The benefits of clip-on guards  are that they will fit most road bikes, regardless of how much (or, rather, little) clearance there is. They are also easier to remove if you want to drop the guards when the sun comes out or for an early-season race.

SKS and Crud dominate the clip-on mudguard market, and their respectively Raceblade and Roadracer MKII guards are popular recommendations in the RCUK forum.

SKS Raceblades are fixed using steel strips clamped by the quick release skewer, which in turn attach to the mudguard itself. They’re quick to clip on and take off, though you must remove the guard from its stay mount in order to remove the wheel of fix a puncture.

Crud’s Roadracer guards, meanwhile, are lighter and less obtrusive, complementing a racing bike as much as a mudguard can, and offer great coverage, but they’re a little trickier to fit and harder to remove on a whim (though the guard remains in place when removing the wheel).