Mudguards

tywy

Ok so I'm an idiot :P I'm having trouble putting mudguards on my bike. I had the clip on mudguards but they kept breaking and swinging around and not protecting my backside from water, so I decided to go for a traditional set...ones that I've been told I can trust to work. The problem is I can't see where to put the fittings...I have a Specialized Sirrus and have bought a pair of standard "Viper" mudguards.

There is a metal fixing that I know from previous bikes I have to attach to the bike. I know there should be a hole in the bar above the brakes but the hole doesn't go all the way through on my bike and isn't horizontal, it's vertical if you know what I mean (back wheel). Also with the front of the bike the fixing won't fit, it doesn't seem to be able to go high enough for the two holes to align...I hope someone can help, I also I hope I've been clear enough, it's kinda hard to explain when you aren't pointing at the bike.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: They are kinda like this http://www.cyclexpress.co.uk/Products/Beavertail.aspx

blorg

The ones you linked to are snap-on mudgards, not "traditional" which also have struts that connect to holes on the frame near the hub.

If they are snap-ons it will probably make the process substantially easier if you first remove the mudguard from the metal bit, fit the metal bit on it's own, and then attach the mudgard to the bike.

I have snap-ons fitted on my own Sirrus no problem. Another possible problem is that you are trying to fit them the wrong way around?

EDIT: Correction, rubadub is correct, slide-ons not snap ons.

rubadub

There are snap-ons, slide ons, and fixed ones (traditional). The snap ons need no fixtures at all, usually the plastic snaps onto the tubes, easily broken. In the link you must screw on the metal to the frame, then they can be slided on and off. (snap ons have no fixture when not on the bike).

It seems you may have to fashion and extra bracket so it can screw down your vertical hole, then attach the metal bracket to this. If you get some mechano or something you could bend it. DO NOT DRILL YOUR FRAME!

tywy

I didn't drill the frame :P that bike cost too much!

I just kinda adapted the mudguard slightly but now the brake cable is kinda tight against the mudguard fitting...

blorg

I had a look at my own bike as I too have a Sirrus and you may just have the wrong sort of brackets. Did you buy them in a bike shop or over the internet or something? If the former they should sort you out with the right sort of brackets. Here are mine (hope you can make it out with all the muck; you can see the rear one is just a straight piece of metal):



EDIT: I have cantilever brakes now as I swapped my handlebars for drops but had these same mudguards with the stock brakes before and no problems (your ones do look substantially wider however.)

tywy

you see the way for your back wheel you have a hole the whole way through, I don't...that's what's making it a tight fit

blorg

That is strange as I have the same model bike. They could have changed the design between years but I would imagine they would keep it so that mudguards could be easily fitted; the Sirrus is the sort of bike I would imagine a lot of people would buy for commuting.

Regarding the brake cable, possibly the mudgards are just a bit too wide for the bike? The ones I got on the Sirrus are pretty thin (have wider ones on a Dawes Discovery 201.) Of course the thinner they are the worse they work!

tywy

it's not the width of the mudguard it's the height of the fixing...so the metal fixing is touching the the "clasp" for the V brake...

I dunno if I'm explaining this right at all...