Adding an extra mud guard stay [Specialized AWOL]

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PaulSecteur

No longer a Specialized fanboy
Hi,

I have an AWOL that comes with steel mudguards. Generally, they are perfect and even better than SKS chromoplastics. However, this bike goes on the rougher trails and tow paths and sometimes the front guard (that has a mounting point at the fork crown and one stay at the bottom) will have a "boing" every now and then, due to the length that is un-supported.

If possible, I would like to add another stay. It cant be mounted from the same place as the lower stay as it would have to come up passed the BB7 - and I not man enough to bend stays this size! However the fork does have mount holes half way up for the front rack.

Is there any way of using these to mount another stay?

Are these stays available to buy?

Is it worth bothering with?
 

Gravity Aided

Legendary Member
Location
Land of Lincoln
The mid-fork braze-ons are for mounting a low rider pannier rack. If you had a longer bolt going into the bottom eyelet, you could put another stay on top of the first, attaching both with the same bolt. To add a stay, you may have to drill a hole in the fender and add another stay, sourced from wherever. I've never been in a position where I've needed that many stays on a front fender, you might pop around to the LBS and see if they might help you out. Not seeing the situation you have with the fender, it's hard to hazard a guess from here.
 
OP
OP
PaulSecteur

PaulSecteur

No longer a Specialized fanboy
I expected I would have to drill them to take a new stay, I can do that as I have had to take about 6 inches off the rear stay as I use the bike a lot on the local canals tow paths. These path have anti motorbike obstacles where you have to up-end the bike and walk it around, the full length rear was catching on the ground when I did this.

Adding a longer bolt wouldn't work as the stay is gripped by a P clamp, and needs the be fastened between the bolt head and the fork.

The picture below is how I think it would fit, is such a stay exists or could be made...

The red line is where the stay is now, the green one is where I would place the additional one.

awolstay_zpsa7a49877.jpg
 

Bodhbh

Guru
I'm not sure what you mean about the p-clip without photos - but I've used the rack mount before to mount mudguards and avoid fouling disc brakes. It seems fine tbh. In fact I wonder if the shorter stay length and the way they're angled make the whole setup more rigid. I've not had any problems with this even over rough stuff. I would give this a go as a looksee first - it might not work, but it's easy to test without splashing out.
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
I have SKS Chromoplastic guards and they are very good, the best on the market. I have a Specialized Sirrus Sport and from time to time ride on rougher terrain and I never experience the problems you now write about with your non SKS guards. My front SKS mudguard has two stays, as shown in your photo diagram - but the red and green lines both go to lower fork eyelet mount at the bottom where your red line attaches to the front fork. I haven't used the upper mount eyelet mid fork as this is for mounting a front low loader rack as your pic also shows and has already been stated above by some one else. I occasionally fit a Tubus Ergo low loader front rack to the front fork (like your low loader, but more bracing at the bottom) when I need to carry front panniers, but fitting/removal of this does not interfere with the mudguard. I fitted my SKS guards myself in less than 30 minutes. Strong, rigid and rattle free. Eazy peazy. Fit and forget.

I looked at the Spesh AWOL because of it's disc brakes, but wanted it frame only as I wanted to build one up with my own components and possibly using a hub gear but Specialised aren't doing a frame only option.
 
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