Installing Fenders on an MTB

Now that the Principia MAC SL has had front and rear racks installed, it was time to move on to fenders. It would seem that any serious touring or commuting bicycle would be incomplete without a set of mudguards. But how does one fit mudguards to a mountain bike without a single eyelet?

Well, it turns out that Tubus, the folks who make excellent racks, makes a bunch of clamps in different diameters an of 3 different types. So I measured my SID fork, chainstay, seatstay and seatstay bridge diameters and bought a bunch of these clamps. And though I really liked the Gilles Berthoud fenders, the SKS P65 seemed the best bet in terms of cost and fitting hardware.



This first attachment point was the easiest. The SID arch is predrilled with a hole of the right diameter and SKS provide a L-bracket tab with a slot. The supplied bolt and nut fits nicely and is of sufficient length. I wasn't sure if Berthoud fenders come with L-brackets or only a hole for a daruma bolt. That would not have fitted the SID arch. The SKS fits perfectly here.



Tubus LM-BF clamps provide attachment points on the lower fork stanchions for the fender struts. I had to remove the plastic clips fitted to the front struts. Used the washers and bolts that came with the clamps. These bolts have a low profile head. Thread the bolts into the clamp eyelets so that the bolt head is on the side facing the fork.

To be continued...