Originally Posted by DrIsotope

I've got 20,000 miles on a CX frame that will never in all of its future days see a CX race. I ride that bike anywhere and everywhere, and the only thing it's missing is fender mounts-- and that's because I would like to run fenders now and again, but it's a CX bike, and doesn't know what "fenders" means.

I don't see the need for N+1 just for fenders, a few more millimeters of tire clearance, and slacker geometry.