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As much as I hate the thought of them, I'm coming to realise that over winter I'm going to have to sacrifice aesthetics for comfort on my gnarmac bike as it doubles as my commuter, and fit some mudguards.
So assuming not all mudguards are created equal, and the nearest I have got to them before are bender fenders and crudguards on the mtb, what do I need to know? From memory fitting threads are usually littered with nightmares of time consuming botch jobs and guard customisation to make them fit.
My bike has guard mounts and 42c tyres.
PDW ones if you can find them on offer, great fitting, great coverage, very sturdy and will last for ever.
SKS Chromoplastics if cost is more a concern and budget for replacing them in a few years. there is a very similar model from Tortec that is also as good/better but less widely stocked.
There's a Dia-compe offering too whihc sits between the above 2 options in terms of budget, haven't fitted a set myself bu they seem like another good contender and a decent full coverage with external stay mounting like the PDW.
Stay away from SKS Blumels! they look similar to chromos but they are horrible full plastic rattely, flexy things.
Gilles Berthoud are the king of guards but are a lot more involved to fit, but they really are very very good, full coverage, rolled edges to catch even more water and sturdy external hoop mounts, but are a full custom fit to your bike job.
With the others, if you are lucky/have a well designed bike they will bolt stright on using the included fittings with minimal faffage. Some minor mods may be necessary but be methodical, take your time and you'll be fine.
What bike/frame do you have?
I've had SKS Chromoplastics and currently have the Tortecs, both really good. My Chromoplastics lasted for longer than two years though, as have the Tortecs, using on the road only.
^ you will get longer out of them on the road, but if you're doing any offroad or very bumpy stuff it's the vibration that kills them at the mounting points.
Thanks Amedias, very informative. The bike is a Genesis CDA.
I'll have a look at the SKS Chromoplastics first off.