I know I shouldn't rant, but sometimes I get so fed up with poor products and services it makes me really mad. Most of the time I can let smaller items wash over, but sometimes I just have to stand back and state how terrible some of these products and services are. I will be posting this complaint to the company via E-mail and will be posting the same on my website and will update if I get any response from the manufacturer.
The item in discussion is a new set of mudguards purchased for my wife's brand new Islabike. It sunny outside and it seems a good a time as any in fitting the newly acquired mudguards from the manufacturer SKS-Germany. I am an intelligent chap and I can build the Ikea wardrobe or Argos special bookcase with the best of them and a set of mudguards seem easy in comparison. Unfortunately it seems not to be so, I knew I should have got them fitted when I purchased the new bike but that would have meant waiting another few weeks as Islabikes were out of stock of the said items.
First instruction ASSEMBLING
Open the polybag containing the fittings and check all parts are complete. To simplify the procedure prepare the stays first.
I have three poly bags, but that's not an issue as long as all the parts are there. Unfortunately looking on both sides of the instructions and on the cardboard packaging there is no sign of a parts list anywhere. So what am I supposed to check against to confirm that all parts are complete and accounted for? Should I know the parts list or do I have to obtain it from somewhere else?
Ok so leap of faith or a complete idiot, assume all the parts are there.
Next Instruction ASSEMBLING THE FRONT MUDGUARD
Insert endcap (1) into the fixed bridge, pass the stay (3) through hole in bolt (2) and push into the endcap (1) tighten with nut (4) as shown in Pic A.
Its a good diagram and I manage to get this part of the assembly correct, See I knew I could read these things. So what's the next instruction?
The SECU-Clip (5) should be fixed with the enclosed screws (6) to the frame eyes. Now I have 5 x 12mm screws and 3 x 25mm screws and 1 x 45mm screw. By deduction it's not going to be the 45mm screw as I only have one of them so it must be a toss up between the 12mm which gives me 2mm of thread on the fork as the SECU clips are 10mm thick or the 25mm that just about misses the wheel spokes when tightened up. From the look of picture B on the instruction sheet it seems I would be better to go with the smaller 12mm screws, even though they are not cross heads like shown in the picture. Perhaps I am missing the correct screws? Damn if only I had that parts list or there was a better idea on how long screw 6 should be. Lets keep to the descision and move onto the next instruction and hope I have picked the correct screw...
The prepared mudguard should then be clipped into the SECU-Clip (Pic C).
They seem to have done that for me already so should I have taken off the SECU-Clips from the Stays first before fitting? Lets leave it as Job done and go on.Bolt the front mudguard shackle with the enclosed screw to the break bolt. (Pic D) Now I didn't mention but I also have 3 x washers and can only assume that these go with the 3 x 25mm screws and must be for the rear mudguard fitting and so I am left with the single 45mm screw along with 5 x lock nuts. maybe the 5th one is a spare or it will come in useful somewhere else?
The picture shows an exploded diagram of the bolted shackle and it seems the bolt goes in the front of the forks and the nut goes at the back with the shackle bracket.What's next?Make the adjustment for the perfect fit (Pic E) So it seems that I must move the spokes and mudguard so I can get a perfect symmetrical gap between the mudguard and tyre. This does not seem right I have a reasonable gap between the top where the shackle is connected to the forks and some play, but the bit down by the pedal is sticking out a mile and touching the pedals
with no enough adjustment at all. Maybe I have missed something but I don't think so. maybe the final instruction will help 
Secure in place by tightening the nuts (4) on the bolts (2). The protruding stay can either be cut off or fitted with an end cap. What
, but they told me to fit the end caps first.... 
So the stays are too long and need to be adjusted to the correct length? The end caps don't have a hole in the top to allow for adjustment that way so maybe I need to fit without the end caps first to find out how long my stays should be?So it's a job of completely dismantling the mudguard again and removing the end caps they told me to fit in the first place, which are now a bugger to get off and I have ended up scratching the plastic to bits as the fitted shackles acts a tiny mandolins shaving chunks of plastic off on the process.
For what should have been a simple job turns out to be a frustrating waste of time as I have no junior hacksaw with me in the camper van on our very nice camp site and will have to wait till I have the correct tools. Why do these people not give a bike a set of mudguards and this lousy instruction sheet to one of their finance directors or the receptionist and get them to fit the damn things
. It may show them how poor the instruction sheets actually are and how negatively this simple bit of paper reflects on what maybe a decent product. It maybe but I for one would shy away from these accessories in future, unless I was getting someone else to fit them of course. But then again if you are working with bikes every day then who needs instruction sheets anyway.Now I have removed everything from the bike now the chance of a picture, showing the efforts of the instruction sheet in fitting mudguards maybe slim. But it maybe worth my time just to rebuild again what the instruction sheet told me to do so you can see the result. Instead I thought I would spend my time in writing this little blog and letting everyone know of my frustrations and to say it has helped in making me feel better anyway.
Time for a beer I guess, Now where are the instructions for opening this damn bottle
