Full mudguards on an off-road gravel bike?

I’m having second thoughts about fitting my new christmas Kinesis Fend-Off Wide’s to my gravel bike…Instigated by Kinesis’s online instructions referring to them as ‘road’ mudguards (albeit the instructions are probably for the original guards and not the Wide variant)

I ride on the South Downs which is clingy and chalky clay.

Dawdling in the garage considering whether to commit or return…I have offered them up and they have an impressive amount of clearance so I’m tempted to go for it…

Any wise words?

Dunno about clay but I’ve got full sks in my Sonder Camino. Way less tyre clearance than your pic. Hasn’t clogged to date and despite some rough off road use mudguards stayed in place.

I would. But then I don’t live or ride near any clay.

if I did I’d probably ride somewhere else, winter clay is soul destroying.

I had the SKS Edge Al, which were bomb proof on an offroad SS gravel bike. I’ve got the SKS Speefrockers now, also fine for off road. But we tend to just get ordinary mud up here, think I’d just about stick clay irrespective of mudguards!

I have an unused still boxed set of Speeedrockers that I’d happily sell on, bit bulky to post but if someone Glasgow south wants them…

To be honest I don’t think it’s mainly chalk, but it can get pretty sticky, especially after frost/snow.

I’m going for it, going to slot the front mudguard mount a bit extra for clearance as that seems to be the tight spot.

If I was going to fit anything to my Gravel bike it would be something mudhugger style. Less likely to clog behind the seat tube/chainstay.

Well I’m feeling optimistic, over 15mm clearance all the way round except for 10mm at the chainstay bridge bolt and they seem to be rock solid 🙂

To be honest when I have have managed to clog this bike up in the past it’s usually only because I’m slithering around trying to eek out some forward motion from the wheel spin before giving up and walking, so I’m hopeful it will do fine.

Just need to remember not to trash them by pivoting the bike around on its back wheel now…

Looks great!

Happy to report that was a complete success… No rattling, no rubbing, no clogging. Plenty of sideways slithering and wheelspinny muddy grass climbing that left the rear tyre as wide as the chainstays allowed, gusting side winds that would normally leave the downwind leg covered in wet mud and high speed puddles did not defeat them.

Upper body spotless, just a few spots on the legs and slightly damp socks after a puddle turned out to be deeper that my BB and winter boots. Bike pretty clean as well, might go the whole hog and fit the mudflaps as the only bit unprotected is the feet and BB.

£50 of the wife’s money well spent 🙂

They do look good I use Mudhuggers mind best to use something saw two guys today on gravel bikes down the Forest of Dean no guards faces covered black bar tape was brown nightmare mudhuggers work well do not have a choice as my CX bikes do not have eyelets.

Can’t see why not. 3 out of 4 of my gravelly type bikes have full SKS gaurds on them. Perfect for a soggy FoD

On Trek CX bikes there is no bolt holes for fixed mudguards can put them on there gravel bikes like the Checkpoint but that one of mine only comes out in dry conditions yes its very soggy in Forest great last month.