Rear fender install issues.

So I am trying to install these fenders on my wife’s Mixte and am looking for feedback on solving a clearance problem.

The front fender went in without much fiddling, but the rear fender is giving me some problems.

The problem is that there is very little clearance between the tire and the seat stay brake bridge – only about 7mm before installing the fender. Since this is a Mixte, this bridge does not carry the brakes (they are mounted on bridge between the stays running from the head tube to the rear drop out).

I reamed out the fender’s L-bracket with a dremel so that I can mount the fender as high a possible and did a little bit of fiddling to make the fender fit without rubbing, but it is just too close for comfort. If the smallest object gets in there or the fender settles a bit then it will surely rub.

Here are a couple of solutions I am considering. Let me know what you think.

Use a different tire: Right now the bike has 700c x 35 Paselas. If I move down to a 32’s, will that increase the clearance? I should probably switch to smaller tires anyway since there is very little tire clearance between the chain stays up by the bridge. Plenty of room in front of the tire, but not a lot between the stays. I am not sure if going to a 700c x 32 tire will increase the clearance.

More fiddling: The other idea is to cut out part of the fender so I can mount it a little higher. Using a dremel, I can cut out the part of the fender that bumps up against the bridge allowing the fender to be potentially mounted higher. I would then use something like a coated tube clamp or pipe hanger to mount the fender to the bridge. This seems like a lot of fiddling but is very doable for me. As an alternate to this method, I could dimple the fender rather than making the cut. Here is my simplified attempt to draw this set up (not e that this does not show the clamp).



Looking for feedback and/or other ideas.

Also, I have seen set ups where the fender has been cut in half at the bridge and mounted using an L-bracket on either side. This has never looked clean enough for me.

I'd start by dropping down to a 32mm tire before busting out the power tools.

+1, maybe even 30's

+2 for the change in tyres.
once you cut something there is no going back.

perhaps you could possibly, mount the rear fender above, mentioned bridge
and cut a gap in the sides of the fender.
so rather than go below the bridge
try up high?

pics of the actual bike may help
along with some mock ups of how you're thinking of mounting the fender.
fenders are almost always a trial and error method.

you could get some cheap plastic fenders, and experiment with cutting and mounting.

Alright, I hear a consensus will give the tire change a chance. I really should do it anyway given the tight clearance between the chain stays.

AsanaCycles, thanks for the idea. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to trim the edges and bring the fender down from the top. This would would make mounting the fender easier. The downside would be that I would be cutting the rolled edge of the fender and compromising its rigidity.


Terry
Seattle, WA

I did a Nexus 7 speed conversion to a Raleigh Mixte for my wife. I went w/32mm (700c) Schwalbe tires and full metal fenders. No problems. FWIW, I run fenders on most of my bikes and have found that for most older 27" wheeled, non- touring specific bikes, 32mm w/ (700c wheels) and fenders is about the max you can get away with. The one odd exception is my 1972 Schwinn Paramount which can easily run 35mm studded tires w/ full fenders. It was the "touring" verison so it probably has more clearance.

I also have had to trim metal fenders from VO to make them fit. Just make sure to file the edges after you trim them.

With a small L bracket you should be able to mount the fender right against the bridge, costing maybe 1-2mm of the 7mm clearance that you have. Would that be enough?

I've got a couple of pairs of plastic fenders, that i've cut up over the years.
they've become the "mock set up" pair.
that is... its the pair that i try out on any particular bike, then when i've got the set up exactly how i want it, ride around with it, etc... and work out all the bugs, then i buy a new set and make the mods

that way... the install is all nice and clean, no screw ups, etc...

as i've come to learn thru experience...
there are only a few basic methods to use.

now that the mock up set of fenders have been cut up a bunch of times, often they fit right into place on most bikes.

i just use planet bike plastic ones

its one of those things, that i've come to remember, that a lot of the time, especially as winter would settle in, that if i'm going to order fenders, with the large item shipping, its often a good idea to order two sets.

i've sold old fenders plenty of times on Craigslist, and often times, i get to sell an install job too.

its one of those things, that when you become familiar with it, it can pay... a little.

if you take this concept and apply it to your situation it will work without having to switch tires


https://www.bikecommuters.com/2008/06...hackliterally/

(oops sorry, i see you already know of this solution...)

you do not want that fender to catch and grab! it happened to me last weekend after i went up 1/4" on my rear tire, forgot to reset the fender and went and loaded 150lbs on the back... i hit a bad bump and ended up with a mangled fender (i use hardcore freddy fenders). remarkably i was able to bend everything back straight! i highly recommend them.

I say keep your tires and cut away at the fender.

Thats just me though, I don't like tossing perfectly good tires, and my fenders are used plastic ones so I have no qualms about chopping them up and making custom mounting brackets out of scrap metal... priority over savings and resources and utility than style and prettiness.

I've got a similar problem, when I moved from 23s to 28s my rear fender doesn't fit any more (even tho it's supposed to take 35s). I'm going to hack on it. I want a fender, but I want the wider tires just as much.

There's no reason you can't go over the bridge. I've done it before, it works great. Cutting the fender and using the brackets shown works too. If you have black plastic fenders you can fill in the open cracks with black tape and make it look ok.

There is a big difference between Pasela 35's and 32's. No one can know for sure if it is enough for your bike to fix the problem.

I had the same exact situation and I solved it by cutting out part of the fender.

I then made a clip that I pop riveted to the top of the fender, it goes over the seat stay bridge (not attached to it) to keep the fender up tight against the bridge.

You seem to just need like 2mm more clearance at the one seat stay bridge? Would it be an option to take a big hammer and hit it from inside to bend it a little?

I fixed the lower section of my SKS fenders to the chainstay bridge with a small hold and a small zip-tie. If your seatstay bridge lacks a brake hole you may be able to rig someting. Zip ties last for years in this role, longer than the steel brackets which seem to snap after 3-4 years.

If you want to buy new tires, have at it.

I like the way you're thinking with your sketch, but first maybe try losing the L clamp. If you just put two little holes in the fender and zip-tied through them and around the bridge (maybe with a rubber washer in btwn the fender and bridge to reduce rattle), you'd probably gain a few mm better than the L bracket, though less than the cutout scheme.

If you still have to cut out, I would look at dimpling the fenders before cutting them. I have VO fenders and needed to "shape" them a bit on my front fork to fully fit up into the bottom of the crown. It worked. You can always cut out the dimple if it still falls short and you have to go all the way to cutout or split the fender.

Did you solve your problem? How?

I haven't had a whole lot of time to fiddle with it. I have rigged something up but am still not completely satisfied.

I tossed the bridge that came with the fender as it was simply too bulky to be useful. I cut a hole in the fender and mounted an L bracket from below. Also,m using a mallet, I dimpled the part of the fender that hits the bridge.


It is still not quite snug enough against the bridge, so I will probably get the dremel out again and go back to my original plan of cutting out part of the fender the hits the bridge. I will have to fugure out how I am going to reuse the hole I drilled for the L bracket.

I will update once I have made progress. Thanks for the suggestions.