Anyone who rides their bike in rainy climates can appreciate a good mudguard. Although not quite as hipster as using a plastic bottle or piece of cardboard, the Plume roll up mudguard is an elegant solution to do away with permanent or ill fitting over the wheel fenders, saving you from a wet chamois and skunk line on your ride around town.
Plume is a flexible mudguard that sits in a tight coil under your bike seat when not in use. As the rain starts to fall, the mudguard extends out into a sleek plank hovering straight out the back, acting as a barrier between you and the muddy water coming off your rear wheel. As soon as you hit dry ground, you can quickly recoil the mudguard back into a tight circle with the simple press of a finger, even as you are riding.
Plume is reminiscent of the vintage (80s) Rain Tail from Japanese saddle company Kashimax. The Rain Tail attached to the rails under your bike seat, with a retractable plastic plank that could be pulled out when needed. The mudguard did not fit all saddles (Brooks saddles being one of them), so grew out of favor. However, you can still find deadstock of the Rain Tail at various bike shops.
Plume uses resilient, street-tough materials such as stainless steel and a flexible polymer for the plank. The stainless steel spine wraps around your bike seat post, with the flexible coil resting just beneath the seat.
I could see using the Plume on my mountain bike as well. I wonder if they will make a front crud catcher version, as it would be nice not to have horse poo laden mud flying in my mouth during winter rides.
For a $35 pledge over on Kickstarter, you can pre-order your very own Plume Mudguard .
Related articles