Cannondale Optima 1

[DanielOptima1]

Hi everyone. I'm currently looking at getting a Cannondale Optima 1 as it's at a good price in Evans. However I'm looking for decent mudguards for it, and the only ones the store reckon will fit on is the SKS Raceblades clip on ones. It looks to me as if I should be able to get decent mudguards on, that'll cover the wheel properly, but I was wondering if anyone else here with this bike has solved this problem?

I'll attach a couple of images of the bike if I can work out how, it's got some funky mounting points too

[DanielOptima1]

Here's some images on Imgur: https://imgur.com/a/Be3xE29

[Eyebrox]

The Optimo 1 does indeed look well-speced for the money, with admittedly a few money-saving components in the mix. The Raceblades are excellent and SKS offer extra bits and pieces in the pack of fittings. SJS have additional fittings if you need them. It is difficult to pair a bike up with a mudguard set until you've had a go at setting it all up. I have asked manufacturers, distributors and retailers for advice on suitable mudguards for specific bikes and they tend to offer advice only with much use of the word "should" in their responses. I install a lot of mudguards and rely on patience and precise planning to achieve a good fit. My Dremel is a necessity as is a big container of brackets, bolts and rubber washers from past jobs. It takes time and a lot of thought but the finished product, keeping the rider dry and protected (and no rattles!!) is so worthwhile. Best of luck.

[Brucey]

the frame has nice enough mounting points, but the clearance under the brakes [with those tyres] is still a bit tight for full mudguards. Raceblades might be a better idea; they will certainly be easier to fit.

[DanielOptima1]

I was looking at these (https://www.sks-germany.com/en/products ... ong-black/) as they seem to give a nice gap around the brakes. My current bike (a 2011 Carrera TDF) has full mudguards bodged onto it, and they do a pretty good job. But they've basically rusted into place now so it would be tricky to get them off. Also, the mounting points are on the inside which is a little unusual, I'm not sure if that'll affect the choice too

[Eyebrox]

I don't see any mounting holes on the fork or the seatstays.
In my opinion the fancier the fitting at the points where the guards squeeze through the frame at the braking points, the less chance of a successful job. You will need to check out if there's a hole at each of the bridges to attach a guard, preferably threaded ones. I have doubts about this if the bike itself doesn't have holes elsewhere for mudguard struts. Hard to see on promotional pictures.

[Brucey]

of those presently available those mudguards seem to be a good choice, for that bike.

[DanielOptima1]

They are there, low down on the inside of the forks, black on the front, red on the back. Have a look on my Imgur link. Bit difficult to see though. Probably 1-2 inches up from the bottom.

[DanielOptima1]

Those mudguards are rated for 20-25mm tyres, this bike has 25mm, which I would intend to stick with. 28mm seems too wide to me, feels like a mountain bike (I'm used to 23mm)

[Brucey]

yes I think that 28C tyres and mudguards would be really pushing it on that bike. If you are happy to stick with 25C tyres then I think it'll all work out fine.

[TrevA]

I’ve used Raceblade Long on a bike with tight clearances. They have little clips which fit under the brake and onto the brake bolts. The guards clip onto the clips. The coverage isn’t great between the rear brake and the seat tube, and they did eventually break after about 3-4 years, but they do give good coverage to the rear and for the front wheel. They also have clips which fit onto the quick release skewers, so will work on a frame with no mudguard eyes.

[DanielOptima1]

Just to update anyone else who has a similar issue, I ended up going for the Raceblade Long mudguards, the front fits quite well and was relatively easy to fit, but I did have to use the front wheel to attach it instead of the provided bolt holes. The front bit of the front mudguard does twang up and down a bit but it is a thin bit of plastic held in place by a thin bit of metal so to be expected. For the rear I had slightly more trouble, but managed to bodge it on. The small mudguard section on the rear is very twangy too, but I did use the long bracket when a short one would have done (something to fix at a later date). I'll put a bit of sticky foam on it so where it bangs into the frame it doesn't leave a mark and is quiet. The rear looks a bit awkward as the struts, especially the lower one, could do with being another inch or so longer, but the mudguard does the job. It still needs a little bit of fine tuning but I'm 95% of the way there. So to sum up, for anyone with a Cannondale Optima 1, yes you can use SKS Raceblade Long mudguards with it, providing you don't mind a bit of a hassle fitting them