Having used the simple clip in Ass Savers rear fenders for a few years in a few different generations, we’ve been generally pleased with how easy they are to stick on a bike and offer some modicum of coverage. It’s never been something to replace a proper set of full coverage fenders for winter commuting, but to keep some mud off of your skinsuit before the start when you are pre-riding a cross course or even a last ditch deflector or a bit of occasional road spray when cruising around town, they certainly have their place and won’t break the bank.
But while the first generation was secure but didn’t work with many saddle rails, the second version had more of a universal fit but was prone to coming loose. So Ass Saver gives you the third generation, now locked onto your rails with the Flip Tip. We’ve tried it out and it does what it claims – easy install, works with a few rail styles we’ve tried, and is surprisingly hard to pull off when locked…
So the new design is pretty simple (left) – gone are the tabs (right) that made the plastic clip-on fenders tough to fit on many non-conventional rail layouts. Now all that is left is a set of ears on the tab, and a crease that bends & flips the tip in place.
The design itself is something every cyclist has seen. It’s basically putting the folding bring of a cap on the tip of the fender. And since you now don’t have to worry about lining up the tabs, you can just slide the fender between the shell of the saddle and top of the seatpost clamp until it sticks out forward of where you want it, flip the tip, and pull it back into position where it seats securely in place against the rails. We’ve yanked on them a bit, and think we’ll probably be able to get a tow out on the road as long as our riding buddies update their fenders.
Always the best part of an updated product is a simple rollout and no big jump in price. There are probably a bunch of these in custom finishes still floating around out there, but all new Ass Savers will get the new design, and at just a buck more for 9€ in the standard width.
We’re a bit partial to the wider Ass Saver Big, as it just has a bit more real estate that gives it a better chance of catching mud and spray, even on skinny tire bikes. It gets the new Flip Tip design as well, plus a lot more ribbing creases throughout its midsection for more stability. Something we noticed on the previous version that was essentially just folded in half was that heavier mud sticking to it could make it sag. Now with 4 creases (instead of 1) the 10€ fat version should keep a bit more structure.
