Feathertail Mudguard Extension

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it?

Feathertail yells: "FEATHERTAIL WAS BORN OUT OF THE DESIRE TO GET MAXIMUM ENJOYMENT OUT OF GROUP RIDES ON AMAZING WINTER DAYS WHEN THE SKY IS BLUE BUT THE ROAD IS WET.

WHILE EXPLORING RURAL LANES WE GOT SICK OF BEING ABLE TO KNOW THE GROUP HAD JUST RIDDEN THROUGH COW DUNG BY TASTE ALONE... WE DIDN'T ENJOY GRIT IN OUR TEETH, OR HAVING SOAKING WET FRONT JERSEYS IN SPITE OF IT BEING A BLUE SKY DAY!

THIS WAS REGARDLESS OF OUR CLUBS MANDATORY WINTER MUDGUARD POLICY: THEY JUST WEREN'T LONG ENOUGH, SO WE CONCEIVED FEATHERTAIL MUDGUARD EXTENSIONS.

FEATHERTAIL IS A POLYPROPYLENE MUDGUARD EXTENSION WHICH PROVIDES ADDITIONAL REAR WHEEL COVER AND IS COMPATIBLE WITH ANY EXISTING MUDGUARD."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product

Feathertail again:

YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT A PRO RIDER SO YOU CAN'T SIT ON THE FRONT ALL DAY JUST TO KEEP YOUR JERSEY CLEAN.

AT 21 GRAMMES INSTALLED YOU WON'T NOTICE IT, BUT AT 40CM LONG YOUR RIDE PARTERN WILL, AND THEY'LL THANK YOU FOR IT!

YOU WANT TO BE COMFORTABLE: ROAD SPRAY RENDERS THE FOLLOWING RIDER WET EARLIER IN THE RIDE, WHICH SAPS ENERGY, REDUCES RIDING TIME AND ENJOYMENT.

ITS SAFER: THE ROOSTER TAIL OF SPRAY OFTEN FORCES THE FOLLOWING RIDER TO 30CM TO THE SIDE, OR TO FALL BACK OFF THE LEADING RIDER. WITH A FEATHERTAIL INSTALLED IT ALLOWS EASIER COMMUNICATION OF HAZARDS AS RIDERS CAN BE MORE EASILY WITHIN EARSHOT OF EACH OTHER.

EFFICIENCY: DRAFTING SAVES ENERGY (UP TO 40%!), BUT RIDERS MOVE OUT OF THE DRAFT TO AVOID THE ROAD SPRAY!

YOU'RE A NICE GROUP OF PEOPLE: WE MAY RIDE TWO ABREAST, BUT IF YOU HAVE 4 OR MORE RIDERS THEN THE FOLLOWING RIDERS MAY SIT TO ONE SIDE TO AVOID SPRAY. TO A FOLLOWING CAR THIS WILL LOOK LIKE YOU'RE ARE SITTING 4 ABREAST WHICH WILL CAUSE ANNOYANCE & FRUSTRATION, AND MAY LEAD TO UNSAFE PASSING.

N+1: YOU'RE NOT MADE OF MONEY AND CYCLING KIT WILL LAST LONGER WHEN IT'S NOT REGULARLY SPRAYED WITH ROAD DEBRIS/OIL, THUS LEAVING YOU MORE MONEY FOR YOUR NEXT BIKE!

VISIBILITY: THE 6 RETRO-REFLECTORS ON THE FEATHERTAIL MAKE YOU MORE VISIBLE TO CARS APPROACHING FROM BEHIND.

YOU'RE A NICE PERSON: YOUR RIDE MATES WILL THANK YOU, TRUST ME!

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

Keeps following riders a lot cleaner and drier than they would be without it.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

I like the ease of attachment, along with how much of a difference it makes for the riders behind.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

It's possible to make something similar for next to nothing, although these never work as well.

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

You can get a mudflap for less than a tenner, but these never mount as nicely and tend to need drilling and zip ties, or rivets.

Use this box to explain your overall score

The Feathertail is a well-thought-out and easy-to-use mudflap which makes a real difference for riders behind you. The Velcro attachment makes it very easy to fit and remove. It's a good product with no real downside – yes, you can make your own flap, though you'd struggle to make one this long.