

The benefits are localised though. The Mudhugger drastically reduces – but doesn’t totally stop – spray, mud and splatter from covering the back of your helmet, your back, your backside and the backs of your legs. However, there’s still some leakage past the guard’s defences.

By design, it doesn’t and never will stop mud from your front wheel covering the front of your body.

In this respect, don’t expect the rear guard to be a golden ticket to total cleanliness on muddy rides.

However, its performance is impressive regardless of the mud’s consistency.

I initially doubted the Mudhugger would protect me from the high-velocity watery brown slop that’s flung off the back wheel in all directions.

However, the guard did not disappoint, protecting me from the worst and reducing the amount of muck ingrained in my clothes.

Even when hurtling down high-speed, super-rough descents, vibrations and impacts don’t interrupt the guard’s protection.

Some seepage does end up on your bike, even with the seat tube/bottom bracket extender installed, but it’s nowhere near as bad as without a guard.

Go from highly liquid mud to treacle-like gloop and it still protects impressively, keeping giant mud clods from reaching you or your bike.

Reducing the mud splatter on your bike’s precious moving parts is another big bonus. Dropper seals remain clean and last for longer, and so do pivot bearings and shocks, if they’re located within the guard’s protection zone.

Mudhugger MK2 Rear Mudhugger stability and noise

While the Mudhugger remains quiet on doubletrack and smoother, easier, rolling trail-centre type runs, if you ride gnarly and rough terrain at higher speeds it can add a drum and bass soundtrack to your riding.

Although less noisy than the MK1 (which wouldn’t be hard), on both high-frequency mid-sized bumps and bigger one-off hits such as drops to flat, it bangs and slaps the tyre with a regularity you could set your watch by.

The amount it flexes increases further from its anchor points; guard flex and tyre proximity cause them to contact with vigorous enthusiasm.

Despite the noise, it remains solidly attached. No matter how rowdy the trails got, I couldn’t get it to shift left, right, up or down on the frame.

Mudhugger MK2 Rear Mudhugger appearance

If the banging doesn't put you off, maybe the Mudhugger's looks will.

Most – if not all – mountain bikers have harboured a desire to be like a motocross or supercross rider at one point.

The Mudhugger makes that dream a reality, mirroring the rough silhouette of an MX bike’s rear fender.

However, I couldn’t reconcile my childhood fantasy with the reality of the enormous plastic appendage sticking out the back of it. The guard’s looks are challenging, at best, although that is a subjective point.

Mudhugger MK2 Rear Mudhugger bottom line

Ignoring its aesthetics and noisy ride for one moment, the MK2 Rear Mudhugger is a very good product that does exactly what you’d expect it to.

By keeping you mostly mud-free and dry in horrendous trail conditions, it’s a game changer for those who prioritise cleanliness above all. As a bonus, it helps protect your bike and its components from mud.

How noisy it is depends on the type of trails you ride. Stay on smoother lines or go slower, and it won’t be a problem, but aim for gnarlier terrain at high pace and the decibels increase.

Whether or not you think its looks enhance or ruin your bike’s lines will be down to personal taste, too.

Going on mud protection alone the MK2 Rear is one of the best mountain bike mudguards you can buy, but it’s not as simple as that; noise and looks both contribute to overall performance.