Mudguard Fittings

[008]

Hi Fellow Cyclists

I recently bought a Sirrus Elite and want to fit some mudguards. Was thinking about full length mudguards using the mounting points on the bike rather than something like raceblades which attach to the fork/seat stay.

Just wondering whether a set of mudguards will come with all the correct screws/bolts/nuts etc? i.e. are the mounting points on all bikes a universal size? Or will I have to hunt around for the correct sized screws/bolts/nuts etc?

Hope this makes sense!

Thanks

 

[Tynan]

yes

the LBS mechanic told me that with a long suffering look when I went for a bolt that was 'the next size down'

you might have to use a longer bolt on one side if you have disc brakes

 

[John the Monkey]

Although occasionally you might need slightly longer bolts or some spacers - my SKS guards' bolts were too short at the front (slightly, because of the quick release fittings being quite wide) and a bit too long at the back (because the eyelets on the frame were fairly thin).

 

[HLaB]

When I fitted guards to my commuter I needed some slightly longer bolt and spacers but the lbs sorted me out.

 

[longers]

Hello 008, I got a a pair of full length mudguards for the very same bike last year. The mudguards (Tortec) should have had all the bolts but were missing the one that goes through the fork crown. I couldn't be bothered with going back into town for a single bolt and just fettled it with something I found somewhere else. This is not a slur on Tortec, just how it was. Everything else went on ok.

 

[fossyant]

Hence, when you have cycled as long as I have, save those serviceable bits and pieces, cos you never know..........

I kept some old freehub spacers - 1mm or so from years ago - never threw them away... got some new Aksiums (wheels) that unfortunately had lost the spacer for fitting an 8 speed setup - into the box of bits, and vola.......

Stripped an old Dura Ace hub recently to replace the cones and bearings in my commuter's Deore LX hubs...fixed..... !

 

[longers]

Hence, when you have cycled as long as I have, save those serviceable bits and pieces, cos you never know..........

Very sound advice. You normally find a use for them just after you get rid of them.

 

[Danny]

They should fit in theory. However my experience is that mudguards are designed to be fitted by people with an advanced degree in mechanical engineering.

If you haven't got one, wait until you are feeling very calm, set aside several hours, stop for regular tea breaks, and be prepared to employ your anglo-saxon vocabulary to its fullest.

Good luck

 

[008]

Thanks for the replies... so basically, a set of new mudguards may not come with the correct sized bolts for my bike. I think I'll make sure with the bike shop that I have all the correct bolts before buying and leaving the shop. I'm not very patient and would hate to have to return to the shop for 1 little bolt!!

Dannyg: They should fit in theory. However my experience is that mudguards are designed to be fitted by people with an advanced degree in mechanical engineering.

No wonder Evans Cycles want £12 per mudguard to fit them! The only reason I'm thinking of using Evans is that I've got some gift vouchers.

I went to my lbs last year to get some mudguards for my mtb, cheapy £10 Zefal ones, and they fitted them for free. When the bracket broke, they also replaced it for free. Hmmm... may just go back to lbs and get them from there, with my hard earned cash.

Cheers.

 

[shaun75]

I bought some SKS full guards from Wiggle last winter and complained when i couldnt find the pack of bolts in the huge Wiggle box. A few emails later and Wiggle had confirmed that they dont come with fixings. The bolts i ended up using were, i think, called 'M5' size.

 

[andy_wrx]

I fitted SKS guards to my wife's base-model Sirrus last year.

The instructions were missing.
There was a pack of bolts and fittings but the one to fit through the fork crown wasn't there so I had a rummage in the odds-and-sods bolts-washers-and-screws box to find one that fitted
And some of the brackets weren't quite the right shape so I ended-up bending them with pliers/molegrips/etc.

I had thought it would take perhaps an hour but it took all morning, although I could perhaps have done it a little bit quicker if I were less of a perfectionist.

So, perfectly do-able, but you need a bit of mechanical aptitude

 

[008]

SORTED!!

Went and bought some SKS full length mudguards from Evans at the weekend and they assured me the pack would contain the right bolts... and sure enough they did. That was probably the best bit of advice they've ever given me.

After a bit of effing and blinding, got it done in about 2 hours!! No thanks to the crappy instructions... or maybe it was just me!

Glad I did it myself... it wasn't rocket science, just a bit fiddly and a lot of patience needed... it also helps that all the bits and pieces were present and correct. That's another job I can tick off as being able to do!

 

[Paulus]

Well done 008. Next time you won't need any instructions and the job will be done in a fraction of the time. Experience is everything.

 

[Over The Hill]

I just got some winter road tyres for my Felt and found they would not fit with the poxy mud guards on so had to take the guards off.

 

[longers]

And some of the brackets weren't quite the right shape so I ended-up bending them with pliers/molegrips/etc.

I'd forgotten about having to do that bit , but figured that it was par for the course.