Topeak TetraFender R1 & 2 Set

Topeak's TetraFender R1 & R2 Set of mudguards are straightforward to fit and remove, rattle-free in use and do a decent job of stopping you getting wet. They're not as effective as full-length guards, but for the occasional damp summer day, they're more than adequate.

If you don't want mudguards permanently fixed to your bike, these are well worth a look. They're held in place with Velcro straps and once they're set up they take just a couple of minutes to fit or remove from your bike.

They've proven completely stable, even when I've rattled them around by detouring along the odd dirt road, and they've kept my bum and legs dry on wet roads. They're shorter than permanently-mounted guards like SKS Longboards, so they don't control front wheel spray as well – and neither do they stop rear wheel spray from hitting following riders.

The rear guard stops at the seatstays so it doesn't shield your bike either, but these are limitations of many other quick-fit mudguards too.

Initial fitting takes a bit longer than any subsequent fits, but it's simple enough. You back off all the screws so the struts and clamps can conform to your bike, strap the fork or stay attachments lightly into place, then shuffle everything around so the guards sit a sensible distance from your tyres. Small, thin Velcro straps hold the front of each guard in place against your frame or fork.

Next you just pull the straps tight and do up all the various screws. The main straps have a screw to tighten them, so you don't have to reef them down by hand, just get them initially snug.

The instructions don't help much. Topeak has produced one sheet to cover both this model and the TetraFender G1 & G2 set for gravel bikes, and the layout is confusing.

The Velcro straps that hold the front of each guard are fiddly, too. Had I been mounting the TetraFenders to one of my own bikes I'd have protected the frame with helicopter tape and used zip ties.

The main mounts, with their adjustment screws, are cleverly done. You get a significantly more secure mount with this design than by the more usual way of just pulling the straps as tight as you can. I'm tempted to replace them with thumb screws so they can be fitted and removed without tools, though.

The rear guard is in two parts, held together with a screw and a nyloc nut.

You can remove the rear section if the weather's not actually wet or, as Topeak puts it, fit the 'Long fender for rainy and muddy rides. Short fender for dry mud and dusty conditions.' I was going to snark about how often that happens in the UK, but right now that's exactly the weather. I've left the extra bits on the TetraFenders anyway as I'm sure normal weather service will soon be resumed.

Rivals

SKS's various RaceBlade models are probably the most popular quick-fit mudguards available. The Raceblade Longs are my favourite, but they don't fit bikes with through axles; you need old-school quick releases. SKS Raceblade Pro XLs beat the TetraFenders for length, and their strap-on mounts are very quick to use, albeit not quite as stable as Topeak's.

The Crud Roadracer MK3 mudguards are significantly cheaper and lighter at an RRP of £44.99, and they're usually available for a lot less too. The SKS RaceBlade Pro and the larger Pro XL version are supposed to be £50.99, but are also always cheaper than that. That does make £67 for the TetraFenders look rather steep, and even with a similar discount to the others they'll cost more.

Conclusions

The strongest feature of these guards is the very solid mounting. If rattly mudguards annoy you, these are a great choice. Otherwise, they provide decent but not stellar control of road spray, and they're very easy to fit and remove.

Who should buy the Topeak TetraFender R1 & R2 mudguards?

These are for mostly fair-weather riders who want a bit of insurance against damp days. Serious rain gods and goddesses will have full-length guards, but if you prefer more clement weather, you should consider adding a set of these to the kit collection.

Verdict

Easy to use and fairly effective, but a bit expensive