Thanks to all for the feedback. Sounds like I should skip the cleat movement idea :-)

In answer to one of the questions early on: I have 700c wheels, with tires marked 28 x 1 3/8 x 1 5/8, so perhaps a bit larger than some hybrid tires? I think they're nominally 37s?

The fenders should be appropriate (ordered by my very competent LBS - same one that sold me the bike), and they seem to fit quite nicely - everything looks right in terms of fit and orientation. The excess stay length is definitely less than 2 inches, and probably just over 1 (I haven't measured). As to the need for better mud flaps -- I'm really a fair weather bicycle commuter, but because one can never really predict the weather, and because I ride some unpaved sections, I have to deal with puddles and excess mud/dirt even on nice days. So, fenders seem like a good idea, though I think I'll be okay with the short/narrow MFs that came standard. If not, I'll follow the advice for extending them

My first couple of strikes were very tight turns -- the kind that I occasionally strike the front tire (I probably should have anticipated the issue, huh?) But the last one (and the hardest) was a pretty ordinary turn. The bend was just the end of the stay where it goes into the 'grippy thing' ;-)

It sounds like I need to cut down the excess stay length, at the very least. Good thing I have a dremel.