Thank you, BumbleB36.
No, I hadn't really considered wading into Hippo waters. As effective as they undoubtedly are, I suppose form overpowered function (hey...it's not how you feel, it's how you look! That's Billy Crystal's impression of Ricardo Montelban on Saturday Night Live back in the Jurrasic era,
BTW.) and I chose to make the traditional guards. I don't ride much when the temps plummet below 30 and the guards are working out pretty well so far.