Absolutely not redundant. All above advice is good, but adding a
front fender is the best defense against crap getting on you and your works. Most of the gunk comes off the front tire, and you ride into it. Also, I have never seen a factory mud flap that was worth the name. You have to make your own to be really effective. A fender alone won't do the job because they are not long enough to break the tangent angle of the rooster tail.
There is no defense against road grime getting all over your brakes and BB area, including your chain. Fenders actually deflect the junk onto those parts. Can't be helped, but it's alot better than going without.
Just hose off the bike when you get home, bounce it a couple times to knock off the bigger drops, and put it away. I used to be obsessive about winter grime, but I just use a spray WD-40 type lub with teflon to keep the rust away from the guts. Seems to work fine so far, however, I do still routinely deep clean often. No rust, smooth action.
Forget about looking like a dork. If you ride in the winter, everyone will think you are anyway. Besides, a wet grimy stripe up the backside will convince all doubters.
