Personally I hold mudgards in about as much esteem as I do Dynamo lights, panniers and touring bikes - ie they are the work of the devil.
Heavy, rattling bits of tin or plastic which always, but always end up rubbing on your wheels and wearing out your tyres.
Do they use mudguards in Paris Roubaix when its raining? They do not!
Have you ever seen Bradley Wiggins using mudguards? No.
When was the last time you saw a solo breakaway stage in the tour where the winner comes gloriously accross the line, hands raised to the heavens with that familiar "tick, tick, ticking" noise as his mudguard rubs on his front tyre. Doesn't happen.
After the Falling Leaves at the weekend there was this guy riding home carrying a rear mudguard on his handlebars. "You've mounted that in the wrong place mate" I ventured "it's doing no good at all there." "I got pissed off with it rattling around after 50 miles so I took it off" he admitted "I'd rather get wet."
If you don't like getting wet don't go out in the rain! If you don't like getting sprayed by the guy in front, ride AT the front, better training for you and he gets a soaking instead
And another thing - Rucksacks. Did you see how many people were carrying rucksacks at the weekend?
They spent a fortune on a lightweight bike, then carry a half-ton rucksack 70 miles over big hills. What have they got in there? The kids? A dog? That ride was hard enough without lugging your washing, a three course lunch (with wine), full tool-kit (with bikestand) and sunday-best suit for the after-ride dinner around with you.