Help,

Trying to fit SKS narrow guards to a Cannondale Synapse (that has the required eyelets / mounts on the fork / rear). They don’t want to go on. When I screw the top of the front guard to the fork it sits about right but the stays that go down to the bottom of the fork are way out, pulling them into position warps the guard way out of shape. Not even tried the rear yet!

Has anyone had similar issues and won?

I had similar issues and threw them away and bought a bike with proper mounts for full guards… expensive but effective solution!

odd … those stays are fully adjustable so shouldn’t pull
the guard out of shape !

I take it you’ve tried squeezing each leg of the stay together so the ‘v’ shape between them gets smaller?

I bought the SKS cromoplast recently for my Kona Phd. I had to fit new P2 forks with lugs and greater clearance around the tyre

I thought they fitted really well and were a pleasure to install. I managed to get the guards very concentric to the wheel and they look and work great. Not sure if they fit by the same method as yours though. The stays had to be shortened to get the fit right, as directed in the installation instructions.

Yep have the on my Boardman Hybrid.
Fit very well despite having the mod the front mounts to clear the calliper mounts.

therevokid – Member
odd … those stays are fully adjustable so shouldn’t pull
the guard out of shape !

No mention of that in the instructions or obvious way of doing it but I’ll go back in for round two and see how I get on.

I should add that you should be squeezing the legs of the stays together before inserting into the guard.

No obvious ways of bending thin metal rod?

You realise the stays need to be cut to length?

I’ve got some and they’re great. Really easy to fit.

Remember that once they’re fitted you can make minor adjustments by unscrewing the allen bolt that holds the SS rods in place near the axle. This allows you to adjust the mudguard up, down, left and right just enough to get everything pretty much parallel to the wheel.

I’m not convinced everyone is discussing the same model of SKS guards.

I think the OP has these?

Those stays are different to the Cromoplast ones that I have.

My point exactly

Oh they do look a nightmare to fit properly. Sorry if I’ve given you duff advice 😕

ah right, I’m talking about these

Edit: had a look at the sks website and the version scotroutes has shown is 26″ only, so don’t think its them

Aye – we really need the OP to re-appear and clarify.

Hi all, it’s the ones as posted by Gary M.

I have got the front on now after a bit of bodging. There is a little plastic cover over the top of the stay that limits the extent that you can adjust without cutting. I resorted to cutting this cover with scissors instead of shortening the stay and it’s on now although it was a massive pain in the ass trying to line everything up. I had tried bending but the force required just made the clamps pop off.

I will tackle the rear latter as this looks really tight around the chain stay. I’m on an XL bike and these are supposed to go up to 28mm tyres although I will have minimal clearance on 23mm.

In summary these are, and will continue to be, a pain in the ass.

There is a little plastic cover over the top of the stay that limits the extent that you can adjust without cutting. I resorted to cutting this cover with scissors

gah!

you’re supposed to cut the stays to length as required!

The plastic cap is there to provide a less pointy-outy bit and cap the stay (although you should also file the end of the stay smootha fter cutting).

these are supposed to go up to 28mm tyres although I will have minimal clearance on 23mm

tyre clearance will be dictated by the frame clearances, not the guards, the fact they will go up to 28’s is just that they are wide enough to accommodate them, but not if there’s no room in the frame.

In summary these are, and will continue to be, a pain in the ass.

SKS Chromo’s/Blumels are some of the best out there, they’re rock solid when fitted and can be adjusted to fit almost any shape of bike as long as it has mounts, they’re not even that tricky (just a bit time consuming) to set up if you know what you’re doing. I hate to say it but this sounds like a massive case of operator error.

If you were/are local (Exeter) would happily give you a hand?

Take some Jaffa cakes to your LBS and they might fit them for you 😉

Try Google?

Take some Jaffa cakes to your LBS and they might fit them for you

I’d want a lot more than Jaffa Cakes for fitting a set of SKS guards. I’d at least need a cup of tea to go with them.

There is a little plastic cover over the top of the stay that limits the extent that you can adjust without cutting

Did you read the instruction 🙂

I will tackle the rear latter as this looks really tight around the chain stay. I’m on an XL bike and these are supposed to go up to 28mm tyres although I will have minimal clearance on 23mm.

I’ve fitted a few sets to my commuter, takes a bit of time to get right but I think you’re doing something fundamentally wrong here.

Thanks. I know they are the best bet as I did my research and to be honest there’s not much choice out there but I still reckon they’re a pain in the ass.

It might be my ham fisted spannering or just a poor fit to my frame but the fiddly bolts that pop off have really boiled my piss. There is plenty of scope to improve that bit of the design.

Edit, yes no mention of cutting anything – just some pics of basic assembly and the suggestion to assemble first then fit to bike.

I assembled – It didn’t fit by a long way so I disassembled, consulted internet, bodged, reassembled, fitted, conquered. Returned to internet for patronising.

mmm its odd there’s no mention of cutting the stays. I use sks longboards and I’m sure it says ‘cut stays to length’.

As well as cutting the stays, I had to bend the front ones so they fitted the top ok, otherwise they were going in at a strange angle and wouldn’t fit properly.

The back went on a doddle

(This was the wide ones on an Arkose)

I have got the front on now after a bit of bodging. There is a little plastic cover over the top of the stay that limits the extent that you can adjust without cutting. I resorted to cutting this cover with scissors instead of shortening the stay and it’s on now although it was a massive pain in the ass trying to line everything up.

Line everything up without fitting the plastic caps, mark the cutting point on the stays (so they stick out just enough to fit into the cap), cut to length and re-assemble with the caps in place.

I use old cable cutters and brute force. Wear eye protection.

Like Ranos says, or leave the plastic caps off, once the stays are cut to the correct length, cut the cap part of the plastic cover that goes behind the nut, and put the cap on the end of the stay

I use old cable cutters and brute force. Wear eye protection.

I use an angle grinder, much quicker, plus lots of sparks 🙂

Like Ranos says, or leave the plastic caps off, once the stays are cut to the correct length, cut the cap part of the plastic cover that goes behind the nut, and put the cap on the end of the stay

Yep, the older models were designed to be fitted that way (just a rubber cap, no plastic part), but the caps used to fall off with monotonous regularity. I’d recommend a dab of glue or sealant.

I use an angle grinder, much quicker, plus lots of sparks

Wish I’d thought of that when looking for a reason to buy a grinder in the Aldi sale!

I had not expected to need an angle grinder but I can see how this would do the job.

Bolt cutters are the easiest and quickest way to cut the stays

I put my stays in a vice and used a large hacksaw. Less faff than getting out the dremel or angle grinder. Plus less likely to annoy my neighbours (as I was doing it quite late at night)

There’s a reason bike shops charge an hours labour to fit these.

Yes you’ll probably have to cut the stays (I use a junior hacksaw). The rest is just trial and error till they fit. Good thing is that once fitted they don’t tend to need re-adjusting.

Once you get the hang of SKS, you can progress to Giles Berthoud guards. Set aside two hours and drill very, very carefully.

SKS Chromo’s/Blumels are some of the best out there, they’re rock solid when fitted

I wouldn’t say rock solid, the awful roads around me destroyed the rivets on the front guard, the ones that sit just above the mud flap. So I fixed them with some nuts & bolts, then super glued for good measure. Then this morning noticed that the seatstay bridge support has failed due to fatigue.

They do a good job of protecting you from water and muck, and on smooth roads would be fine, but on awful UK roads IME they suffer from fatigue failures at the fittings. To be fair to SKS I’m not sure any other brand or style would have survived either.

That is unusually disappointing dragon, I’ve seen decade old sets that are good as new (if filthy)! They’re certainly normally sturdier than a lot of other guards out there.

they suffer from fatigue failures at the fittings

As you say, so will most guards eventually. Have you tried using rubber washers (or old innertube at a push) on the frame mounting points (stays and bridges), can work wonders to dampen the vibrations they suffer.

I got taken out by a car last weekend, folded back wheel, bent bars, exploded shifter and various scuffs on the bike, the chromos were bent to buggery and wedged and twisted good and proper by the back wheel but have all pinged back and good as new now 🙂

Cheers good tip that, will try it and hopefully it will help.

Ouch hope you are doing okay, sounds nasty.

surprisingly yes I am, bumps scrapes and bruises only so got off lightly all things considered, did get a inside tour of the ambulance though 😀