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review

M:Part 700 x 35mm Commute mudguards

7
£21.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Solid no-frills mudguard set for commuting and winter training
Weight: 
520g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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These M:Part Commute mudguards are effective and good value. They're not as polished a product as some of the more expensive guards out there, but they're solid and dependable.

There's nothing particularly clever about the Commutes. They use a polycarbonate guard and stainless steel stays. The profile of the guard itself is fairly rounded, which adds rigidity and means you can get away with one stay at the front, especially since M:Part uses a heavyweight 3.2mm wire for them. 

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy these online here

Fitting is straightforward: you'll need to remove your calliper brakes to slide the mounts onto the bolts, and take the wheels off, but that's true of pretty much any mudguards.

The bolts the mudguards come with are Phillips crosshead rather than Allen key, presumably just because they're cheaper; it's not quite as easy to tighten them up but it's no big deal. The stays use a similar mounting as SKS Chromoplastics at the mudguard. There's a small bolt with a hole for the stay, and you poke that through a metal tab and tighten the whole thing up with a spanner. They're a fiddle to set up but very solid once everything's tightened up, and quite easy to adjust too. You get rubber end covers for the stays. 

MPart 700 x 35mm Commute mudguards - detail.jpg

In use I've been pretty happy with the Commute guards. They don't rattle much and they give decent coverage on both wheels. I added a group-riding-friendly mudflap to the back one; it was easy enough to create a hole for the bolt with just a kitchen knife, the mudguard material isn't particularly hard.

MPart 700 x 35mm Commute mudguards - flap.jpg

The downsides? Well, the cheap plastic rear brake mount is the same as I've seen on other cheaper guards, and it's the worst part of the package. It's bulky enough that it doesn't allow you to fit the guard flush to the underside of the brakes, limiting clearance, and the lips that curl under to hold the guard reduce tyre clearance at that point too. More expensive mudguards use a metal fitting that can be formed to the shape of the guard, which doesn't affect clearance anywhere near as much.

MPart 700 x 35mm Commute mudguards - rear.jpg

The other thing missing is a release for the front mudguard at the dropout. More expensive systems have a stay that can pop out of its housing so that if a stone or stick gets caught in the guard it doesn't stop the wheel dead.

MPart 700 x 35mm Commute mudguards - front.jpg

I did manage to buckle up the mudguard by catching it with my foot when I was setting off on a ride. To its credit, it survived that completely intact with no damage.

> Check out our guide to the best mudguards here

Our 35mm test pair took a 25mm tyre with no issues; a 28mm would have been a squeeze because of the rear brake mount. If you're running bigger rubber then they're available in 45mm and 55mm widths too.

If you're pressed for budget they're solid enough and built to last: a good no-frills solution to a wet bum. Mudguards aren't exactly expensive; if it was me I'd probably throw an extra tenner at the problem and get something with quick-release stays at the front and a less bulky mount at the rear, but they do the job pretty well.

Verdict

Solid no-frills mudguard set for commuting and winter training

road.cc test report

Make and model: M:Part 700 x 35mm Commute mudguards

Size tested: Silver

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?

M:Part says: "A high quality, great value, set of full length mudguards."

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

3.2mm Stainless Steel Stays and fittings for long life

Virtually unbreakable polycarbonate guard material

Available in a range of widths, sizes and colours

A must have extra for any commuter bike

Approx 520 grams for full set with fittings

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
6/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

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

Pretty well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

They're effective and good value.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

No front wheel stay release, rear brake bridge mount is bulky.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Given that mudguards aren't expensive I'd probably go for something a bit further up the ladder.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, if they were on a tight budget.

Use this box to explain your score

Good value, effective guards.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 43  Height: 189cm  Weight: 92kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR, Kinesis Aithein

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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4 comments

Avatar
mike the bike | 8 years ago
0 likes

 

Can't see very well from the photo' but does the rear guard stop well above the BB area?

Avatar
bikebot | 8 years ago
1 like

I'd be quite happy if someone proposed legislation requiring breakaway clips on front mudguards. It would add pennies to the retail price, and there are plenty of horror stories out there of preventable injuries.

Avatar
Dnnnnnn | 8 years ago
0 likes

Having once landed on my head when something got jammed in a front 'guard, I'd want to see breakway clips. Just bought a decent pair with those for Argos for half the price of these so not great value for what they are either IMO.

Avatar
Simon E | 8 years ago
0 likes

I'd agree with your final summary Dave, you'd be better off spending a little more on SKS or Tortec full length mudguards.

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