Pinkbike tests the Rapid Racer Products NeoGuard - a simple, lightweight, and inexpensive mud guard. Inside you can read up on how effective the NeoGuard proved to be.Pinkbike tests the Rapid Racer Products NeoGuard - a simple, lightweight, and inexpensive mud guard. Inside you can read up on how effective the NeoGuard proved to be.
Rapid Racer Products NeoGuard |
| Rapid Racer Products NeoGuard with Evil Eye graphics plastered with Utah's thick mud |
The NeoGuard is a simple and lightweight fork mounted mud guard that is a polished version of the old cut tube and zip tie method that many riders employ when the weather turns sour. The idea of mounting a guard between the fork's crown and arch is nothing new; riders have been using homemade versions of the NeoGuard for years with much success, but RRP's solution is much more elegant and doesn't require cutting zip ties to remove when the sun comes out. The NeoGuard can be folded up and stashed in your truck, or even your backpack, to be pulled out when you get to the trail head on a rainy day.
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Two hook and loop straps attach the NeoGuard to the fork's crown, three to the arch. Simply pull the straps taut and trim off the extra material
XCX-ST details:
- Made from neoprene
- Attaches via two straps around the crown, three around the fork arch
- Designed to be fitted or removed quickly
- Available in four sizes (extra small, small, medium, large)
- Weight: 18 - 25 grams depending on size
- MSRP $26.00 CAD (w/ Evil Eyes graphics) $24.00 CAD (standard colors) |
The NeoGuard is made from neoprene, making it quite light and very flexible while still retaining its shape much better than a cut section of inner tube would. This last fact is especially important to anyone who has had their homemade mud guard buzz on the front tire when the fork is compressed, a common annoyance on longer travel forks. The lower portion tapers as it nears the bottom to better fit around the fork arch without having any extra material to flap about, while the top is shaped to fit around the fork crown and lower headset cup without rubbing. Both the upper and lower sections of the NeoGuard feature reinforced material to prevent any tearing that may otherwise occur around the area where the hook and loop enclosures run through. Three straps are used on the bottom that wrap around the fork arch and are run back through the reinforced section of the fender. The same system is used to attach it to the fork crown, but only two straps are needed, one on each side of the head tube. There are four different sizes of NeoGuards available depending on your fork model and how much travel it has, and RRP has pretty much everything covered from the 80 mm travel Marzocchi MX Pro Lo, to all of the major long travel downhill forks. Check out the
sizing guide on RRP's website to see what size you'd need. Weights range from 18 grams for the smallest size, to 25 grams for the large. Our tester is the Evil Eyes model - note the eyes in the above photo, but you can also choose from four other black NeoGuards that feature white, orange, pink, or black graphics.
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| RRP's NeoGuard proved to be very effective at keeping Utah's thick mud out of my eyes |
Installation is very easy, taking only a few seconds. Simply run the straps around the crown and arch, pull taut, and trim off any extra material. Take a moment to be sure that you are not cutting off too much of the strap before getting crazy with the scissors; you don't want to end up with not enough overlap. Likewise, too much strap left over will be more likely to buzz on your front tire. Once installed, I also let enough air out of the fork to allow me to fully compress it to check if the NeoGuard was going to get caught up in the front tire at bottom out - it wasn't even close, but it's always a good thing to check. The NeoGuard proved to be a welcome addition to the front of my bike, blocking just as much spray as my old tube and zip-tie fender, but it's how it does it that makes this little number worth its asking price. Firstly, it attaches via straps that won't mar your crown or arch like plastic zip-ties would - a great point when you take into account how expensive modern day suspension forks can be. This is also an important fact if you're looking for a mud guard to use on a fork with a carbon crown, RockShox's Revelation World Cup for example, as the NeoGuard's straps will be far less prone to cause damage to the finish or carbon itself. And while the NeoGuard is light enough to leave on all of the time, our medium sized version weighs only 21 grams, it is infinitely easier to install or remove than a homemade version that requires using new zip-ties each time you put it on. It also never once made contact with the front tire, no matter how many times I managed to bottom the fork.
The NeoGuard is a smart piece of kit, but is there anything that's not to like? It works very well at stopping spray, but RRP's claim of the NeoGuard shedding mud every time that the fork extends and the guard gets stretched tight is a bit of a embellishment. In fact, the neoprene fender held on to much more mud than a cut inner tube would. While I'd rather have the mud collect on the backside of the fender than in my face, it did have a tendency to build up and collect around the fork seals in extreme circumstances. Regardless, the NeoGuard now has a permanent home on the front of my bike due its light weight, simplicity, and effectiveness.
Check out the
Rapid Racer Products website to see their entire lineup or to get your hands on a Neoguard, ask your local retailer to contact a
RRP Distributor or AgentThe NeoGuard is a very effective product that also happens to weigh next to nothing and cost relatively little - how many mountain bike products can you say that about? Let's hear your thoughts on RRP's mud guard, chime in below!
works with scratches on a black frame too
