Mudguards

I’m just in the process of fitting some VO aluminium guards. As with my old plastic guards, the cable and boot on the v-brake are rubbing on the top of the guard. Not a huge problem but it makes the brakes not feel great and sometimes they don’t spring back nicely.

I’m wondering what the best way to make a small dent/notch in them to clear the cable is?

I asked a similar question recently, and @MisterMikkel suggested using a wooden former or a sandbag below the guard and tapping or clamping a dowel above it to make the indentation across the guard. Thread is here: https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/127708/?offset=5925#comment17559950.

Drill a hole and mount a proper flap. The flaps from Raw come with a little sticker jig, it's really simple!

https://rawmudflap.uk/

I fitted a set of sks edge the other day like the ones in your photo.
I made a flap with a square cutout that matches the hole in the guard where the plastic clip holds the stay in place and fitted the flap in place of the rubber grommet bit.
it all works very nicely.

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I'm wanting to add some Ass Saver type fenders to my Grvl bike, looking at the mudder mini and big bender

After a brief fling going guard-free (always wear protection, kids), I think these are here to stay. Just need to get a better spacer now.

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I'd go mudder mini and win wing

I just picked up a Genesis Croix de Fer 20, 2017. It has full length SKS mudguards fitted by the previous owner, and 35mm tyres, but the fit is tight.

I'd like to try some 38mm tyres (probably can't go much wider as it's an older frame) which means I'll have to remove the SKS full mudguards.

What might be some other good options, please, which still allow the full tyre clearance of the frame and fork?

No fenders at all

Can anyone recommend permanent mudguards for very tight clearances? Even better if they come in silver/chrome.

🥲 This is true.

Was my thinking, thanks

Raceblade Longs do come in silver, but whether you can find them in stock anywhere is another matter altogether...

https://www.certini.co.uk/accessories/mudguard/sks-raceblade-long-mudguard-silver__26641

How tight? Bluemels are reasonably good at being squeezed into gaps, or if you don't mind spending a bit more, Velo Orange/Honjo metal guards can be massaged and shaped to work around tight corners under the fork crown and so forth. See some of the previous posts for ideas!

What might be some other good options

Assuming you want to keep the frame, in order of sensibleness:

1. Do nothing.
   
2. Take the frame to a frame builder to modify.
   
   
   

Seriously. Everything else is chucking time and money down the toilet for a sub-optimal solution.

Isn't is possible to crimp metal guards where the frame is tight, as opposed to crimping the frame? but maybe 38c and guards is fantasy, no idea how much clearance a 2017 Croix de Fer has.

Also a diy option

https://youtu.be/oNX90sKhg0Q?si=Emjv44r4BeJpBK7W

Maybe, but my bet is that you're still going to struggle with clearance at the chainstays. Idk about honjos or other alu ones, but GB aren't thinner than sks. I guess cutting the existing guards after the seat stay bridge would be an option. Or maybe even cutting the equivalent sections out of the sks guards to test it first? Or maybe cutting the seat stay bridge out?

TBH it sounds easier to get a new frame:

1. Spend £60-100 on 38mm tyres
   
2. Spend £60-80 on metal mudguards and hope that crimping or whatever works
   
3. Spend £60-80 again on replacement metal mudguards because you didn't crimp properly and introduced stress risers into the last set.
   
   

... for 3mm gain?

... for 3mm gain?

You'd be amazed what some people would pay for a 3mm gain

I had a similar issue & ended up building a 27.5 wheelset with some spare hubs & cheap rims. Could fit 1.9" tyres where the 700c was limited to 35c as the chainstay narrowed in quite a bit towards the BB junction but had more space further back. Would picking up a cheap 650c/27.5" wheelset with tyres work & having a 700c set for smooth road rides / 650c for everything else?

Desperately needed flaps on my new bike. State of that downtube.

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£2.99, a plastic notebook cover, a pair of scissors and 20 minutes later. This bike is getting uglier by the day.

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FYI Giro in Esher have a few of those Curve Relaxle's in stock if anyone else wants to fit a mudguard to a racing fork without eyelets.

So just to explain a bit more clearly:

I'm not set on upgrading for the 3mm difference, but just for better quality tyres. The Kenda Flintridge Sports it comes with apparently aren't great. I like the look of the Vredestein Aventura, and it comes in 38 or 44, and 44 won't fit, hence 38.

A 40mm would squeeze into this frame but I don't want to risk damaging it, so will try 38. I measured about 1cm clearance either side at the closest point, with the current 35 tyres, so should be about 8.5mm with 38mm.

The other option is the seemingly very popular Schwalbe G-One Allround, which does come in 35mm. Might get that later on - Want to try the Aventura first.

Not interested in modifying the frame in any way, or replacing it. Got a great deal, and would like to use it.

I found some options, although they might be a tight fit (I measured about 60mm space between the seat stays and fork, at the top edge of the tyre, but the Topeak says it needs 70mm):

https://www.topeak.com/global/en/product/1557-TETRAFENDER-G1-&-G2-SET

https://www.sks-germany.com/en/products/speedrocker/

A good idea but keen to just use the one set of wheels and not need to swap them out. Mudguards aren't super important, just wanted to explore options.