First Rides: Ass Savers ToeTector & BroTector mud flaps keep my toes & bros dry this winter

The simplicity of mini Ass Savers clip-on fenders has always been their best feature, but their latest mud flaps add to that with extended protection, as well. Of course we know that full-coverage fenders are going to offer better protection from rain than any fender hanging off your saddle, but Ass Savers knows this too. And they also know that most sets of traditional fenders could benefit from replaceable mud flaps for even more protection. And that’s where the ToeTector & BroTector come in…

Ass Savers ToeTector & BroTector plastic mud flaps

Ass Savers had already seen plenty of customers cutting and attaching their regular fenders as mud flaps onto traditional full-coverage mudguards, so they decided to come up with a better solution. The ToeTector & BroTector actually debuted earlier this year, too late in the winter for us to get excited about them. But now as cold, wet bike commuting returns to many in the northern hemisphere (like me), it was time to extend the protection of the classic SKS Bluemels Stingray on my do-it-all Bombtrack Audax 650b all-road gravel commuter.

The ToeTector & BroTector plastic mud flaps are pretty much exactly what you’ve come to expect from Ass Savers – basic lightweight, recycled plastic flaps made in Sweden, with smartly designed creases to fold and simple installation instructions printed directly on the back.

Ass Savers even has silly, witty tech features and descriptions. Think “keep pace, save face” for the “peloton-friendly” brotector that extends the coverage of your rear mudguard to limit spray from hitting your ride buddies hiding in your draft. And “toes before bros” for the “dry feet formula” equipped toetector which of course is in front of the brotector, and which extends the coverage of your front mudguard to limit spray from hitting your feet when riding in the rain.

As always, you aren’t going to add much weight to your winter commuter. A pair of mud flaps with the included uncut zip ties weights 34g before install. They both are the same max 9.cm wide, with the ToeTector 18cm long & BroTector 38cm long.

How To Install

Installation is a bit more tricky that most Ass Savers products, requiring you to drill two 5mm holes through your installed fenders, so they can be zip-tied in place. But you probably don’t even have to take the wheel off your bike. I just stuck a tire lever between the tire & fender, and safely drilled the two holes front & rear.

Riding Impressions

To be honest, I was a little unsure whether the install method that zip-ties the flap inside the regular fender would work, expecting some tire rub. But, once I tightened the creased flaps into place, they sit perfectly away from the tire.

My only real nit to pick are that I feel like the ToeTector is a little shorter than I would prefer, sitting 9.5cm off the ground (vs. 3.5cm ground clearance in the rear). It is flexible and moves out of the way when riding down steps & curbs. And of course it is meant to be replaceable when it gets damaged, so I’m not worried about hurting it. So I think I might just end up installing a second trimmed down BroTector up front too, for added shoe protection.

As for the BroTector in the rear, I suspect mine will have a hard life. I take my bike daily in an elevator that requires standing the bike up. It has already scuffed the Bluemels over the last couple of winters, so I imagine poor BroTector will be just as scuffed in a few weeks.

Every installation will vary depending on the length of their full-coverage fenders. Before installing mud flaps, my Bluemels front was 23cm off the ground, and the rear 37cm off the ground.

The Ass Savers mud flaps are available in two versions – regular all black, of this version with red reflective triangles printed on them for 1€ extra. They sell for 8.50/9.50€ for the shorter ToeTectors, and 9.50/10.50€ for the longer BroTectors.

Ass-Savers.com