Seatstay bridge mudguard mount

kingofthetailwind
kingofthetailwind Posts: 575
in Workshop
Hi, just bought a Vitus Razor Disc. Intending to fit full mudguards, but the mounting bolt for the rear guard is on the underside of the seatstay bridge, not on the back of it as you would expect. So the standard SKS bracket will not fit.

Could drill a hole in the guard and mount it that way, but would prefer not to bodge it.

Is there an adaptor for this situation? Or another brand that suits this bike better?

Comments

  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,828
    Can you possibly bend the mudguard mount 90 degrees so it fits? That's what I had to do with my Kinesis one.

    TBH if you don't mind drilling the guard it probably will provide the tidiest solution.
  • mercia_man
    mercia_man Posts: 1,431
    Direct attachment is more secure in my view than the SKS bendy piece of metal which wraps round the guard. It lasts longer and doesn’t rattle like brackets which are normally the first thing to break over time. High end custom touring frames, like my Alves, often feature direct mount mudguards. To mount the guard, I make sure it is located equally around tyre and then pierce the guard with an awl or knife point, just enough for the bolt to squeeze through. I use a washer either side to stop it pulling through. One less thing to rattle or snap.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,330
    Issue with that is the mudguard will be miles from the tyre at that point and the whole thing will look like a bodge.

    Whatever you do with an SKS mudguard it will break eventually at that point. Best advice is to duct tape the area before putting the clamp on. I had the same issue with the orientation and just found a small 90 degree bracket in B&Q.
  • mercia_man
    mercia_man Posts: 1,431
    First.Aspect said:

    Issue with that is the mudguard will be miles from the tyre at that point and the whole thing will look like a bodge.

    Whatever you do with an SKS mudguard it will break eventually at that point. Best advice is to duct tape the area before putting the clamp on. I had the same issue with the orientation and just found a small 90 degree bracket in B&Q.

    It doesn’t look like a bodge on my bike. The guard is equidistant all the way round the tyre. But then my frame was designed to fit a certain sized tyre with direct fit guards. Obviously if the seat bridge is really high, perhaps to give clearance for big volume tyres, you might need a tube spacer to bring the guard closer to the tyre. I’ve seen such spacers on many bikes. Direct mount mudguards are often an upgrade option on custom frames - and worth it in my view. Some custom frames, such as my friend’s Longstaff, also have direct guard mounts under the fork crown to get rid of the front bracket. I’ve never had a guard break on a direct mount fixing. All my guards have eventually gone over the years on the riveted brackets where the reflector is mounted on the rear and where the mud flap is mounted on the front.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,330
    Fair enough. I'd have needed about a 5cm spacer on mine.

    The rest was more me criticising SKS than anything else. I have aluminium guards of the rain bike now that are brilliant. The extruded plastic ones also last.

    The foil and cling film laminate that SKS use, not so much. Perhaps it is the bumpy Scottish roads. Who knows.
  • kingofthetailwind
    kingofthetailwind Posts: 575
    Thanks guys, lots of good advice here. Mercia_Man, when you say direct mount guards, is there a type that are designed for this type of bridge?
  • womack
    womack Posts: 566
    I had the same, drilled hole in mudguard, bolt up through guard, plastic spacer and then into stay. Never had a problem with it.
  • mercia_man
    mercia_man Posts: 1,431
    kingofthetailwind said:

    Thanks guys, lots of good advice here. Mercia_Man, when you say direct mount guards, is there a type that are designed for this type of bridge?

    I’m not aware of a specific direct mount guard. I’ve always used standard SKS chromoplastic or Bluemels and discarded the thin metal mounting brackets for seat stay and chain stay bridges. I’ve never had a guard split or crack in the 30 years I’ve used this frame for loaded touring at home and abroad - just failures on the riveted brackets on the lower stays. Direct mounting is stiffer and definitely reduces annoying rattles.

  • kingofthetailwind
    kingofthetailwind Posts: 575
    Cool, thanks all

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