Adding mudguards to suspension forks

[Shoogle]

I wanted to fix mudguards to my hardtail mountain bike but as there was no fixings, I drilled through the fork to make a fixing and used all round band to fix lower down on the forks. I'm always checking for cracks in the fork U-bit but so far it seems OK. Do you think I've weakened the fork enough to worry about?

[Edwards]

Some forks come with that hole already drilled. If at the back of the casting there is a raised circular part and the drilled hole was in this, then I would not worry.
Even if that was not there I would not be overly concerned provided the hole had no ragged edges.

[Ayesha]

Wrap tape round the fork before you fix a metal band on.

[pete75]

When I saw the title I thought this was a thread about the effete individuals who rode around on girly Lambrettas and Vespas rather than manly, Tritons, Bonnevilles and Goldstars.

[thirdcrank]

I don't know the answer, but with anything like this, it's best to ask questions first and shoot later. Once you have started worrying, nobody will be able to reassure you, especially on bumpy terrain.

(Incidentally, I thought this was a addressed to a chap with two traffic cones on his head. )

[cycleruk]

If the brace did snap it wouldn't be catastrophic.
The wheel spindle would hold the forks but I wouldn't be doing wheelies if it did go.

[DaveP]

I'd be more worried about using a fairly close fitting mudguard with knobbly tyres.Theres is a risk of picking up foreign bodies on the treads which can lock the wheel when they reach the guard. This used to be a commonplace caution.
I note that you seem to have safety release fittings on your stays. I dont think that would change my attitude, but then I do tend to be over cautious at times Think about it and make up your own mind!

[phil parker]

Personally, I don't think you've weakened the fork enough to be concerned about, however, it is a good thing if you check the area on an occasional basis. I think the brace should easily be strong enough to take an additional hole and the mudguard isn't really load-bearing enough to put it under stress. Without offending you, you did deburr the hole?

A friend of mine has recently put mudguards on his mountain bike similar to your set-up at the lower end but drilled the mudguard and used Tie-wraps over the brace (it looks neater than it sounds). His main concern was the gap between lower clip and the disc brake.

[Shoogle]

To Phil Parker. I don't think I did deburr the hole. Why?

[Brucey]

sharp edge is where a crack might start; a small radius at the end of the hole may be a good idea. Hindsight is brilliant (and a bit useless sometimes) but FWIW I think the zip tie solution may have been a better idea than drilling the hole.

BTW I would be concerned about corrosion; fork lowers are often made of Mg ally and this corrodes like fury as soon as the coating is breached. Winter road salt especially wreaks havoc...

cheers

[phil parker]

It is an engineering practice that is considered very important to reduce the possibilities of cracks or other faults emanating from the hole.

If I were you I would consider removing the bolt and deburring the hole to a smooth finish for peace of mind.

[Shoogle]

OK, I will. Thanks

[Valbrona]

A close-fitting full length mudguard on a suspension fork with knobbly tyres ... will get you killed.

[cycleruk]

With a little bit of "engineering" the guard could be positioned over the top of the brace.
The stays look like there is some length left to allow the guard to be moved back a bit.

[7_lives_left]

When I saw the title I thought this was a thread about the effete individuals who rode around on girly Lambrettas and Vespas rather than manly, Tritons, Bonnevilles and Goldstars.

There is a certain Mr B Wiggins who might be upset at such talk. He's a bit bolshi, he gave a rocket in reply to a question by a certain American journalist. Although he doesn't currently use a Lambretta, as that would count as mechanical doping. Did anyone else note the red white and blue roundels he had on his helmet last night?