Comments on: Installing full fenders http://fourwhitefeet.com/2010/05/installing-full-fenders/ a dog is one of the remaining reasons why some people can be persuaded to go for a walk. ~o.a. battista Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:07:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: cathy http://fourwhitefeet.com/2010/05/installing-full-fenders/comment-page-1/#comment-715 cathy Sat, 03 Jul 2010 10:10:14 +0000 http://fourwhitefeet.com/?p=1296#comment-715 William, I purchased thin rubber washers at Home Depot. They're much bigger in diameter than needed, about 1-1/4". William, I purchased thin rubber washers at Home Depot. They’re much bigger in diameter than needed, about 1-1/4″.

]]> By: William http://fourwhitefeet.com/2010/05/installing-full-fenders/comment-page-1/#comment-713 William Sat, 03 Jul 2010 02:50:30 +0000 http://fourwhitefeet.com/?p=1296#comment-713 Oh Gawd....I stumbled across this looking for a solution to my VO 37mm fender-fit-problem. I too have omitted the steel washer under the fork crown, dimpled it under the caliper, cut the daruma bolt, ground the nut to less than half the height and it STILL is rubbing w/ 25mm tires ! So now I'm looking for a thinner rubber washer in hope I can get the clearance. All told, I have likely spent 10 or more hours trying to fit these fenders, and I am still working on the front ! Nice to know that it's not just me.... Oh Gawd….I stumbled across this looking for a solution to my VO 37mm fender-fit-problem. I too have omitted the steel washer under the fork crown, dimpled it under the caliper, cut the daruma bolt, ground the nut to less than half the height and it STILL is rubbing w/ 25mm tires ! So now I’m looking for a thinner rubber washer in hope I can get the clearance. All told, I have likely spent 10 or more hours trying to fit these fenders, and I am still working on the front ! Nice to know that it’s not just me….

]]> By: cathy http://fourwhitefeet.com/2010/05/installing-full-fenders/comment-page-1/#comment-678 cathy Mon, 31 May 2010 04:31:47 +0000 http://fourwhitefeet.com/?p=1296#comment-678 Steve, thanks for adding your tips! I would have guessed that it would be easier to install fenders on your 56cm Rivendell than my 51cm Vitus, but it sounds like you had to do even more modifications. Steve, thanks for adding your tips! I would have guessed that it would be easier to install fenders on your 56cm Rivendell than my 51cm Vitus, but it sounds like you had to do even more modifications.

]]> By: Steve http://fourwhitefeet.com/2010/05/installing-full-fenders/comment-page-1/#comment-677 Steve Mon, 31 May 2010 02:17:31 +0000 http://fourwhitefeet.com/?p=1296#comment-677 Ditto here: the VO 37mm polished alloy fenders required a lot of work on my 56cm Rivendell Rambouillet with 27mm Ruffy Tuffy tires. Modifications required: 1. The Daruma bolt had to be cut down about 1cm to fit the tire clearance. I replaced the thick VO rubber washer with one about 1/3 the thickness and eliminated the leather washer beneath. 2. I also cut down the nut, slicing off the locknut portion and using Loctite Red to secure it to the Daruma bolt. Lots of Dremel work on the front end and laborious fitting: install, measure, remove, cut, reinstall etc.. 3. I had to dimple the fender where the Shimano brake caliper is mounted so it cleared the tire. I used a narrow piece of wood and hammered a perpendicular dimple across the fender to match the caliper. 4. I had to spread the front fender width to get it to clear the tire, using the handle of a hammer that was just wider than the fender inside width and pushing this down into the fender concave to widen it. Note that the VO fender has a rather thick rolled edge on each side that further reduces clearance. 5. Lots of fiddling with the stay length and the mounting position. I ended up brute-forcing the front of the fender, slightly bending it up to clear the top of the tire. 6. The rear fender was easy in comparison, although you need to squeeze the stay mount bracket ends to get them clear of the tire. Use long needle nosed pliers. All this effort was due in part to the limited front fender clearance on my 56cm Rivendell frame (my old SKS 35mm fenders likewise just barely fit) and the narrow inside width of the VO fenders themselves. Depending on the frame, I think that the "fits 27mm tire" spec might be a little high: it looks more like a 25mm tire would be maximum. I did not buy a wider fender because I was unsure of brake caliper clearance. Once I started banging away, I was committed: no returns! In retrospect I should have bought the 43mm Honjos. After all this, though, I ended up with fenders that fit, don't touch the tires, have adequate clearance, and are very tight to minimize air drag. I did polish them up even more using jeweler's rouge and a muslin buffing wheel. I can now see my teeth in them. Protected them with 3M car wax and they look brilliant. Ditto here: the VO 37mm polished alloy fenders required a lot of work on my 56cm Rivendell Rambouillet with 27mm Ruffy Tuffy tires. Modifications required:
1. The Daruma bolt had to be cut down about 1cm to fit the tire clearance. I replaced the thick VO rubber washer with one about 1/3 the thickness and eliminated the leather washer beneath.
2. I also cut down the nut, slicing off the locknut portion and using Loctite Red to secure it to the Daruma bolt. Lots of Dremel work on the front end and laborious fitting: install, measure, remove, cut, reinstall etc..
3. I had to dimple the fender where the Shimano brake caliper is mounted so it cleared the tire. I used a narrow piece of wood and hammered a perpendicular dimple across the fender to match the caliper.
4. I had to spread the front fender width to get it to clear the tire, using the handle of a hammer that was just wider than the fender inside width and pushing this down into the fender concave to widen it. Note that the VO fender has a rather thick rolled edge on each side that further reduces clearance.
5. Lots of fiddling with the stay length and the mounting position. I ended up brute-forcing the front of the fender, slightly bending it up to clear the top of the tire.
6. The rear fender was easy in comparison, although you need to squeeze the stay mount bracket ends to get them clear of the tire. Use long needle nosed pliers.
All this effort was due in part to the limited front fender clearance on my 56cm Rivendell frame (my old SKS 35mm fenders likewise just barely fit) and the narrow inside width of the VO fenders themselves.

Depending on the frame, I think that the “fits 27mm tire” spec might be a little high: it looks more like a 25mm tire would be maximum. I did not buy a wider fender because I was unsure of brake caliper clearance. Once I started banging away, I was committed: no returns! In retrospect I should have bought the 43mm Honjos. After all this, though, I ended up with fenders that fit, don’t touch the tires, have adequate clearance, and are very tight to minimize air drag.

I did polish them up even more using jeweler’s rouge and a muslin buffing wheel. I can now see my teeth in them. Protected them with 3M car wax and they look brilliant.

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