Finally, if you don’t want to labour your machine with mudguards (and congratulations for getting to the end of this buyer’s guide if that’s the case), the Ass Saver is a shaped piece of plastic which slips under the saddle and clips on to the rails.

It will never be as effective as proper mudguards (either full or clip-on) but it’ll save your derriere from the worst of the road spray, even if your riding buddies won’t feel the benefit.

Some manufacturers also offer a rear mudguard which can be easily attached to the seatpost, which is a good enough solution for the training bike of triple world time trial champion Tony Martin’s.

That said, it’s not an aesthetically pleasing solution for a road bike, nor one which will provide as comprehensive protection as a proper set of guards.