I purchased this mudguard from Halfords in Sept 2010 for £15. I wanted a quick release as I intended to only use mudguards when absolutely necessary.
The guard looked well made and was very light - only 200g which is remarkable for it's size and construction. Either end of the mudguard are clear plastic sections which have adjustable angles, so the mudguard can follow the wheel contour a little more. The far end section is optional. I didn't bother with it as the mudguard was large enough without it.
The mudguard did a very good job of keeping the spray and mud of my back. However, the quick release system wasn't ideal. It uses a fabric strap, which is clamped tight around the seat post and held tight by a levered handle holding a metal pin. It can be done up very tight, but even, then the mudguard will still move if knocked - I often hit it with my foot when getting on and off bike. And sometimes after coming down a rough track, I'd find the mudguard and swung out.
When the mudguard was only 5 weeks old, the stitching on the fabric strap broke, loosing the metal retaining pin on the end of the strap. Yet another product in the bin after only a few weeks old! It could be that I was doing the strap up too tight, but I had too to try to keep it in place.
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| Quick release broke after 5 weeks |
I concluded that quick release systems are a waste of time. How quick do you need to remove your mudguards? You're not going to take them off mid-ride - you decide to fit them before you leave. My new mudguard is a Cycraguard and it takes no longer to fit or remove than the quick release Topeak and only needs an allen key - and I always have one of these at base and in my saddlebag on rides - so no need for these quick release clamps which I'm sure never work as well as a traditional bolted clamp.
My rating: 4/10
You can view more product detail at the Topeak website.
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