Commuting - Are there ways to prevent Gravel Dust on Bike?

About 2 miles of my commute are on a gravel bike path. Some days, the gravel dust only gets on my tires and wears off in a day or two. But some days, the dust covers a lot of my frame and fork. Is there a polish or trick to prevent this? I'd prefer not to get fenders because I haven't had luck finding a front fender that fits my bike well (Trek 7200fx).

Get a grey bike???!

About 2 miles of my commute are on a gravel bike path. Some days, the gravel dust only gets on my tires and wears off in a day or two. But some days, the dust covers a lot of my frame and fork. Is there a polish or trick to prevent this? I'd prefer not to get fenders because I haven't had luck finding a front fender that fits my bike well (Trek 7200fx).

Short answer: No.

Polish usually just exacerbates the problem by introducing static. A bit of dust won't hurt anything (use a dry lube on the chain;)) so don't worry about it. A dirty bike is a happy bike. A clean bike just says that it doesn't get used.

the long answer: nope

Strap a giant vacuum to the front of your bike. Problem solved.

Um, don't ride in gravel, right?

the long answer: nope

+1. it dosen't hurt anything, and shows you've been out having fun on it. where's the harm in that?

About 2 miles of my commute are on a gravel bike path. Some days, the gravel dust only gets on my tires and wears off in a day or two. But some days, the dust covers a lot of my frame and fork. Is there a polish or trick to prevent this? I'd prefer not to get fenders because I haven't had luck finding a front fender that fits my bike well (Trek 7200fx).

Bring a clean rag with you and dust your bike off?

Get over your cleanliness. I ride 8 miles of gravel road a day, and it's completely impossible for me to keep anything clean, so I just don't bother. I clean, and by the time I'm 5 miles from home it's dirty again. In the winter by the time I get to work with a brand new chain it's covered with sticky clay/sand mix.

If it's starting to gum up any moving parts I power wash the bike,and I lube the chain, but in general I've just gotten used to the fact that chains only last 1800 miles, and the bike will always be dirty.

Use fenders.

What about wrapping your bike in saran wrap? Never tried, I'm just suggesting an idea worth trying.

I'd prefer not to get fenders because I haven't had luck finding a front fender that fits my bike well (Trek 7200fx).

Fenders!

I have Freddy fenders and the fork on my Cannondale is similar to yours. I had to take a heat gun to the fender and dimple it at the fork to make it work. Its TIGHT but it doesn't scrub. Can't tell at all unless you get right up on the fender and look.
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=76840&d=1216686595

The bonus of the fenders:

Chain stays cleaner. It tripped the time between chain cleanings
Nipples stay cleaner (on the water bottle stupid!)
Bike stays MUCH cleaner on wet streets
No racing stripes on your shirt.
Unless you hit a really bad puddle your shoes stay dry (if it is not raining).
It says "I'm no wuss I ride all weather..all year" to weekend MUP warriors. :roflmao2:

spray on car wax.

just spray some on a rag and wipe your bike down with it. Just don't get any wax on the rims or brake pads and you'll be fine.

http://www.gascoals.net/Portals/1/087/CAL-T&T-300-FeatherDuster.jpg

woh, I strive to add gravel dust to my ride, it gives it that nice utility look. Though it seems to wash off after a ride in heavy rain. You could try that.

Pledge furniture polish helps... Wash your bike well, then let it dry. Wipe it down with a good coat of Pledge. (The time I tried this in response to an article in the weekly RoadBikeRider newsletter, I used the orange kind. It helps protect the bike's finish, and while it won't stop road dust frome settling on your bike during the ride, it makes it a lot easier to brush off.