Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work. Boulder, and Colorado more broadly, is heralded as getting 300 days of sunshine a year (there’s a reason I have chosen to live here) and, even in the summer “monsoon” season, the routine afternoon showers are short-lived, and (of late) less substantial all around. As such, I’ve never felt the need to outfit any of my bikes with permanent fenders, though they do lend a certain utilitarian panache to a classic skinny-tubed steel steed, imo. Sure, it would be nice to have on my commuter but in my current location it’s far from necessary and I recognize that half of that desire would be motivated purely by the aesthetic glint of hammered alloy. The key to understanding how the Win Wing works lies in physics: water and mud leave the wheel in a straight line from the tangential point of release,” says Ass Savers.
Recognizing that their ideal product should excel at its purpose then go hide out in your garage as soon as the weather shifts is fundamental in the Win Wing design: it’s remarkably stable while riding, very light, protects riders from the embarrassing spray streak, and is a cinch to take on and off the bike. We have yet again rewritten the rules of fender design with our new, ultra-lightweight, clip-on performance mudguard – the radical Win Wing. While bikes of old all had a lot more symmetry, a number of modern bikes tweak their stays side-to-side a bit to either maximize tire clearance around the drivetrain or to fit a disc brake caliper into the rear end somewhere tidy. In reality, the Win Wing fits a lot of bikes that simply won’t fit conventional fenders – no fender mounts required. But the biggest compatibility feature might just be that wide 19-60mm tire width clearance range. That covers almost every road, fixie, all-road, cyclocross, gravel, trekking, and cross-country bike out there. These two gentlemen could not be any more accommodating if they tried, quality service that is a rare find in today’s crazy world, I can not recommend this company enough!
Brand
The key to understanding how the Win Wing works lies in physics: water and mud leave the wheel in a straight line from the tangential point of release. By shielding only the upper rear quarter of the wheel, the Win Wing eliminates spray from reaching the critical areas of the rider with a minimum of material. The bike is a Christmas present and so will not see any use for about 5 weeks as we are in November now. The Win Wings were remarkable. Quiet. Free of movement. Unobtrusive. And most importantly, effective." I can’t say anything negative about this - it’s a piece of engineering I wish had been made a lot earlier. "
I’m not really a mudguard kind of a guy, honestly. I haven’t installed or used fenders in around 10 years and typically just opt to get dirty, even though we live in a very wet and muddy part of the world. However, when the Swedish brand Ass Savers got in touch and asked if we were interested in collaborating on the launch of the new Win Wing, I tossed preconceptions and vanity to the wind.
Installation
Two key selling points for the Win Wing fenders are that they fit a wide range of tires ( and bikes), and they are lightweight. The Win Wing Gravel fits practically any gravel bike, protecting the rider in even the worst conditions. No matter the terrain, on-road or off, the Win Wing won't rattle or jam, and with only 72g, you won't even notice it's there.
Not by coincidence, the Ass Savers Win Wing was released just as the cold and wet conditions of fall and winter set in. Perfect timing, right? Smart, because it was something I didn’t think I needed until I actually did. And that kind of sums up the Win Wing. It’s a solution that slaps you in the face, in a manner os speaking. It’s so simple that it makes you wonder why it didn’t already exist. And, at the same time, its clever and minimal design leads you admire the thought process and engineering that went into it. It may be minimalist, but coverage is impressive if you prioritise a dry rear-end. Russell Burton / Our Media Plus, while many conventional fenders rattle over rough surfaces or any off-road, the Win Wing stays quiet and doesn’t shake loose no matter where you ride it. Even though it seems to sit perilously close to the rear tire, we haven’t had any issue with it jamming even on especially muddy rides.It looks minimalist (it weighs only 72g, or 64g for the Road version), but by harnessing the principal of ‘tangential coverage’, the level of rear-end protection is impressive. The simple attachment system also means that it’s super easy to swap between bikes and it is also compatible with a wide range of tyres. This has been a godsend as I have accumulated more and more test bikes to ride and fitting anything more complicated (or permanent) on each would be too much of an effort. The Win Wing takes about half a minute to take off from one bike and attach to another - and while swapping it around I’ve noticed it’s also not scratched my seat stays (I would still recommend attaching a piece of frame protection tape as a precaution). And if you’re worried about theft, Ass Savers has designed it with a little zip-tie hole so you can zip-tie it to your seat stays semi-permanently. While the two-part Win Wing install takes a few seconds longer, I was already more confident in the rigid strut-like mount design before I even had it on the bike. I found the install to be straightforward; whereas soft, saddle-mounted fenders just feel like a token-but-ineffective solution to wet rides, the Win Wing feels confidently made and well thought out. And, even for plastic, its profile is sleek on the bike.
This is not really a fender for everyone. Some don’t like the look of this gray recycled plastic loop hanging over your rear wheel. Some really need the total protection of proper full-coverage fenders. And some – like our own Editor-in-Chief – would rather have a wet butt than nasty muddy water bottles. And those are all valid concerns. Ass Savers offers two versions of the Win Wing: one for road bikes with tires up to 38mm and one for larger dirt and gravel tires up to 60mm (2.35″). The one that’s tested here is the gravel version for larger tires. I tried it on two bikes, my Tumbleweed Stargazer with 29 x 2.35” tires and another test bike with 2.4s—the gray one shown in many of these photos. Neil also tested his with 27.5 x 2.6″ tires, as you’ll learn in the video at the bottom of the post.
The straps are made from ultra-tough TPU and should be pulled as tight as you can comfortably do by hand. If you experience that the mudguard is not stable, try to use the next hole in the strap. As the gravel segment expands, cyclists face new challenges. The issue of having dirt thrown in your face is a well known problem among mountain bikers. With huge clearances for wide tires in the front fork, gravel riders are now facing a similar issue. There are other clip-on rear mudguards on the market, but the Win Wing has taken a fresh approach to the problem. Made up of only four components, which are easy to assemble, the Win Wing attaches in seconds and can be swapped between bikes with ease. At the heart of the design is the wishbone holder made from glass fiber reinforced PA (polyamide), that attaches to the seat stays with two neatly fitting rubber straps. The rubber straps have been cleverly designed to sit between the wishbone and seat stays to offer your paint some protection. Ass Savers recommends fitting the wishbone close enough to the tire to achieve between 5-10mm clearance to the blade once fitted. The polypropylene blade easily snaps into position onto the studs molded into the wishbone and there are three positions available to allow for varying seat stay angles. A horizontal, or slightly upward tilting blade is optimum. There’s a helpful guide printed onto the underside of the blade to help achieve the best setup.
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