Zefal Shield R35 Road Mudguard Set 2024

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Zefal says: 'Specially designed for road bikes, the mudguard Shield R35 will protect you from splashes in wet weather. It is sold as a set (front and rear mudguard). The mounting is easy and universal: the MD-Strap fastening allows an attachment on the rear stays and on the front fork. Thanks to its position close to the wheel, it is both discreet and efficient. Delivered with 3 mud flaps of different sizes, you can adapt the length of the rear mudguard to the geometry of your bike.'

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

The mudguards are attached with a simple Velcro strap and sturdy rubber block, and are adjusted with a hex bolt – so when installed they are solid and remain in place. There are three different flaps included so you can customise the fit for your own bike.

From Zefal:

Features:

Adjustable universal mount: Quick to install and remove

Adaptable length: 3 mud flaps supplied of 20, 60 and 120mm

Universal road: For 700c / 28" tyres up to 32mm

Rotating: optimum protection thanks to the perfect fit on the bike

Discreet and efficient: Positioned close to the wheel

Technical Specifications

Suitable For: Road Bikes

Wheel Size: 700c / 28"

Maximum Recommended Tyre Width: 32mm

Mounting: MD-Strap For front 10 to 55 mm and rear 10 to 32 mm. Front 210 mm / rear 150 mm straps length

Protection Level: Maximum

Material: Technopolymer

Mudflap: 3 supplied

Front Dimensions: 498 x 34 x 210 mm

Rear Dimensions: 572 (with mud flap 20 mm) x 34 x 210 mm

Weight: Front 166g, Rear 177g (with mud flap 20 mm)

The mudguards are well made as one single piece of Technopolymer plastic. The rubber blocks that support the struts against the frame aren't attached and fell off a few times during installation, which was a bit fiddly, but once installed they were solid and didn't budge.

They worked OK. Fitting them to a bike with racy geometry was quite tricky – especially on the fork where clearance was tight underneath the down tube. Coverage at the rear was pretty good, but the frame remains rather exposed to dirt and grime, which isn't an issue with proper mudguards.

Being a single piece of plastic, there are no joints that could wear. Once these were set up properly, there was minimal wobble and I can't see any obvious parts that would wear.

While these aren't heavy at 340g for the pair, and certainly lighter than bolt-on guards, the Zefals are nearly 80g heavier than the Crud Roadracer Mk3s, which I see as their most obvious competitor.

At £41.99 they're in line with their competitors.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The guards worked OK. The rear was certainly more effective than the front, which I had to fit pretty close to my tyre owing to my frame's geometry, so rubbed on my tyre a little.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

I liked the rear coverage – it was definitely better than an Ass Saver-style guard, and kept my back free of grime on some wet rides. Once installed, which was a little fiddly, the guards were really solid and didn't flap around too much.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

I didn't like the front one very much. It was tricky to install on both of my bikes, and didn't offer that much coverage.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

They're a little more than Crud's Roadracer Mk3s, now £34.99, which I see as Zefal's main competitors in this space, and around the same as SKS's Raceblade Pro XLs. Ass Savers' Win Wing costs £23.99, but that's just for the rear.

Use this box to explain your overall score

They're good, overall. Installation was fiddly but they were solid when set up, and can be transferred between bikes without having to buy any additional mounting kit.

I would check clearance between your front tyre and your down tube before committing to these, though – to really get the most out of them you need a good bit of space to ensure there's no rub, so they don't work too well on more aggressive race bikes.