Powa Dfender Mud Guard – First Look
Despite it being ‘just a mudguard’, I was quite excited when I saw the Mojo boys running one of these in prototype stages at Caersws a few years ago. I’m a believer of a full ‘moto’ style guard up front and have been running an old SKS guard like this for years when it gets real wet.
The Dfender has had a lot of development, it isn’t a quick shape knocked together in line with the wheel like many. The guard is a collaboration between Fabien Barel, his mechanic Paul Walton and Mojo’s Chris Porter; you wont find a better 3 man team to create such a product for mountain bikes.
First impressions where that it meant serious business when it arrived in such a grand box, but at £59 RRP it needs to be well presented. The plastic feels tough and durable and while we don’t particularly like the Union Jack graphics it’s a nice touch for a product made from the ground up in the UK to show the love, Silver and Gold graphics are also supplied.
The shape of the guard makes sense, when you look at it’s side profile on a bike you can see how it has been created to be as wide as possible where the most spray will pop up and even has a little flick at the bottom just to catch that little bit more. The best part of it’s shape though is that you can still easily see the front wheel when riding, something which can be completely off putting with wider and longer guards of this style.
The Dfender can currently fit a range of Fox and Rock Shox, you only get one fork bracket supplied but these can be brought separately, others are in the making. Without actually using the guard yet, what I can see is that fitting it was a complete doddle, simply put the bracket in place and do up with one allen key, cant get much simpler than that. The guard also boasts that it does not vibrate which is another immensely of putting aspect of most guards.
Although sixty quid is a shed load of cash for what is ‘just a mud guard’, I really think that this is going to perform that much better than others on the market that cost can be justified, especially for the racer. Testing will tell.
RRP £59.00
Distributed by Mojo Suspension
Words & Images – Rob Lewis
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How ugly is this thing? 60 quid? Mud in ya eye either way!
I get that the shape is the result of a lot of testing, but surely it could have been smoothed out a bit.
Also looks like it would hit your downtube when the suspension compresses fully?
Seriously! What the hell is that… it looks like a mudguard you get on a toy’R’us special, i respect that 3 man team, but this right here is a fail. The price, dont get me started…
Looks hideous!