Installing full length mudguards on a Trek Domane

Ok, this may seem boring to most, especially those without a Domane or not in the market for one. However when I was trying to find info on fitting guards for my Domane I couldn't find any, so thought this may help some?

So I have a Domane 4.5 with standard 6800 11spd Ultegra spec and 25mm Bontrager AW3s and low end Shimano brake calipers.

I started by removing the small grub screws in the forks and the rear chain stays. Pretty easy with a 4mm Allen key, they can be a little stiff but come out in the end. Then you have to install the small lugs that came with the frame that are the mountings for the mud guard eyes.





I used the Bontrager NSC full length guards, these are grat guards, very similar in construction to the SKS thermoplastic, however there is no cutting required to adjust the length of the stays. hence the No Cut Systems (NCS)

The other great little extra that makes installing the guards easy if the fact the brake caliper bolt is actually threaded on the inside. This basically means you don't have to remove the caliper itself to set the mounting bracket between the caliper and the frame / fork. The bracket simply screws in the back of the caliper and the rear frame.

So to install the front and back it literally took me about 10 mins. The calipers are standard alloy dual pivot, they have loads of clearance so there was no unwanted rubbing, even when hammering it out the saddle. Great, you think, all done.

However, there lies the issue, the brakes are toilet, really flexy and no bite at all. So taking advantage of the CRC 10% off this week I ordered a set of new dual pivot Ultegra 6800 calipers. Delivered this morning I decided to swap them out and see how I they were.

Swapping the calipers is relatively easy, however the big issue is that the 6800's are a lot more substantial than the original brakes and there is a lot more metal, therefore the fit between the guards and the 25mm AW3s is very tight. You can, by moving the rear elongated bracket up and down, get it to a position whereby there is no rubbing at all.

However after a little test ride earlier, when you get out the saddle the front tyre does rub on the guard, a little frustrating for me as I hate a vocal bike, I tired messing around trying to reposition the guard but no joy. One easy solution I think would be to try 23mm tyres, I'm sure this will resolve the rubbing. Also I might swap out some 6700 calipers I have to see if it still rubs.