CombOver Full Facial Front Mudguard Set: A unique approach to mudguards but doesn’t work as well as traditional designs

Promising to provide ‘proper’ protection, CombOver’s Full Facial Mudguard Set is certainly a unique approach to mudguard design. While it’s lighter than others on the market, quiet in operation, and more affordable than the bigger players, I’m not the most passionate fan of its reliance on zip ties for installation, and it doesn’t really provide more of a benefit compared to regular-style mudguards.

CombOver Full Facial Front Mudguard Set – Technical details

The Full Facial Front Mudguard Set is constructed of three components. First up, there’s the Toupee, which takes the form of the more affordable plastic mudguards that you might sometimes get free with knee pads. However, thanks to cleverly placed holes, it’s designed to sit close to the front tyre, in order to catch any spray that may be flung forwards.

Then, there’s the unique CombOver. This is made of two parts that sit on either side of a bike’s downtube, and is designed to act as an extension of the downtube, working in tandem to keep mud from flying into your face. It uses an angled ‘slat’ construction that the brand says adds material only where it’s needed. Those slats are then angled specifically to intercept mud while using less plastic.

Although both the CombOver and Toupee can be bought separately for £15 and £12, respectively, they’re designed to work as a system.

The benefits this system aims to bring are weight savings, coming in at 54g for both the Toupee and CombOver without any cable ties, and it takes that weight away from the fork, or the bike’s steering axis. As a result, it should be quieter while riding, too, as there’s less weight to flap around on the front of the bike. Additionally, there’s little in the way to interfere with a suspension fork, while reducing the risk of toe overlap (not that it’s really a thing on modern mountain bikes). The Toupee then brings protection for suspension fork seals simply by blocking mud from reaching them.

CombOver says that the Full Facial is compatible with any wheel, tyre, or frame size, and can work with mountain, gravel, and road bikes.

As for installation, it’s pretty straightforward. Simply grab a handful of cable ties and cinch everything down.

CombOver Full Facial Front Mudguard Set – Performance

We’ve been pretty fortunate to enjoy some beautiful weather this year, but as soon as the heavens opened, I zip-tied the Full Facial in place, waterproofed up, and headed to ride in the wet.

Installing the mudguard is really simple; it’s just a case of lining everything up and tightening down some cable ties, but with that are a couple of things that irk me a touch. First up, this system needs a lot of cable ties. The Toupee requires four, and then the CombOver asks for at least two more. If you’re not fond of single-use plastics, then this system isn’t for you. It would be great to see a small rejig of the CombOver’s design to allow for use of hook-and-loop straps, which are reusable and don’t require sharp things close to your frame for removal. Plus, straps could well be kinder to your frame’s paint.

Next up, with the CombOver part of the system, you’re fixing bare plastic onto your bike’s downtube. Unless you’ve helitaped or wrapped your bike beforehand, there’s nothing in the way of protection here. It would have been great to see some kind of silicone or foam to sit between the CombOver and the frame, for peace of mind over anything else.

I’ve ridden with the Full Facial on two different bikes. First, I tied it onto the Revel Ranger, and since its downtube is more angular, I found it difficult to achieve the perfect fit without gaps between the frame and the CombOver, without having to really tighten the cable ties down. I also tested it on the Giant Trance Advanced E+, and as it relies on cable ties being wrapped around the downtube, this meant that I couldn’t remove the battery for charging. So if you are throwing this onto an e-bike with a removable battery, it may not be for you, depending on how the battery is removed. That said, there’s no word on CombOver’s website stating e-bike compatibility.

As for the system’s ability to guard against mud, it’s interesting. It’s only designed to keep your face free from muck, and it doesn’t do a bad job of that, but it doesn’t do a great one. Admittedly, at first I installed the Toupe backwards, but after flipping it around, I still noticed some spray from the front wheel landing on my glasses and in my face. It does address the majority of front wheel-flung muck, but some still slips through its combed shape.

Then, the CombOver addresses more general upper body protection, and it does fairly well here. From the waist up, I was comfortably mud-free, but not totally.

During those wet days riding, I purposely went puddle hunting, and that’s where a really interesting thing happened. Although the CombOver’s slats are specifically angled to keep mud from the upper body, they blast water all over the legs. Water gets flung from the front wheel; it hits the slats, and then it disperses outwards. Again, this mudguard system isn’t built to provide coverage to the whole body; instead, it focuses on keeping the face clear, but in doing so (to a point), it does direct water to the legs.

It is rather light, however, and it’s surprisingly stable, even when tackling bumpier trails. It’s never once made a noise, so if it’s a quiet-running mudguard you’re after, the Full Facial set is well worth a glance.

But I can’t quite understand the Full Facial’s benefits over regular bolt-on, Velcro, or cable-tie mudguards. Yes, they’re a bit heavier and more expensive, but for that relatively small penalty, you’re getting better protection from mud in a package that’s less intrusive. Plus, other brands have recognised any interference that mudguards can cause as a fork compresses towards bottom out, and have designed their mudguards to combat that. Case in point: RRP’s ProGuard V2.

There is, however, the MuckyNutz Mudguard Long. This one also comes in at £25 and provides great coverage, and isn’t terribly heavy. However, it does suffer from some rattle, which the CombOver addresses.

Additionally, I don’t really want to cover my expensive mountain bike’s downtube, and maybe head tube (depending on the bike), in cable ties. Hopefully a swap to hook-and-loop straps is something we’ll see from CombOver in the future.

Right to reply

We put Liam’s findings to CombOver, to give the company the right to reply:

CombOvers are designed around one trade-off: keeping as much mud as possible out of your eyes and mouth, with minimal fuss. They won’t clog, they’re quiet, light, stable, and out of the way – so fit them once and leave them on year-round. And yes, that’s a compromise: they won’t keep mud off your legs or bike. If that’s what you need, a full-length guard will serve you better. But if, like us, you just want a clear face with the least hassle, you’re exactly who they’re for.

CombOver Full Facial Front Mudguard Set – Verdict

The Full Facial set comes in at a relatively friendly £25, which beats the likes of Rapid Racer Product’s ProGuard V2 by £15, and the Mudhugger EVO by just less than £9. However, both of these products both look rather good, offer better coverage, and are pretty darn stable. They also come as bolt-on options which shouldn’t scratch your frame or fork. Although, they’re both heavier.

It’s always great to see a product pop up on the market that takes a different approach from others that all follow the same formula, and the CombOver Full Facial Front Mudguard Set is definitely different. While the looks will certainly polarize, its lightweight and stability are sure to please. But it’s a mudguard that could do with another round on the drawing board, as it doesn’t provide reliable mud protection, and I’m really not a fan of its reliance on cable ties to keep the CombOver in place.