LittlePixel

Ok so the summer's over and I'm going to need some protection on the UsefulBike™ (Aka the Mercton) from the salty muck on the roads. I don't want to fit the big Brompton mudguards because they are too big for my skinny tyres/rims and are silver rather than my preference which is black.

Anyone got any leads on such a teeny-tiny skinny lightweight mudguard (fender).
Ideally I'd like a pair like the ones fitted to the Bridgestone Moulton, in a 349 size.
Anyone? Bueller?



PS. I was musing about the idea of cutting my 349 Stelvios to shape and turning those into 'invisible' guards like on this Vanwall replica. Thoughts? Could work. Could look terrible too...haha

rhm

Ideas? Hmmm... well, okay, here's an idea.

Did you ever make a lamp shade out of tissue paper and white glue molded over a balloon? You use a lot of tissue and a lot of glue, and it takes a long time to dry; eventually you pop the balloon and the tissue holds its shape.

My idea is to do something similar using polyurethane for glue and some sort of fabric mesh. Carbon fiber, fiberglass, nylon, I don't know what. Tissue paper would probably work as well. Use an inner tube for a mold. You'd probably need some kind of separating agent between the inner tube and the glue.

Let me know if you try it, I'm kinda curious if it works!

LittlePixel

It's an interesting proposition and one that I think would work well as long as you get a nice smooth finish so it compliments the bike.

I actually hacked up a tyre last night for a prototype of the VanwallSolution™ and just need to finish fabricating the little brackets (an Illy coffee tin seems the right sort of gauge!) and see if it fits ok. It may need a spine of wire - may not - hard to tell at this point. I fear this prototype may be too skinny but if it works I may try it afresh with some other wider tyres and better materials all round.
Watch this space!

Dynocoaster 

I just took the fenders , mudguards off of my new Piccolo.

bromptonS8

Another approach - I used some self-adhesive vinyl for the fenders of my Brompton. It came from the leftover roll ends at a local exhibit fabrication company. It is the sort of material that is used for custom outdoor signage. There are hundreds of colors available, including basic black. The vinyl stretches and conforms well to the fenders (a bit of heat from a hair dryer helps). So far, it has been very durable.

jur

You could use almost any strip of plastic (or wood if you steam bend it) and fix it with stays. I'm thinking of plastic like Lexan or polycarbonate or even PET bottle material, if you can get a long enough flat strip. It will be very light. Width could be quite narrow as water is thrown off the center of the tyre only.

ricebean

I believe you would be able to make a fairly nice fender out of fiberglass, if you are adverturous you could even mold in some type of headlight. If you would choose to use fiberglass I would suggest covering an old tire such as your stelvios with aluminum foil, (acts as a releasing agent) and go to town. there are plenty of youtube tutorials showing this type of fabrication. The downside to this would be that you would have to buy extra materials, ie. paint, sand paper, etc... but with a little effort i think it would produce the best end product, although a lexan fender with L.E.D.s and a little scuffing would make for a great stealth tail light.
Regardless of the route you choose good luck, and please post pics your creation.

rhm

I had another idea, and am wondering what experience or prognostication any of our experts can offer.
Would I be able to take a fender designed for a large wheel, such as this one:

and reshape the plastic a little to reduce the diameter to fit a 20" wheel? I'm thinking, wrap it around a 20" or 22" rim, and apply a little heat, perhaps? How crazy am I to think about this?

bykerouac

Hey LP, why not use your Brompton fenders, but trim them down to size with a Dremel? They have all the existing hardware that will make mounting easier than any mod. You can paint it b;ack, or use vinyly stickers as BromptonS8 suggested. You can even get tape with a carbon look at Ebay or auto shops.

LittlePixel

Yet more good ideas - thanks people!...
I'm taking a break from work next week so should get some time to try different options...

But accentuating the curve on a skinny big guard might be a good direction - maybe with a paint-stripping heat-gun or something (and a jig)
h

rhm

Yes, I too was thinking a heat gun would do the trick. What works with one kind of plastic may be a disaster with another, of course.

I wouldn't rule out the idea of cutting a fender down a little, either. Not with a free hand dremel, too hard to control; but perhaps you can make a jig and use the dremel like a table saw. I'd also try a hand plane, or perhaps even something like a potato peeler that would let you take take off a thin shaving of material in one steady motion (repeat as necessary).

bykerouac

Yeah a Dremel might not work too good here, except for buffing the edge for finishing. I looked at my B's fenders and they look like plastic. A good pair of kitchen shears or tin snips may do the trick.

Alternatively, you may also look at the Strida fenders. They look minimalist and come in different colors, and it may be easy to mod them into place.