I just got a gravel bike with 40mm tires. I plan on riding finer packed gravel trails + roads. I don't plan on riding in any rain. I guess gravel trails may have puddles and be wet even though it is not raining. Do you recommend getting fenders for this type of riding?

No. You'll get tired of the sound of pebbles rattling under your fenders...and the worst-case scenario is a larger rock or twig or something getting jammed between tire and fender and causing a crash.

Also, depending on your frame's tire clearance, fenders might force you to use narrower tires; e.g., if 40mm is your frame's limit, fenders will likely force you to put on 35mm or even 32mm tires. (Wider is better for gravel.)

Just wash your bike if it gets dirty.

I'll take the pebbles under the fenders over water on me and the bike any day. I'm also willing to go to a slightly smaller tire to ensure clearance and 700x38s have served me well for crushed limestone trails.

Will it bother you greatly if some of that water and mud you hit get thrown up on the back of your jersey? If so, get fenders. As for whether gravel being thrown up is a nuisance, I don't know, I've ridden small stretches of gravel on my road bike and have never been bothered.

Maybe you should just ride your bike as it is without fenders for a time and find out what your actual conditions cause. And whether any of them are so bad that it cause you to feel need to install fenders.

SKS bike fender > easy on ...easy off

Even living in the PNW where riding in the rain is normal, fenders are debated. Some people simply refuse fenders, and choose to deal with spray on their bodies and on their bike. Others (like me) go with full coverage.

I suppose my advice would be start fenderless and decide if you have a problem. The Ass Saver flap might be a good minimal compromise that does what the name implies, without the fender hassle.

I rode 70+ miles of crushed limestone with a friend and the fenders reduced the dust more than I realized. I never expected them to make that much difference but I was pleasantly surprised.

Fender farts, they're called. If the fenders are close, it's a zzzzzzzzzzzip sound. The alternative is, that pebble (and it's smaller cousin wet grime) is thrown against the frame or driveline or your feet.

Ass Savers FTW

Not made for 20" wheels though so crud hits the water bottle

(Note how clean the saddle is)


This one is a PDW I think and it mounts to the downtube


Where it stops is where the bike gets dirty

This is something you need to decide for yourself. Some people like fenders and others hate them so asking this type of question you will get all kinds of opinions which are only based on personal preferences. For me personally I've been riding with full fenders for almost 20 years and they are one of the most practical accessories I've ever put on my bikes. Fenders won't keep your bike perfectly clean but they will keep you and your clothes clean. if your goal is to keep yourself clean then get fenders. First thing you need to check is how much clearance there is between your 40mm tires and the frame / fork. Do you even have enough room for fenders without your tires rubbing ?

I guess some people are super sensitive because for me personally the noise from small pebbles hitting my fenders has never bothered me. Also in my almost 20 years of riding on gravel and dirt and singletrack trails I never had anything get jammed between the tire and the fender that would cause me to crash. Fenders are not about keeping my bike clean but about keeping myself clean.

This photo illustrates the problem with many fenders: they don’t protect the parts that actually benefit from staying clean - like the chain, chainrings, bottom bracket, pedals, etc. This one apparently only protected the down tube, which is easy to clean and unharmed by a little mud.

I’m not anti-fender- I just finished a ride on one of my fendered bikes. But to really be worthwhile, the front fender needs to come down close enough so that, with a flap attached, you have coverage to within just two or 3 inches of the pavement. Otherwise, all the junk that sprays off the front wheel ends up right where you don’t want it. Like in this photo.

And living here in the middle of gravel cycling country, I guess I forget that the term means different things to different people. If you’re riding on crushed limestone paths or similarly tame roads, sure, run fenders if you want. Out here, though, no one runs them on gravel.

Also the OP doesn't intend to ride in the rain. And is only guessing that maybe there will be some puddles and mud to go through. However, after a rain, I've found it easy to just simply go around them. Not through them as I would do when I was a child. Or perhaps still do for times I'm being childish.

I agree, I find those clip on mud guards completely useleds so I use full fenders.

I'm going to try to move the front fender lower - the limiting factor will be clearance for the crankarms. But my biggest concern is not getting water and mud splashed on my pants and my back; these small fenders work for that.

It bothers me greatly when I feel a stream of muddy water running into my shorts, between my cheeks and totally sagging my chamois. Does that qualify or is that too wuss? <- That happened to me on a double century ride in the rain. Pretty miserable.

That’s why I have a dedicated rain bike with full fenders. I also extended the fenders on all four ends with Gorilla tape for better coverage. It looks a bit ghetto but as the Brits say, Works a treat.

OP, get some fenders, you won’t regret it.

If you put on full fenders; especially fenders with a real front flap, you will finish rides on dirt MUCH cleaner. (Don't believe me? Do a simple test. Before you put the fenders on, go for a ride on your favorite dirt road. Hand wash those clothes. Put the fenders on and repeat that ride and wash. Observe how much cleaner the wash water is.)

Yes, fenders are a hassle. They make noise. But both you and the bike stay much cleaner on both wet and dry roads. (Paved roads too and that paved road crap is really ugly!)

Edit: I have 6 bikes. Two as winter/rain/city bikes that wear fenders year 'round. Three have fenders that go on and off easily. Summers they are usually off but usually one of those bikes has them. One bike is an early '80s race bike that only goes on on nice days and won't (and basically cannot) wear fenders.

I do not know anyone who has NOT been caught in the rain unintentionaly while riding

IKR. You know what they say about what good intentions are used for,

That is likely true for most of us. I have been caught in the rain, and I've even gone on rides that I knew I would be caught in the rain for a portion of them.

Although I'm not certain what you point is for making that remark. It's never been a issue for me to ride in the rain without fenders. So I currently have no desire for fenders. The dirt streak up my back washes out with no issue or extra effort for laundry.

It's a personal preference and decision. So I still believe the OP should ride without and see if it's found to be a annoyance to get a little bit more wet and filthy while getting caught by the rain and/or puddles afterward. At least then their decision will be based on personal experience of their own making. And not the imagined issues or experiences of others that might not be quite the same.

Some fenders look cool, others, not so cool. I live in an area that gets almost no rain, and so the answer would be no fenders for me. YMMV.

It depends on many factors:

1. How often would you ride on wet pavement or gravel? I really like it when it looks like I won't get a ride in because of the rain, then it stops and turns beautiful. Ground is soaked, air is moist, fragrant and non-chapping. Without fenders, I still might not go. With fenders, it's a no-brainer. I had a ride like that this past Friday night, after it had rained all day. I took my fender bike; no problem.
2. If you have multiple bikes, one of them should have full fenders, assuming you have a mixed climate.
3. Where do you live? If it rarely rains, maybe it's not worth the bother.

I have a few bikes with full fenders, a few bikes without fenders and two bikes with clip-on fenders like John Flores shows. Those clip-on fenders are a good option for gravel bikes:


This gravel bike has a front fender strapped on the downtube. It's nice to keep the water spray out of my face. The Topeak BeamRack acts as a rear fender. There's plenty of clearance for rocks and a bit of mud. Before I got the BeamRack, I had a rear fender that clipped on the seat post.

Yep, get full fenders. The fenders will stop the little rocks from taking the paint off of your downtube-bottom bracket area. They will also keep the dirt off of your back end. Gravel tires just will not pick up a big enough rock to jam a wheel.

short answer, it depends. fenders don't work miracles but certainly are helpful as well as a pain in the butt to set up

when playing in the dirt, be prepared to get a little dirty & maybe wet

this was after a ride in the pouring rain. decided to get fenders but then avoided riding in pouring rain



some favorite photos of my fenders

sticks can get thrown into your spokes & derailer

side spray can get your feet wet even if you have fenders



this photo is not mine

if you do fender-up, will you add mudflaps?

you think you'll avoid water, but it's all good, until it isn't

That sidespray thing, your mudflaps are missing. Go around the sticks, dear dog look where you are going ! Every bike I have has dedicated full fenders, they never come off, just like the primary lighting (headlight and usually one taillight).