jimmymcg

Being from Ireland, where it rains all the time, I'm fitting a pair of mudgaurds to my gravel bike.
I was just wondering what most people think about them.
I follow a few guys on Instagram and none of them ever use mudgaurds, even in wet conditions.
Beside personal feelings towards mudgaurds (ie they dont look very cool), is there any practical reason why these guys don't use mudguards for their races.
Perhaps some might feel it hampers aerodynamics. I did too until I read an article a few months ago which proved them to have no negative effects on aerodynamics. Something like, the front guard hampers aerodynamics but the rear actually improves it so they cancel each other out.
Perhaps it's a weight thing but I think mudgaurds could stop mud sticking to your bike which could actually result in less weight in the long run.
What are your thoughts?

kingston 

For JRA I always prefer mudguards (I call them fenders) unless it's so wet and muddy that they get clogged up and prevent the wheels from turning freely. They do add weight and another potential failure point, so I can see why people don't use them in races. They are designed to increase comfort not speed.

Tourist in MSN

I think it varies greatly by what you call gravel, is it a thin veneer of loose small sized pea gravel on a hard surface or are you talking serious mud?

I regularly ride on gravel trails or gravel roads when bike touring and on a rainy day I really want to have some fenders (mudguards). But I don't ride in places where the wheels could pick up mud and clog between the tire and fender, thus that is not a concern for me. Just in case you ride on any mud that could accumulate on the bike, put as much gap between your tire and the fender as your frame and fork allow.

I suspect that some gravel riders are concerned that a fender stay could get bent and need adjustment to avoid rubbing.

Every one of my 700c bikes has toe overlap if I have a front fender on the bike, but some of those bikes do not have toe overlap with no fenders. I do not think that is a big deal killer, but it is a minor nuisance. You could have some toe overlap.

I did not have fenders on my bike when I went bike touring in Iceland, I could not fit the fenders into the bike case, thus my bike and I got pretty messy on wet days, and there are lots of wet days in Iceland. See photo. This was on a good quality gravel road with some potholes.

Koyote

I suspect you read something from Jan Heine, who sells fenders? If so, I would be skeptical.

To answer your question: fenders add weight, they are aerodynamically inefficient, they can clog with mud, they will slow you down when dealing with punctured tires.

Fenders are great for training and commuting bikes, and some fenders are aesthetically quite nice - I'm currently having some Rene Herse hammered fenders put on one of my bikes, and I think they will look cool. But I would never put them on a bike that I'm planning to race.

jimmymcg

I had the same thoughts but just wanted to ask in case I was missing something.
Here is a like to the article where it explains how fenders dont reduce aero.
https://www.renehersecycles.com/myth...slow-you-down/
Going from this research and what you guys have said I think I'll still use my fenders on my road bike and maybe on my gravel bike if its not too muddy.
As I said it could rain here in Ireland at any time. You could start off in the morning with perfect weather but everything can( and usually does) change within a few hours.

unterhausen

I am hesitant to ride with fenders on gravel/mud. They have breakaway stays, but there is still the issue of them locking up. I know Jan recommends a lot of clearance, but it doesn't give me a lot of confidence anyway. Maybe the gravel roads around Seattle don't feature as many sticks as the gravel roads around here do.

I know some really fast guys that ride with fenders on the road. Jan is quite fast. I am pretty sure fenders don't slow you down in a measurable way. And since this is the long distance forum, comfort is very important. Eating>comfort>aero.

Tourist in MSN

On my knobbier tires, occasionally a small pebble will get stuck in a groove between two tire knobs and get carried up into my fender, then gets released and I will hear a pebble slide against the plastic as it slides out. But I set up my bikes with as much clearance as the frame, fork and fenders allow. Have not had a problem yet, but I continue to keep as wide a gap as I can.

I bought fenders for my road bike, but I felt that the gap was too small to be safe, so did not install them.

HTupolev

Many of our gravel roads are narrow and surrounded by foliage and trees, there are often tons of sticks.

I know Jan has commented before about preferring to only use fenders with slicks, although he's also noted that his riding buddies use fenders with knobbies. I know several people who ride with small knobs and fenders and alarmingly tight clearances who haven't had issues, although I'm in no rush to copy their setups.

bark_eater 

Kind of the opposite spectrum but, I'm turning my "touring " bike into a "gravel" bike as the tubing is way to light for loaded touring. I presently have 38mm tires under fenders and will be going down to 35mm for less weigh and added clearance. The reason I need more clearance is not something I wold have thought of. Last summer ridding locally in the heat riding over chipseal, I had enough tar and gravel stick to my wheels to cause clearance issues with the fenders. I only had a couple bad days, but I'm pretty sure the plastic fenders would have eventually been sawn through.