On Guard!

Finally the SKS Chromoplastic mudguards are fitted. After doing some research online to find out what were the guards to buy I settled on these at £26. I went for the P35 700c models to fit tyres up to 28mm, which I am running.

After mucho hassle & being messed about by Evans in MK, I managed to complete what should have been a simple task. It turned out to be a much bigger job than I figured.

I fitted the front guard first as one of the brackets for the rear was missing. They include a patented fitting that enables the guard to release from the fork dropout in the event of debris/road kill sticking to your tyre & catapulting you OTB.

This reminds me of when I was a kid, this shit bag who liked to try to bully me was charging around me on his bike so I rammed a stick through his front wheel & sent him flying a treat! totally ripped his spokes out haha!

That'll learn him....

Anyway back on track, the bracket which is revetted to the guard & bolts to the brake was completely incompatible with my brake & fork crown. I decided to drill the existing rivets out & re-bend the bracket & refit it. This was done without much hassle & once refitted it was in the correct position to allow the required adjustment. I also changed the hardware that the above mentioned quick releases used & went with some nice low profile dome-head stainless hardware & nylock nuts on the inside to prevent them rattling loose. The V shaped 3mm rod supports that fit to the quick releases needed cutting to length, so after a long winded measuring session (measure twice, cut once remember :-), they were fitted into the plastic covers & bolted down.

You make the final adjustments here & this was also quite time consuming getting the fore/aft & left to right distances bang on. This completed the front mudguard fitment.

So when I finally got the missing bracket & had all the parts, I was ready for the even bigger task of the rear one! First problem that was raised was the fitment at the BB Chain stay bridge. When the supplied bracket was fitted as suggested it was about 8mm out of line with the bridge so I knocked up some nylon spacers & new hardware to 'bridge the gap'

I had to do it this way as it was not possible to pull the guard up to the bridge & away from the tyre as there was just not enough space between the stays for the mudguard.

This problem solved, it was onto the elusive missing brake anchor bracket which, surprisingly, went on without too much fuss. This just left the V shaped 3mm rod supports which needed some work & cutting to get the correct fitment.

Once they had been installed in the same method as the front ones (only without the quick release brackets) the job was complete.

I think that this took in the region of about 8 hours total to complete but they are very sturdy & I like the low profile looks a lot. Thanks again to my Dad for the help & engineering expertise. Now all that remains is to ride the damn thing for the first time in weeks.

watch this space...