Rapid Racer Products NeoGuard Review
Rapid Racer Products NeoGuard with Evil Eye graphics plastered with Utah's thick mud
What is it: The NeoGuard is a simple and lightweight fork mounted mud guard that is a polished version of the old cut tube and zip tie method that many riders employ when the weather turns sour. The idea of mounting a guard between the fork's crown and arch is nothing new; riders have been using homemade versions of the NeoGuard for years with much success, but RRP's solution is much more elegant and doesn't require cutting zip ties to remove when the sun comes out. The NeoGuard can be folded up and stashed in your truck, or even your backpack, to be pulled out when you get to the trail head on a rainy day.
Two hook and loop straps attach the NeoGuard to the fork's crown, three to the arch. Simply pull the straps taut and trim off the extra material
XCX-ST details:
- Made from neoprene
- Attaches via two straps around the crown, three around the fork arch
- Designed to be fitted or removed quickly
- Available in four sizes (extra small, small, medium, large)
- Weight: 18 - 25 grams depending on size
- MSRP $26.00 CAD (w/ Evil Eyes graphics) $24.00 CAD (standard colors)
XCX-ST details:
- Made from neoprene
- Attaches via two straps around the crown, three around the fork arch
- Designed to be fitted or removed quickly
- Available in four sizes (extra small, small, medium, large)
- Weight: 18 - 25 grams depending on size
- MSRP $26.00 CAD (w/ Evil Eyes graphics) $24.00 CAD (standard colors)
The details: The NeoGuard is made from neoprene, making it quite light and very flexible while still retaining its shape much better than a cut section of inner tube would. This last fact is especially important to anyone who has had their homemade mud guard buzz on the front tire when the fork is compressed, a common annoyance on longer travel forks. The lower portion tapers as it nears the bottom to better fit around the fork arch without having any extra material to flap about, while the top is shaped to fit around the fork crown and lower headset cup without rubbing. Both the upper and lower sections of the NeoGuard feature reinforced material to prevent any tearing that may otherwise occur around the area where the hook and loop enclosures run through. Three straps are used on the bottom that wrap around the fork arch and are run back through the reinforced section of the fender. The same system is used to attach it to the fork crown, but only two straps are needed, one on each side of the head tube. There are four different sizes of NeoGuards available depending on your fork model and how much travel it has, and RRP has pretty much everything covered from the 80 mm travel Marzocchi MX Pro Lo, to all of the major long travel downhill forks. Check out the sizing guide on RRP's website to see what size you'd need. Weights range from 18 grams for the smallest size, to 25 grams for the large. Our tester is the Evil Eyes model - note the eyes in the above photo, but you can also choose from four other black NeoGuards that feature white, orange, pink, or black graphics.
RRP's NeoGuard proved to be very effective at keeping Utah's thick mud out of my eyes
Performance: Installation is very easy, taking only a few seconds. Simply run the straps around the crown and arch, pull taut, and trim off any extra material. Take a moment to be sure that you are not cutting off too much of the strap before getting crazy with the scissors; you don't want to end up with not enough overlap. Likewise, too much strap left over will be more likely to buzz on your front tire. Once installed, I also let enough air out of the fork to allow me to fully compress it to check if the NeoGuard was going to get caught up in the front tire at bottom out - it wasn't even close, but it's always a good thing to check. The NeoGuard proved to be a welcome addition to the front of my bike, blocking just as much spray as my old tube and zip-tie fender, but it's how it does it that makes this little number worth its asking price. Firstly, it attaches via straps that won't mar your crown or arch like plastic zip-ties would - a great point when you take into account how expensive modern day suspension forks can be. This is also an important fact if you're looking for a mud guard to use on a fork with a carbon crown, RockShox's Revelation World Cup for example, as the NeoGuard's straps will be far less prone to cause damage to the finish or carbon itself. And while the NeoGuard is light enough to leave on all of the time, our medium sized version weighs only 21 grams, it is infinitely easier to install or remove than a homemade version that requires using new zip-ties each time you put it on. It also never once made contact with the front tire, no matter how many times I managed to bottom the fork.
The NeoGuard is a smart piece of kit, but is there anything that's not to like? It works very well at stopping spray, but RRP's claim of the NeoGuard shedding mud every time that the fork extends and the guard gets stretched tight is a bit of a embellishment. In fact, the neoprene fender held on to much more mud than a cut inner tube would. While I'd rather have the mud collect on the backside of the fender than in my face, it did have a tendency to build up and collect around the fork seals in extreme circumstances. Regardless, the NeoGuard now has a permanent home on the front of my bike due its light weight, simplicity, and effectiveness.
Check out the Rapid Racer Products website to see their entire lineup or to get your hands on a Neoguard, ask your local retailer to contact a RRP Distributor or Agent
The NeoGuard is a very effective product that also happens to weigh next to nothing and cost relatively little - how many mountain bike products can you say that about? Let's hear your thoughts on RRP's mud guard, chime in below!
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148 Comments
"the neoprene fender held on to much more mud than a cut inner tube would"
For information, you can get them for £12.99 off CRC, so £20 is way off the mark.
By all means use a free alternative, but a tatty bit of innertube on a £4k DH rig just looks daft.
I've had my NeoGuard for 3 years now and it still looks fantastic (you can even machine wash them so they come out like new).
I don't want to zip-tie an old piece of inner tube to my £4,000 bike
the RRP guard works very well, and is ideal for the wet / muddy conditions we experience pretty much all year round in the UK, and is easy to remove when cleaning your bike
It's that I see countless bikes around the shop with NeoGuards fitted, but with frayed, gummed up gear cables, DU bushes worn through, 12 month old tyres etc, and the guys complaining that they can't afford basic maintainance, or race/uplift entires.
If money's no object, and you're just doing the finishing touches, then go ahead and enjoy a NeoGuard. But too many people are buying stuff like this in preference to other, far more important things.
It's like the whole 'TLD D3, carbon neck brace, and an old cotton T-shirt' look. Fashion before function.
I agree that 'if you can afford one, why not?' - but a lot of people are so driven to have the latest/most fashionable/most hyped, that they neglect other, more important areas of their bike/kit. I'm looking at this from the point of view of a bike shop owner. I'm sick and tired of seeing impressionable young guys spending/wasting all their/their parents cash on stuff they can do without, rather then what they really need.
And Mitch, there's no need for personal insults. It's a debate about a bike mudguard. Keep things in proportion, yes?
As for the Neoguard, looks good if you have spare money to spend on asthetics, otherwise a tube would do.
And I'll conceed that neck braces wasn't a great example, but let me clarify:
I'm firmly of the opinion that you're more likely to damage your chest/back/elbows/knees than your neck. Therefore, if you can only afford a certain amount of protective gear, shouldn't the order of preference go something like: Helmet, gloves, eyes, knee/shin pads, elbows/arm, chest/back, then neck brace?
However, we're at a point where neck braces are the thing to have. So people are buying them BEFORE conventional upper body armour. That, to me, seems like poor priorities. I know neck injuries can be horrific, and should be protected against where possible, but play the odds: if you have to choose (due to cost) protect the parts most likely to be hurt first.
Can't even have an adult conversation on PB without boasting, and 'hater' comments. Whatever.
Well mine have marked my 2009 Boxxers, current 2010 Boxxers, 2008 Fox Float 36RC2's, Reba Teams, Fox 32 TALAS.
Only fork they have not marked is my 66's, but then again there has not been one put on that fork.
Simple... Add something that clearly by the photo and peoples confessions gathers mud and paint, rub the mud and paint (or anodising) together and you will get rub marks.
Also:
The neoguard needs a tie wrap on the back of it to stop if folding and making a horrible noise against your tyre on G-outs / drops etc.
The Neoguard works better if fitted the wrong way round, this was it covers the hole from your steerer and the rear of your fork brace, helping stop them becoming full of mud.
The Neoguard is also sized poorly, if you run the large on a set of Boxxers it flaps around, probably because it is sized for the fork at its longest setting (tall crow), not flat crown. You can't run the medium (nearly though) as it is slightly to short.
The Neoguard middle tab at the bottom normally starts to peel off also, trapping more mud and eventually rubbing.
The Neoguard if left on, will trap unwanted dirt and moisture close to your expensive fork.
Now I have 4 or these that I use across my bikes, and to be honest the "old inner tube" is a more functional and better design.
Better as it does not clog up, better because it is quieter when riding, better because you don't mind if it gets torn, better because it fits properly, better because it is free and good recycling of material, and better because you can customize the the size and fit to your persona preference.
If tie wraps are the issue for using an old piece of inner tube then purchase some velcro straps to help prevent the rubbing, and argument that you have to have lots of tie wraps.
This is a case of form over function. I fell for it too!
neckbraces should come first before chest and back protection because chest and back injuries happen alot less than neck injuries AND neck injuries tend to paralyze people. look it up!
too bad it got nicked along with my bike though
Sharpie pens ALWAYS come in handy
I've been trying the MuckyNutz guard lately and really like it. Next time, I will make a ghetto model out of a pop bottle and velcro, however. It's hard to justify ~$14 for such a thin and simple piece of plastic. My two cents.
Great idea but I fear it's more useful in dryer terrains rather than the damp dirt we get here in the uk ... but then again for less than £15 it's worth a punt!
I'm all for getting dirty, but the last thing that I want is a glob of mud in my eye. I'm not a fan of wearing glasses so this little fender can be a huge help.
This is how i see it. It may work "OK", it looks CHEESY and COSTS a SHIT LOAD for what it is. 27 is just too much for something containing so little. Its only my opinion tho.
I picked up one of these a few weeks back and have given it a couple good tests and I love it. Easy to set up, easy to peel off once summer gets here, and it didn't buzz for me even after coming close to bottoming out. For me, the money was well worth it. It may not block all the mud that gets in your face, but 80-90% is fantasitc and means a whole lot less (or no) need to clean your goggles when you use both.
defeats the object!
I´ve being using one since 2008 and it´s very effective and cheap.
The old tube solution is good as well but not as effective and the constant rubbing on the tyre is annoying
I've done just that for years, but the RRP is certainly a better solution. Not only can it be put on or taken off in seconds without having to cut or use new zipties, it also won't mark up your fork like zip ties will. I'll admit that it functions the same as a homemade version would, but it's worth the $25 CAD to me just so I don't have to much about with cutters and 'ties.
I'm fed up of the sh*t collecting on the fork seals with the neoguard, and the neo buzzes on my tyre.
Btw, this is a really good review and I agree that the neoguard does exactly what it says on the tin--> vastly reduces mud being thrown up into your face, goggles, helmet etc. Dunno why people are being so negative, nobody is forcing anyone to buy one! However i'd happily pay between £5-£20 to keep the mud out of my face! As much as I love riding and the performance of aftermarket parts, I still consider myself a modifying enthusiast so I'd rather have something that looks cool too! Thanks for the review Mike.
I picked up this tip from a USA racer years back, I currently use "Pedro's Bike Lust" liberally all over my bike (excluding the disc brake rotors, suspension stanchions and drivetrain!) and it definitely helps stop the crud building up...
spray any silicon spray or teflon spray on the trail facing side of your mudguards and it really helps avoid build up in wet weather riding conditions!
I've stopped using a "Crud Catcher" (downtube mounted) since getting the RRP fork guard as its so much more effective
with the Crud Catcher I would have to sit slightly off-centre (of my wheels) when riding down a wet fire-road to stop my glasses and face being sprayed, with the RRP guard I can sit naturally as the fork guard catches 95% of the cr*p before it gets thrown up into the airstream!
haha, i hear this comes with free streamers for your handlebars!!
so you're only allowed to ride if you're rich now? yes, most people can afford it, but its the fact that its £25 for a product that doesn't do its job properly, while a cheaper alternative actually out performs it. oh, and the word your were looking for was 'retarded'
your just digging yourself deeper