Cycling UK Forum

The SKS mudguard clip that bolts to the seat stay bridge on my Trek 520 kept breaking where the tab bends up to bolt to the bridge. In desperation I ran a zip tie between the broken clip and the mudguard and then round the bridge. Since then I've done 1000s of miles and it's held up just dandy. I still have yet another replacement clip in it's plastic bag. I came across it today which prompted this post. Should my zip tie break it'll be a lot cheaper and easier to fix than replacing the SS bridge.
Has anyone else used a bodge that turned out better than the original?

Hi,
Might be the bracket is poor.
I find that you need to bend the thing so it fits perfect before you tighten it up, if there is any bending stress when bolted the thing will snap, sandwiched by washers too
Some plastic / rubber washers to cushion it will help, assuming that the brake is not mounted there as well?

Nothing wrong with cable ties for such, always carry some.

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
Might be the bracket is poor.
I find that you need to bend the thing so it fits perfect before you tighten it up, if there is any bending stress when bolted the thing will snap, sandwiched by washers too
Some plastic / rubber washers to cushion it will help, assuming that the brake is not mounted there as well?

Nothing wrong with cable ties for such, always carry some.

You could well be right. Had enough faffing; I'll stick with the zip tie.

Pete Jack wrote:The SKS mudguard clip that bolts to the seat stay bridge on my Trek 520 kept breaking where the tab bends up to bolt to the bridge. In desperation I ran a zip tie between the broken clip and the mudguard and then round the bridge. Since then I've done 1000s of miles and it's held up just dandy. I still have yet another replacement clip in it's plastic bag. I came across it today which prompted this post. Should my zip tie break it'll be a lot cheaper and easier to fix than replacing the SS bridge.
Has anyone else used a bodge that turned out better than the original?

The moulded in frame thread for the forward end of my winter mudguard on my Roubaix sl4 was poor so I riveted the mudguard to the threaded hole in the frame. When the winter ends and I want to remove it I drill off the top very gently. I suppose I could commission some expensive carbon expert to mould in a new female thread... But sod it. I've got thousands of rivets in the shed!


I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly bog brush using hovercraft full of eels

I have a rear SKS mudguard on one of my bikes where I had the misfortune of a stick carrying round in my wheel which ripped out the rivets fastening the stays to it. This is now fastened with a little bit of fairly fine wire twisted and crossed over the guard and round the edge of the bridge. I have a spare mudguard but this has worked well for many miles now. Not so sure this is better than original but it works as well.

I have a front deraillieur that got bent and mangled when a broken chain ( Shimano - never again, two in one month) picked it up bent it and broke one of the parrellelogram hinges. I was a long way between places in the mountains at the time. I reformed it with a pair of pliers and fixed the hinge with a piece of copper wire that some kind telephone engineers had discarded. completely as a get me home measure. I have another deraillieur to fit but this has now done thousands of miles and is probably stronger than the original hinge.

Pete Jack wrote:The SKS mudguard clip that bolts to the seat stay bridge on my Trek 520 kept breaking where the tab bends up to bolt to the bridge. In desperation I ran a zip tie between the broken clip and the mudguard and then round the bridge. Since then I've done 1000s of miles and it's held up just dandy. I still have yet another replacement clip in it's plastic bag. I came across it today which prompted this post. Should my zip tie break it'll be a lot cheaper and easier to fix than replacing the SS bridge.
Has anyone else used a bodge that turned out better than the original?

The pound shop zip-tie has earned its place in my tool-kit. I carried out a similar "temporary" repair a couple of years ago, the mudguard has remained solid and rattle-free. For appearance's sake I chose zip-ties which matched the bike