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Mtbtomo. I hope you like it. I use mine all year round. Great bike.
If you don't like it, you can blame mboy because he recommended it to me.
Yeah, I read a review that said it was flexy under power but so far its felt the best of a few disc bikes I've previously tried.
I just need to see if I can change the freestroke on the brakes.
Got it for less than half rrp, so I'm very happy so far!
Fast. Light. Comfy. Tough.
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Sadly not sold any more. 🙁
Fast. Light. Comfy. Tough.
Racey? 😉
Fast. Light. Comfy. Tough.
😀
Reeling them in! 😉
And this was going to be my winter bike until I found the Avro...
I dropped the bike into Halfords (I know....) as I didn't have patience to do the front mudguard.
They have called to say the bluemel doesn't fit on the front with the 28mm tyre fitted due to limited space at the top of the fork.
Is anybody running a similar set up...? Pretty sure it should Just fit.
It looks like there's space
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Although it's often recommended that a certain amount of space is left between the tyre and the guard to prevent stones from getting stuck. I always ignore this, but perhaps Halfords aren't prepared to?
Blimey, your definition of 'space for a mudguard' and mine are somewhat different!
Thought the Optimo was designed to take mudguards. Don't think there's much more space on my Saracen
Blimey, your definition of 'space for a mudguard' and mine are somewhat different!
There's either space, or there's not. Looking at that image, there's space.
Unless you're the sort of chump who fits a guard like this.
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Would never trust a shop to do a good job TBH.
For mine they were saying the bolt that goes through the fork crown doesn't go low enough on the brace. I suggested they file it down so it would sit slightly higher but they weren't interested/able to do so.
Unless you're the sort of chump who fits a guard like this.
Doesn't look too dissimilar to my efforts 😉
(That is pretty poor effort though, especially for a fancy photo.)
For mine they were saying the bolt that goes through the fork crown doesn't go low enough on the brace. I suggested they file it down so it would sit slightly higher but they weren't interested/able to do so.
Sounds about right, probably one of the trickiest mechanic-ing jobs to properly on a bike.
Doesn't look too dissimilar to my efforts
😀 TBF it can take a few hours to fit them properly.
Seven hours later.....
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For mine they were saying the bolt that goes through the fork crown doesn't go low enough on the brace. I suggested they file it down so it would sit slightly higher but they weren't interested/able to do so.
For the SKS they should definitely do two versions (or have an adapter). One for normal brakes and another for long drop, with the normal one having a bracket that somehow goes over the top of the calliper so you can make use of all the space under the calliper. Though TBH it's not hard to dremel the current mount to fit.
That's the plan, I'm short on power tools but have sourced a dremel for the weekend, I think. Failing that I'll dig the files out...!
I run 25mm schwalbe one tyres with mudguards on mine with plenty of space. My lbs set up an Avro with 28mm schwalbe one tyres on wide rims with mudguards. It's tight but works fine.
The mudguards needed a bit of engineering to fit snuggly but that's the service you get when you go to a quality lbs. Halfords is not a quality lbs imho. Can't you take it somewhere else If you don't have the time yourself?
28mm tyres and mudguards on my Avro just fine. Needed a bit of modification to the mounting clips on the guards due to the close proximity of the hole in the fork crown to the frame downtube.
Doesn't look too dissimilar to my efforts
Time for some show and tell 🙂
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Mine looks pretty rubbish TBH, but it's just too tight under the brake and if I try and follow the line of the wheel all the way round the guard is stuck hard against the wheel in the 12 o clock position, so you end up with a hump that no amount of dremeling will fix.
😆
you could fit a bus through there!
I know, it’s awful 🙂 Is about the only way it’ll fit though.
I do wonder if it’s possible to fit guards and 25mm tyres on a frame not made for long drop and not have it look crap.
Mine looks pretty rubbish TBH, but it's just too tight under the brake and if I try and follow the line of the wheel all the way round the guard is stuck hard against the wheel in the 12 o clock position, so you end up with a hump that no amount of dremeling will fix.
That does seem rather, well, 'blobby' 😉
Seriously, though, a combination of sliding the upper bracket forward on the guard a few millimetres, and reducing the length of the wires stays (well, moving the guard further down the stays) should improve things.
Have you tried rotating the metal struts counter-clockwise (towards the brake caliper)?
It may then catch at the 3 oclockish position, but you could just chop the end off and install a mud flap instead.
Got sent this the other day, a mates newly fitted out commuter, looks like he's having the same issues 😀
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Seriously though... it doesn’t 🙂 That really is as good as it gets on that frame.
At least my front guard looks ok! Does the equilibrium not have long drops?
Edit...
Have you tried rotating the metal struts counter-clockwise (towards the brake caliper)?
Yes but with the position of the brake, the seat tube and the bridge, that’s as good as it gets.
Loosen all four bolts on the wire stays, then manipulate the guard to a shape that is (more) parallel to the wheel, then get somebody else to tighten them up while you hold the guard still.
belugabob, thanks for the advice but don’t bother, that really is as good as it gets. If I do as you advise then the guard will be hard up against the wheel.
Btw despite the evidence in that photo I’m not completely incompetent and can fit guards properly 🙂 It’s more an illustration of how some frames just don’t accommodate them that well, and throw in bigger than anticipated tyres then it ends up looking like a dogs dinner.
Yes but with the position of the brake, the seat tube and the bridge, that’s as good as it gets.
Try some different guards? Looks like it's a problem with SKS!
Does the equilibrium not have long drops?
I think he just filed the bottoms out of his Apex calipers, although it should have a bit more space I reckon. Can't remember mine looking like that when I had one.
Mine were just about ok!
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Try some different guards? Looks like it's a problem with SKS!
I’m not that bothered about it as they work just fine. Though when I do eventually change the frame it will be for one that can properly accommodate decent sized tyres and guards.
Edit... thinking about it, what I probably should do is stick some spacers between the chainstay bridge and the guard so the distance between guard and tyre at the chainstay is the same as at the seatstay, allowing the curve of the wheel to be better followed, but there is little room down there and i’ve already had to make some mods. Though it’d probably fill up with road muck pretty quick. Might have a play with it next time it’s all clean.