If you own a Fat Bike like a Surly Pugsley or the Salsa Mukluk then you probably know what it is like to finish a ride covered with mud from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. Being covered with snow is not as bad since it is a lot easier to clean up than mud. We get dirty not because we love playing in the mud so much, but we really don’t have any choice. Until someone makes fenders that will give decent coverage over a 4″ wide tire we are going to get dirty. In the mean time, unless your make your own fenders, the SKS Grand M.O.M. MTB Oversized Mudguard Rear Bicycle Fender is probably the best rear fender you are going to find.
SKS Grand M.O.M. MTB Oversized Rear Mudguard
The SKS Grand M.O.M. fender is 19″ long by 4″ wide (and in one spot it narrows to only 3.5″ wide). While this fender is perfect for either a 26″ or 29″ mountain bike, it is still a bit narrow for a true Fat Bike. However, it does a decent job at stopping the mud from being thrown all over your back. This fender should fit on just about any mountain bike and you can put it on or take it off in just a couple of seconds. It has a quick-release power strap that will secure it tightly to nearly any size seat tube, and it is adjustable to just about any angle your bike needs. This fender is made of plastic and weights only 182g.
If you are looking for something to keep your bottom bracket and crank sprockets clean, then you can attach a SKS Mud-X light dirtboard to your down tube. The SKS Mud-X attaches to your down tube with rubber fasteners and includes two foamed rubber pads to avoid scratches and twisting. The SKS Mud-X is 12″ long by 5″ wide and only weights 90g.
SKS Mud-X on the down tube
While both of these mudguards are easy to clean once you get home, there is an easy way to keep mud from sticking to your fenders in the first place—just coat the bottom of the fenders with PAM no-stick cooking spray before you go out for a ride. The PAM will wear off after every ride, but it does an incredible job of keeping the mud and/or snow from sticking to your fenders!
The SKS Grand M.O.M. mudguard retails for $30, and the SKS Mud-X sells for only $9. You should be able to pick these up at your local bike shop—if they don’t have them in stock they can easily order them for you. If all else fails, you can always order them from Amazon.com.
