Science
Everything you need to know about gravel bike mudguards: how to stay clean and dry through winter
Keeping mud and grit under your tyres makes winter gravel riding heaps better
Published: January 23, 2023 at 6:00 pm
For the yet-to-be-converted, mudguards – or fenders – can be a real game-changer for winter gravel riding, or any wet-weather conditions for that matter.
But aren’t dirt, gravel and grit all part of off-road riding? And what are the mudguard/fender options out there for gravel bikes?
Here, we look into why you should consider fitting mudguards to your gravel bike, as well as the different options for all types of bike (and budget) and the practical considerations you need to take into account before plunging into foul-weather bliss.
Why should you fit mudguards to a gravel bike?
The pros…
We’ve touched on the plus-sides already: just like road bike mudguards, gravel ‘guards essentially limit the amount of water, mud and debris that flicks up off your gravel tyres and onto you or your bike.
How effective that protection is will depend on how much coverage your mudguards offer.
Options range from minimal strap-on mudguards that offer light relief for your face or backside, to full-length mudguards that give much more protection, helping to keep you dry from head-to-toe, while also maintaining your bike frame and components in better condition.
Keeping water and muck off your body will help you feel comfortable on the bike. If it’s cold and you’re wet, you’re more likely to catch a chill, and no one enjoys sitting on a soggy chamois.
Riding off-road is also inherently tougher on bike components, including your drivetrain, where grit, stones and sand can quickly combine to become a component-eating paste. So besides keeping you warm and dry, fitting mudguards can help prolong the lifespan of your bike parts. This surely makes them one of the best gravel bike accessories going.
The cons…
Well, as with anything, there can be downsides to fitting mudguards on your gravel bike.
Firstly, there’s the matter of clearance. Adding an extra layer of metal or plastic around your tyres needs space, especially where potential trail debris is factored into the equation, and not all off-road bikes have the clearance to add mudguards, particularly if you still want to run a chunky tyre.
You may find that you need to run a smaller-volume tyre in order to run mudguards on your gravel bike, or even opt for a smaller wheel size by switching from 700c wheels for 650b to give extra space, if your bike offers compatibility.
Adding mudguards to your bike will also add weight, though exactly how much depends on what type you opt for. Unless you’re racking up serious climbing, the extra protection on offer will likely offset any weight gain.
Finally, fitting mudguards can sometimes be a bit trickier than you’d expect. It’s worth taking your time to get the fit just right, or asking a local mechanic to help out.
Front mudguard, rear mudguard or both?
While road riders will typically mount a set of mudguards at both the front and rear of the bike, gravel riders or mountain bikers may opt to run a ‘guard at only one end.
Why? Well, the front and rear mudguards serve slightly different purposes, and how much you value front or rear protection will depend on your personal preferences.
While the front mudguard acts mostly to stop mud flicking up off your front tyre into your face, the rear mudguard functions mostly to stop spray hitting your rear end.
Full-length mudguards with flaps also help to keep this filth off your feet and bike, which can be largely attributed to the front mudguard.
Most riders tend to opt for both front and rear mudguards for greater protection, though there’s no reason why you couldn’t run just one or the other.
Three types of gravel mudguard
Generally speaking, there are three types of gravel mudguard: short-coverage clip-on mudguards (available for either the front or, more commonly, the rear), full-coverage clip-on mudguards and full-coverage mudguards that require eyelets.
Choosing the most suitable option will depend on exactly what you want from your mudguard(s) and what you can fit to your bike.
Short-coverage clip-on mudguards
Let’s start off with the most minimal mudguards on the market.
Short-coverage, clip-on mudguards are pretty much as you’d expect; they offer relatively limited coverage, compared to full-length guards, but can be fitted to any bike, because you can strap, clip or cable-tie them onto your frame without the need for mudguard eyelets.
You might not get the same full-body protection as a longer set of mudguards, but if you value rear-end protection above all else, and you want tool-free fitment, you’ll be covered here.
Generally, the minimalist design means frame and mud clearance is less of an issue, too.
The Mudhugger Gravel Hugger is one such example of a short-coverage clip-on mudguard.
The Gravel Hugger is a gravel-specific set of the brand’s popular mountain bike mudguards, mounting onto the fork and seatstays using cable ties or rubber O-rings.
Latest deals on the Mudhugger Rear Gravel Hugger
As for a rear-only option, we highly rate the Ass Savers Win Wing.
This super-minimalist – and lightweight – mudguard offers rear-tyre protection via a wishbone stay and silicone straps.
Latest deals on the Ass Savers Win Wing
Full-coverage clip-on mudguards
If you’re looking for more extensive coverage, but your bike is not kitted out with mudguard eyelets, consider a set of clip-on mudguards.
These typically attach directly to the frame using silicone straps, but look more like a traditional set of mudguards.
An example is the SKS Speedrocker, designed for gravel riding and cyclocross with a wider mudguard to accommodate both 700c and 650b wheels with tyres up to 42mm wide. These attach to the fork and seatstays in two places using rubberised hook and loop fastenings.
Although less secure than mudguards fitted using frame eyelets, some riders prefer clip-on mudguards because they are easier to take on and off.
Latest deals on the SKS Speedrocker mudguards
Full-coverage fixed mudguards
To maximise protection from dirt and puddles, opt for full-coverage mudguards. You’ll need to make sure you have suitable mudguard eyelets on your frame and fork for these.
Often, these can be a little trickier to fit (they aren’t an option you’ll want to fit and remove on a regular basis), but once secured, give the best protection and are the sturdiest option.
One example is the Kinesis Fend-Off Wide, a gravel-friendly (and, as a result, wider) version of the brand’s standard Fend-Off mudguards.
The anodised aluminium guards are secured using metal stays that run to the frame’s eyelets near the axles, as well as to the top of the fork, and seatstay bridge and rear of the seat tube.
The guards also use polypropylene flaps, which attach to the rear of the front and rear guards, reducing the mud spray that ends up on you (mainly your feet), your bike, and your ride pals.
Latest deals on the Kinesis Fend-Off Wide mudguards
What to look for in gravel bike mudguards
Not all mudguards will work for all bikes, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare to figure out what will work best for you.
Does your gravel bike have mudguard eyelets?
Check whether your bike has eyelets for mounting fixed mudguards around the axles, fork crown, seatstay bridge and base of the seat tube. If your bike has these, then you have full choice across the different types of mudguards.
If your gravel bike doesn’t have mudguard eyelets, then you’ll need to opt for clip-on mudguards.
How much protection do you need?
Whether you opt for short-coverage mudguards for low weight and ease-of-use, or long-coverage mudguards for maximum protection, is largely down to personal preference, where you’re riding and who you’re riding with.
Short-coverage clip-on mudguards will be adequate for keeping the worst of the muck off of you. However, if you plan on riding regularly with friends or in groups, then longer-coverage guards – especially those with flaps – will be better (read: more courteous) for keeping anyone riding behind you dry. Many club riders will tell you that longer-coverage mudguards are the sociable choice.
The worse the conditions you ride in, the more you’re likely to benefit from long-coverage mudguards.
Having said that, even clip-on long-coverage mudguards aren’t as easy to fit as many short-coverage options. Also, because they tend to fit closer to the tyre than short-coverage guards, you may need to be more cautious of trail debris.
This leads us neatly to our next important consideration…
Frame, tyre and mud clearance
Just like when you’re buying a gravel bike, considering clearance is key.
You’ll need to make sure you have adequate frame clearance to fit your mudguards, as well as ensuring you have enough space between the tyre and mudguard.
Check the maximum tyre clearances recommended by the mudguard brand as well as any clearance and tyre-width recommendations that accompany your bike.
This is especially critical when it comes to riding off-road because your tyres often pick up mud, stones and other trail debris that needs to pass under the mudguards.
If it’s muddy and there’s insufficient clearance, you’re likely to get a build-up of mud at best – or risk damaging your frame at worst.
Similarly, trail debris such as twigs can cause havoc if trapped with insufficient space between the tyre and mudguard.
Bag clearance
While we’re on the topic of clearance, you also need to think about bag clearance if you’re loading up your bike for a bikepacking trip or going touring.
The good news is that seatpost-mounted bikepacking bags essentially act as short-coverage rear mudguards, so might save you fixing one up if you’re planning a longer trip (although, for this reason, make sure your bag is made from a muck-proof material).
If you are running mudguards, check you have a good gap between any bags and your guards to prevent any damage.
Even the weight of a bag on a mudguard can cause it to become mis-shaped, which can get pretty noisy.
Frame protection
If you’re using any type of clip-on mudguard, it’s wise to think about using frame protection where it attaches to your bike.
It might seem like overkill, but it only takes a tiny bit of grit to work its way under the zip tie, rubber strap or Velcro attachment to wreak havoc with your paintjob.
Before fitting your mudguards, adding frame protection patches such as those offered by Pro or Restrap, or alternatively opting for areas of Helitape, will help keep your bike in good condition.
Are there mudguards designed for your bike?
A few of the more mainstream brands offer mudguards designed specifically to fit certain models.
For example, Canyon sells mudguards to complement its Grail gravel bikes, while Scott also offers mudguards made specifically for its bike models.
It’s worth checking to see if there are any mudguards available for your specific gravel bike before browsing alternatives.
The important matter of flaps
Last but not least, have you considered adding flaps to your long-coverage mudguards?
Some are supplied with them, others may require flaps to be bought separately – or you can make your own mud flap.
Essentially, the longer the flap is, and the closer it sits to the ground, the more coverage you, and the person riding behind you, will benefit from.
Plastic, rubber or even leather; there are flaps to suit all budgets and styles.
Authors
Katherine Moore is Bristol-based gravel and bikepacking expert who judges her rides by stoke level, rather than speed. When she’s not scouting out the best long-distance and local off-road routes in the UK, Katherine works as a freelance writer, bike tester, presenter and guide. Katherine is the former editor of advntr.cc and has also worked as a presenter on the Global Cycling Network. As well as being a regular contributor to BikeRadar.com and the BikeRadar Podcast, Katherine has also written for Cycling Weekly, Bikepacking.com and hosts the Unpaved Podcast. If you’re out on the trail you’ll likely see her from a mile off, thanks to her rather bright colour palette!
More than 40 trillion gallons of rain drenched the Southeast United States in the last week from Hurricane Helene and a run-of-the-mill rainstorm that sloshed in ahead of it — an unheard of amount of water that has stunned experts.
That’s enough to fill the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium 51,000 times, or Lake Tahoe just once. If it was concentrated just on the state of North Carolina that much water would be 3.5 feet deep (more than 1 meter). It’s enough to fill more than 60 million Olympic-size swimming pools.
“That’s an astronomical amount of precipitation,” said Ed Clark, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Water Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “I have not seen something in my 25 years of working at the weather service that is this geographically large of an extent and the sheer volume of water that fell from the sky.”
The flood damage from the rain is apocalyptic, meteorologists said. More than 100 people are dead, according to officials.
Private meteorologist Ryan Maue, a former NOAA chief scientist, calculated the amount of rain, using precipitation measurements made in 2.5-mile-by-2.5 mile grids as measured by satellites and ground observations. He came up with 40 trillion gallons through Sunday for the eastern United States, with 20 trillion gallons of that hitting just Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Florida from Hurricane Helene.
Clark did the calculations independently and said the 40 trillion gallon figure (151 trillion liters) is about right and, if anything, conservative. Maue said maybe 1 to 2 trillion more gallons of rain had fallen, much if it in Virginia, since his calculations.
Clark, who spends much of his work on issues of shrinking western water supplies, said to put the amount of rain in perspective, it’s more than twice the combined amount of water stored by two key Colorado River basin reservoirs: Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
Several meteorologists said this was a combination of two, maybe three storm systems. Before Helene struck, rain had fallen heavily for days because a low pressure system had “cut off” from the jet stream — which moves weather systems along west to east — and stalled over the Southeast. That funneled plenty of warm water from the Gulf of Mexico. And a storm that fell just short of named status parked along North Carolina’s Atlantic coast, dumping as much as 20 inches of rain, said North Carolina state climatologist Kathie Dello.
Then add Helene, one of the largest storms in the last couple decades and one that held plenty of rain because it was young and moved fast before it hit the Appalachians, said University of Albany hurricane expert Kristen Corbosiero.
“It was not just a perfect storm, but it was a combination of multiple storms that that led to the enormous amount of rain,” Maue said. “That collected at high elevation, we’re talking 3,000 to 6000 feet. And when you drop trillions of gallons on a mountain, that has to go down.”
The fact that these storms hit the mountains made everything worse, and not just because of runoff. The interaction between the mountains and the storm systems wrings more moisture out of the air, Clark, Maue and Corbosiero said.
North Carolina weather officials said their top measurement total was 31.33 inches in the tiny town of Busick. Mount Mitchell also got more than 2 feet of rainfall.
Before 2017’s Hurricane Harvey, “I said to our colleagues, you know, I never thought in my career that we would measure rainfall in feet,” Clark said. “And after Harvey, Florence, the more isolated events in eastern Kentucky, portions of South Dakota. We’re seeing events year in and year out where we are measuring rainfall in feet.”
Storms are getting wetter as the climate change s, said Corbosiero and Dello. A basic law of physics says the air holds nearly 4% more moisture for every degree Fahrenheit warmer (7% for every degree Celsius) and the world has warmed more than 2 degrees (1.2 degrees Celsius) since pre-industrial times.
Corbosiero said meteorologists are vigorously debating how much of Helene is due to worsening climate change and how much is random.
For Dello, the “fingerprints of climate change” were clear.
“We’ve seen tropical storm impacts in western North Carolina. But these storms are wetter and these storms are warmer. And there would have been a time when a tropical storm would have been heading toward North Carolina and would have caused some rain and some damage, but not apocalyptic destruction. ”
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Follow AP’s climate coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate
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Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears
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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
It’s a dinosaur that roamed Alberta’s badlands more than 70 million years ago, sporting a big, bumpy, bony head the size of a baby elephant.
On Wednesday, paleontologists near Grande Prairie pulled its 272-kilogram skull from the ground.
They call it “Big Sam.”
The adult Pachyrhinosaurus is the second plant-eating dinosaur to be unearthed from a dense bonebed belonging to a herd that died together on the edge of a valley that now sits 450 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.
It didn’t die alone.
“We have hundreds of juvenile bones in the bonebed, so we know that there are many babies and some adults among all of the big adults,” Emily Bamforth, a paleontologist with the nearby Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum, said in an interview on the way to the dig site.
She described the horned Pachyrhinosaurus as “the smaller, older cousin of the triceratops.”
“This species of dinosaur is endemic to the Grand Prairie area, so it’s found here and nowhere else in the world. They are … kind of about the size of an Indian elephant and a rhino,” she added.
The head alone, she said, is about the size of a baby elephant.
The discovery was a long time coming.
The bonebed was first discovered by a high school teacher out for a walk about 50 years ago. It took the teacher a decade to get anyone from southern Alberta to come to take a look.
“At the time, sort of in the ’70s and ’80s, paleontology in northern Alberta was virtually unknown,” said Bamforth.
When paleontogists eventually got to the site, Bamforth said, they learned “it’s actually one of the densest dinosaur bonebeds in North America.”
“It contains about 100 to 300 bones per square metre,” she said.
Paleontologists have been at the site sporadically ever since, combing through bones belonging to turtles, dinosaurs and lizards. Sixteen years ago, they discovered a large skull of an approximately 30-year-old Pachyrhinosaurus, which is now at the museum.
About a year ago, they found the second adult: Big Sam.
Bamforth said both dinosaurs are believed to have been the elders in the herd.
“Their distinguishing feature is that, instead of having a horn on their nose like a triceratops, they had this big, bony bump called a boss. And they have big, bony bumps over their eyes as well,” she said.
“It makes them look a little strange. It’s the one dinosaur that if you find it, it’s the only possible thing it can be.”
The genders of the two adults are unknown.
Bamforth said the extraction was difficult because Big Sam was intertwined in a cluster of about 300 other bones.
The skull was found upside down, “as if the animal was lying on its back,” but was well preserved, she said.
She said the excavation process involved putting plaster on the skull and wooden planks around if for stability. From there, it was lifted out — very carefully — with a crane, and was to be shipped on a trolley to the museum for study.
“I have extracted skulls in the past. This is probably the biggest one I’ve ever done though,” said Bamforth.
“It’s pretty exciting.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A rare Bronze-Era jar accidentally smashed by a 4-year-old visiting a museum was back on display Wednesday after restoration experts were able to carefully piece the artifact back together.
Last month, a family from northern Israel was visiting the museum when their youngest son tipped over the jar, which smashed into pieces.
Alex Geller, the boy’s father, said his son — the youngest of three — is exceptionally curious, and that the moment he heard the crash, “please let that not be my child” was the first thought that raced through his head.
The jar has been on display at the Hecht Museum in Haifa for 35 years. It was one of the only containers of its size and from that period still complete when it was discovered.
The Bronze Age jar is one of many artifacts exhibited out in the open, part of the Hecht Museum’s vision of letting visitors explore history without glass barriers, said Inbal Rivlin, the director of the museum, which is associated with Haifa University in northern Israel.
It was likely used to hold wine or oil, and dates back to between 2200 and 1500 B.C.
Rivlin and the museum decided to turn the moment, which captured international attention, into a teaching moment, inviting the Geller family back for a special visit and hands-on activity to illustrate the restoration process.
Rivlin added that the incident provided a welcome distraction from the ongoing war in Gaza. “Well, he’s just a kid. So I think that somehow it touches the heart of the people in Israel and around the world,“ said Rivlin.
Roee Shafir, a restoration expert at the museum, said the repairs would be fairly simple, as the pieces were from a single, complete jar. Archaeologists often face the more daunting task of sifting through piles of shards from multiple objects and trying to piece them together.
Experts used 3D technology, hi-resolution videos, and special glue to painstakingly reconstruct the large jar.
Less than two weeks after it broke, the jar went back on display at the museum. The gluing process left small hairline cracks, and a few pieces are missing, but the jar’s impressive size remains.
The only noticeable difference in the exhibit was a new sign reading “please don’t touch.”
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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