Mudguard clearance...how much?

[Crepello]

You'll probably find that on a frame that is supposed to have mudguards fitted, the chainstay bridge, rear brake bridge and forks will be positioned so that when the mudguards are fitted close to the metalwork, there is an appropriate gap to the tyre.

If only that were true though. There must be many bikes sold with mudguard fittings but little space to fit guards comfortably. It's the mark of a good frame builder when they can provide sensible clearance together with larger tyre widths. This is one area that can be easily over-looked when buying a bike or frame, especially audax and winter trainer types.

 

[jimboalee]

I've got a Roadrace bike in my shed which has mudguard eyes on the dropouts and fork ends. It has clearances to fit mudguards.
Believe it or not, the Peugeot Pro team in the sixties went winter training with mudguards fitted.

 

[jimboalee]

I got my Dawes Giro 500 out today. It has SKS chromoplastic mudguards on it. I stood and looked at it for a few seconds and then remembered I shortened the rear mudguard because I considered it too long at the rear.

Then it came to me that when the mudguards were new and unaltered, they covered over half of the tyre's circumference. This means SKS formed the mudguards at a specific radius to suit a 700C size wheel.

What were SKS thinking of? Don't they know some cyclists like the mudguards close up to the tyre.

On my Dawes, there is a mounting bridge between the chainstays with a threaded hole for mounting the mudguard. That sets the mudguard at a distance from the tyre, take 0.5 mm if you put a washer in. The mudguard then continues round the tyre concentrically until the gap at the top and gap at the rear is the same as the gap at the front !!

How about that.

Don't blame me, blame SKS and Dawes' frame designer.