Frame protection from "proper" mudguards

londoncommuter

Maybe an odd question but does anyone protect their frame or fork from rub caused by proper mudguards?

Nothing to do with the normal trauma of tyres rubbing on the guards or clip on mudguard rub!

I had a Kinesis Granfondo Ti which has full eyelets and long drop brakes and can fit 28c tyres with mudguards. I fitted SKS Chromplastics and they were great. No rub from the tyres and kept me nice and dry.

Despite being solidly attached at the brake bridges and eyelets, unnoticed, the guards themselves chewed up the inside of the fork and inside of the chainstay where they touched. I caught it fairly early on so no massive damage but this really surprised me as I didn't even consider that road vibration would cause any movement and rubbing.

Did I just install them badly or does anyone else have this? Do people use helicopter tape/frame protectors?

I'd be really interested if anyone with a Kinesis and P35 mudguards has checked for any damage.

fenix

Sounds like your guards are too wide for the frame ? Properly matched to a compatible frame and you won't get rub.

I'd probably be looking at Dremeling a bit of the guard away rather than let it rub.

londoncommuter

Fenix wrote:

Sounds like your guards are too wide for the frame ? Properly matched to a compatible frame and you won't get rub.

I'd probably be looking at Dremeling a bit of the guard away rather than let it rub.

They were the narrow version of SKS, the P35 which cover 20c-28c and Kinesis recommend them (although might stop now they produce their own!).

Should they not actually touch the inside of the forks or chainstay?

keef66

I've got the original alu Kinesis Racelight Tk on it's second set of Chromoplastics in 10 years. Recently noticed most of the aluminium rivets had dissolved, as they do, so the rear guard was no longer attached to the stays.

When I removed it to effect a repair I found a lot of white powdery stuff and blistering paint on the insides of the chainstays, almost certainly as a result of the accumulation of abrasive, salty crap in the space twixt chainstay and guard.
It can't have been moving very much; the guard itself is bolted directly to the chainstay bridge at that point, but it's obviously abraded the paint down to the metal and allowed corrosion to start.

I've taken a small wire brush to it, and removed all the white stuff and flaking paint. I'm no metallurgist but I think it's so far only a surface phenomenon. Soon find out if it's not as I plan to be riding it through the winter, but next year I'll strip it properly and try some kind of paintwork repair.

Etching primer for alu? Couple of coats of paint and a clearcoat. Then I think I'll try to fashion some kind of protection from old innertube or helicopter tape before reattaching the guard.

Suppose I should have a quick look at the front guard and the inside of the carbon fork...

ayjaycee

I use a Specialised Allez 2015 as my winter bike with a set of 'proper' mudguards. Fitting them required a bit of 'inventiveness' as the bike was never designed for them but I managed to get the job done eventually. My one complaint about the bike is that I think paint was mixed with butter before application as it seems to be so soft and easily damaged. That necessitated protecting the frame at all points where the guards have been attached (and where cables touch!) - I used helitape which did the job very well and has stayed on through all weathers.

svetty

Never noticed on my GF Ti but I have the V1. If no relative movement between guards and frame it's hard to see how there could be an issue - Ti should be hard enough that no major abrasion related damage accumulates.

londoncommuter

Svetty wrote:

Never noticed on my GF Ti but I have the V1. If no relative movement between guards and frame it's hard to see how there could be an issue - Ti should be hard enough that no major abrasion related damage accumulates.

I completely agree which is why it surprised me so much. All bolts were firmly done up but it still happened. No damage to the frame itself but the laquer and paint had completely gone on the forks and it was about to eat into the carbon and the black paint detail on the chainstay had come off.

Other than Keef66, has nobody else really had this? Have you checked or are in blissful ignorance......

Mine only came to light when the front guard failed after a very short time so needed replacing. It could have gone on for years otherwise.