Is it worth getting Lizard Skins (or alternatives - are there any?) for my headset, rear shock and front forks to keep out the winter time mud and grime etc???

Thanks

I've never used them but heard that they can sometimes make matters worse by retaining moisture already in headset etc thereby accelerating rusting etc...

I slap a lizard skin on the headset of pretty much everything I build up. Haven't had a headset crap out on me in many many years... Using FSA pigs may have something to do with this too...

On shocks where the lizard skin will be in contact with teflon coated sliding part of the shock they're a very bad idea as they'll rub the slider in grit as you cycle (Most air shocks fall into this category).

There are enough air gaps where the lizard skin fits around most headsets that holding water in the headset isn't an issue (Though it will probably affect the surface finish of the outside of the headset cup and the fork crown for the same reason it's not recommended for air shocks (I don't look under my lizard skin unless the headset is causing trouble, so I've no idea what things are like on my bikes at the moment).

Wrapping a lizard skin around the coil of a coil shock will help keep things clean and not kill the shock provided it doesn't dip enough between the coils to touch the shock rod.

I have air shocks fron and rear so what about the rear?

If the seal skin is rubbing on the teflon sliding part of the shock it will kill the shock (Probably even if you keep it ridiculously clean). Shock seals are designed to deal with dirt, so I wouldn't worry about it provided you give the shock slider the occasional clean. Your best bet is to see about rigging up some sort of a mudguard to shield the shock from rear tyre spray if you're really worried about it.