SKS Mudguards

[Monsieur Remings]

What a pile of shoot.

Seriously pissed off that after deciding to keep on a bike, when I could have sold it, to turn into a winter/trainer, that I bought this poop. A very demoralising experience but a quick trawl of the internet and it seems I'm not alone. There is no parts list, the instructions are crap (so much for German organisation) and there is no0 way in a million years that the stays are the right length leaving the guard uneven across its length.

Tomorrow, no doubt I will have to take a hacksaw and alter the length of the stays myself unless anyone has any bright ideas on how to get around the stays being too long...

?

 

[slowmotion]

SKS mudguard fitting is a bit of a black art. Some folks say that YouTube can help.
Oh yes, the SKS own instructions are utter shite

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

What a pile of shoot.

Seriously pissed off that after deciding to keep on a bike, when I could have sold it, to turn into a winter/trainer, that I bought this poop. A very demoralising experience but a quick trawl of the internet and it seems I'm not alone. There is no parts list, the instructions are crap (so much for German organisation) and there is no0 way in a million years that the stays are the right length leaving the guard uneven across its length.

Tomorrow, no doubt I will have to take a hacksaw and alter the length of the stays myself unless anyone has any bright ideas on how to get around the stays being too long...

?

it's perfectly normal for the stays to be cut. just use the cutting teeth on standard pliers, they're only mad of soft material.

 

[MattHB]

I fitted some Chromoplastic yesterday and yes, a pain to fir and don't use there instructions but they are brilliant! Exceptionally well made, high quality fittings. But you need to be very comfortable with a little bit of re-engineering if fixings on your bike aren't quite 'standard'. If you can't use a vice and a dremel, you'll struggle.
Edit: it does actually say to cut the stays btw.

 

[fossyant]

You don't need instructions to fit guards. Yes a bit fiddly, but got them on my bike and no trouble in 2.5 years of daily use.

I've cut the stays - either hacksaw or a very good cable cutter that has a spoke cutting edge (oh and strong hands).

 

[MattHB]

Dremel is your friend.

We're more than friends, I have a totally improper relationship with my dremel!

 

[PpPete]

Not owning a Dremel I have used a plumbers pipe cutter. Doesn't go all the way through, but sufficient to be able to snap off the excess length with pliers. Then a few seconds with a file to smooth & round off the end.

I have to say the first time I fitted a pair I found it a serious pain in the proverbial, but now I know what I'm up against it all seemed to go smoothly last time I fitted some.

Top tip:
Do not fit those little black plastic bits until after you have cut everything to right length.

 

[dodgy]

If the stays were cut to length already, there would be another thread filled with people ranting at SKS for not making the stays long enough.

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Okay thanks people, the other problem other than the stays is that the front looks, well, to put it bluntly bent and rubs against the tyre. I presume this means unbolt the caliper bolt again and somehow straighten it up....?

Christ, I thought it was just me. Glad that people think that once they're on they're worth it.

 

[Smokin Joe]

You always have to bend the stays a little to get even clearance with the tyre, it's easy enough to do. Why would anyone need instructions to fit mudguards? It's self explanatory, not rocket science.

Nowt wrong with SKS, they've sat trouble free on my winter bike for the last six years.

 

[Norm]

I think SKS guards are fantastic. It did take a few minutes (ok, about 30 minutes) one Christmas day a few years ago to work out what went where, and I don't think mine even came with instructions.

I love that the stays are made long enough to fit anything and can be cut to suit, so you can make them work to your own requirements - MTB wheels with 26x2" tyres and the fit is as perfect as 700x45's.

I also like that a few twirls of the tools and they can be removed or replaced with ease.

I've got them on my hack and my son's school bike, and I'm just about to pop down to my LBS and pick up a set for my Tricross.

 

[Globalti]

Just fitted a set to my Tricross disc, which took about an hour because I'm fussy and wanted to get the guards a constant distance away from the tyre all the way around. Also the disc brake calipers get in the way so I needed to dog-leg the LH stays. Then I chopped off the excess stay with an old cable cutting tool that got spark eroded when I cut through a mains cable that was still live (don'task!)

They look great now and don't rattle or rub at all. A nice free "sweetener" from the shop that sold me the Tricross.

 

[HLaB]

The only issue I have with SKS and I spoke to other's that have had similar problem is that on the roadbike they usually break but to SKS credit they have replaced mine gratis the twice it has happened. I prefer their more adjustable fitting on their wider guards though but I've not really had a problem fitting either type.

 

[Oddsos]

I agree on fitting mud guards being a black art. I normally have to do some serious mutilation to get them to fit as my winter bike is always my race bike from a few years back. I currently have SKS guards fitted to a Klein Q-Pro. Everything is held on with P clips and cable ties. A also needed to do a bit of drilling to get everything to fit tightly around the rear brake. The result is pretty ugly, but effective.

I have had varied experiences on SKS durability. Some guards seem to end up cracking after a couple of months. I assume this is a result of road vibration, muck and oil, cold weather and improvised mounting. Others have survived for years.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I had to trim the stays with a hacksaw and bend them about a bit to suit discs and a hub, but they were fine really and once done they stayed done. Lots of swearing saw me through - oh ****ing yes!