REVIEW

Topeak Defender FX Fender

Mountain biking is all about being outside, staying fit, playing with toys and getting dirty. However, there are times when you have already brushed your teeth and prefer not to cake them with mud. Or, you're riding in frigid snow melt/rain and you just want to stay that little bit drier. For times like these, it's nice to be able to take about seven seconds and snap on a quick release Topeak Defender FX fender.

We bet that when you were a kid, your bike had several components that made sense, but have since gone out of fashion. Later on, you wanted lots of gears, “oh so pro” flat handlebars, and you ditched the fenders for, umm…whatever reason. We now see a revival of these components, including fenders, because they are useful, and cool.

The Defender FX fender uses a 4mm Allen bolt which tightens an expander plug similar to what you find in the bar plug of an ODI lock-on grip. If you plan to use the fenders often, but will still take them off on occasion, you can detach these mud busters with the handy quick release thumb levers located on top of each section. The fender is comprised of two separate pieces, with the section in front of your suspension fork raised a bit. Peering down on them while riding, they give a sense of “braaaaping” along on a 250cc dirt bike, save the noise. The rear section is mounted on a lower bracket in order to clear the downtube and will be your first line of defense against debris on the trail. You're now not only keeping yourself squeaky clean, but protecting that sexy downtube logo on your steed.

Thanks to the injected molded nylon construction and supportive metal mounting clips, the fenders vibrate just enough to soak up the terrain while still doing a superb job of staying in place and taking the face shots so you don't have to. For testing, we mounted our fender to a 2007 Fox 32 F100 RLC fork without problem. The front disc brake housing was unobstructed as it made its way down the fork to the caliper.

The Topeak Defender FX fender exists for one reason: to block the rubbish. The rear of the fender does a beautiful job of blocking water and even small rocks from making its way past the downtube. For the stubborn, heavy, thick and clunky mud that managed to stick to the tire during that extra bit of rotation, the front section immediately swats it out of the way like a pesky mosquito -- just like mud flies off your front wheel once you hit a fire road after a bogged down section of trail.

Topeak, known for their tools and utilitarian accessories, has added yet another highly functional item to their lineup with the Defender FX fender.