Cross bike question?

[Broom Wagon]

I keep looking at cross bikes with a view of buying one (though I'm probably kidding myself when there are children to be fed, clothed and kept in electronic gaming devices) but the ones I'm looking at come with mudguard clearance and mounting points but hang on if I fitted mudguards wouldn't that stop riding off road because mud would get jammed between the wheels and mudguards all the time. Am I right in thinking that you can only really use mudguards on a cross bike if most on the time you intend to be on the road - which defeats the point.

[Rob]

http://www.screwfix.com/c/tools/hex-key-sets/cat831016

[Broom Wagon]

Too subtle for me Rob.

I think I've realised the answer to my question anyway - you can't use full mudguards for proper off road. The clearance and mounting points are for buyers who might just have the one bike - cross bike when they want it as that or change the tyres and fit full mudguards and it becomes a winter training bike - fair enough.

[Rob]

I think that whether you fit guards or not, you need a fair bit of mud-clearance.

[Broom Wagon]

GCN'S Commuter Challenge – What's The Best Way To…: http://youtu.be/gNzTeEzciec

This seems to answer all my cross bike/mudguards questions - at the end of the clip anyway.