Hi, I'd just like to say how interesting and useful a read this was for someone in a similar situation with a 7.3 FX.

A bit of a newbie question, but would having only a 17.5" frame size and tyres with some tread make that clearance too little on 700c X 42? I was looking at Continental Contact Plus tyres.
Maybe those things don't affect the gaps but I wanted to make sure.