Fitting Gilles Berthoud 700c * 60 Mudguards to a Surly Ogre
Posted: 22 May 2013, 3:35pm
After fitting Schwalbe 28 * 2.0 Marathon XR tyres to my Surly Ogre I needed to change the mudguards because the SKS ones fitted, which were already the widest SKS available, were not wide enough for 2" tyres. There seems very little choice of full mudguards to choose from in this size and having heard about the Gilles Berthoud mudguards elsewhere on this Forum I decided to fit these.
Gilles Berthoud make a wide range of stainless steel mudguards but the ones I needed are their 700c * 60mm which cost €38 a pair. These claim to come with all the necessary hardware - but they don't. In order to get these mudguards to fit on my bike I also needed 3 brackets, Gilles Berthoud Part No 219KIT103. I used 3 as I also made use of a convenient fixing point on the rear rack but if you have a different rack to mine you would only need 2. Given the cost they charge for postage it is important to order all you need in one go which is why I am posting this information. The mudguards can be found on the GB website if you select FENDERS/STAINLESS STEEL.
The almost finished result. The "almost" is because I am not entirely happy with the bodge job on the front mudguard below the headset. It works but is not quite strong enough for my liking.
The front mudguard sits quite close to the tyre, especially at the rear. It was originally stood a little distance off but my toe hit the mudguards when turning corners so was moved closer to the tyre and therefore further away from my foot. This also reminds me to tidy up the wiring.
These fittings come with the mudguards if you order the version with "hardware". The stainless steel stays need to be cut to length. They could be fitted the other way up so the stay passes over the top of the axle but the stay was then in danger of fouling the BB7 brakes on the other side of the forks.
This is the 219KIT103 bracket you need to order as an extra. The mudguards come pre-drilled for the stays but two holes need to be drilled in the centre of the mudguard for this bracket. The hexagonal "extension" comes with the bracket. I am not sure it is essential but it does serve to push the mudguard further forward. A stainless steel 50 * M6 bolt was also needed to go through the forks. The black coloured strap is a bit found in my parts box. Without it the mudguard would be too high off the tyre - so this is one bit you need which Gilles Berthoud do not supply. The brackets can be found on the GB website under FENDERS/FENDER STAYS and are at the top of the list which then appears.
The rear mudguard is also fitted close to the tyre except at the rear where it needs to be stood off in order to allow the wheel to be removed. The Ogre has horizontal "dropouts" so there needs to be room to slide the wheel far enough back to free it from the frame.
The rear stays were quite tricky to fit. It would be easier to use the threaded hole to the lower right of the one currently being used but this only works on the right hand side of the frame, on the left hand side this fixing point is not available due to the mounting of the Rohloff. To allow the stay to pass over the lower rack mounting point the black plastic fitting is packed out with brass washers underneath it.
The rear mudguard comes pre-drilled with a hole in the right place for the front mounting. The screw and packing pieces were again supplied by me as they do not come with the mudguards.
Another bracket is needed for the mounting where rim brakes would normally be fitted.
The Tortec rack had another conveniently placed mounting point I could use for a second bracket on the rear mudguard. This also stops the mudguard rubbing at this point. Different racks may not offer this but the combination of the two brackets and the front mounting bolt held the mudguard so firmly I could probably have got away without the stay.
Summary: You will need to order extra bits from Gilles Berthoud to fit these mudguards and you will still need to rummage in your parts bin for a few other items but once fitted they seem quite rigid and hopefully should stay in place. I needed extra washers and used brass ones as that was all I had available. I will change them to stainless steel in due course.
The Schwalbe 28 * 2.0 Marathon XR tyres are new to the UK market. There is a wide range of knobbly MTB tyres available for wheels this size but the choice of 2.0" tyres suitable for road use was very limited to non-existent until these became available. Initial impressions are they ride well and are comfortable over potholes etc.
Gilles Berthoud make a wide range of stainless steel mudguards but the ones I needed are their 700c * 60mm which cost €38 a pair. These claim to come with all the necessary hardware - but they don't. In order to get these mudguards to fit on my bike I also needed 3 brackets, Gilles Berthoud Part No 219KIT103. I used 3 as I also made use of a convenient fixing point on the rear rack but if you have a different rack to mine you would only need 2. Given the cost they charge for postage it is important to order all you need in one go which is why I am posting this information. The mudguards can be found on the GB website if you select FENDERS/STAINLESS STEEL.
The almost finished result. The "almost" is because I am not entirely happy with the bodge job on the front mudguard below the headset. It works but is not quite strong enough for my liking.
The front mudguard sits quite close to the tyre, especially at the rear. It was originally stood a little distance off but my toe hit the mudguards when turning corners so was moved closer to the tyre and therefore further away from my foot. This also reminds me to tidy up the wiring.
These fittings come with the mudguards if you order the version with "hardware". The stainless steel stays need to be cut to length. They could be fitted the other way up so the stay passes over the top of the axle but the stay was then in danger of fouling the BB7 brakes on the other side of the forks.
This is the 219KIT103 bracket you need to order as an extra. The mudguards come pre-drilled for the stays but two holes need to be drilled in the centre of the mudguard for this bracket. The hexagonal "extension" comes with the bracket. I am not sure it is essential but it does serve to push the mudguard further forward. A stainless steel 50 * M6 bolt was also needed to go through the forks. The black coloured strap is a bit found in my parts box. Without it the mudguard would be too high off the tyre - so this is one bit you need which Gilles Berthoud do not supply. The brackets can be found on the GB website under FENDERS/FENDER STAYS and are at the top of the list which then appears.
The rear mudguard is also fitted close to the tyre except at the rear where it needs to be stood off in order to allow the wheel to be removed. The Ogre has horizontal "dropouts" so there needs to be room to slide the wheel far enough back to free it from the frame.
The rear stays were quite tricky to fit. It would be easier to use the threaded hole to the lower right of the one currently being used but this only works on the right hand side of the frame, on the left hand side this fixing point is not available due to the mounting of the Rohloff. To allow the stay to pass over the lower rack mounting point the black plastic fitting is packed out with brass washers underneath it.
The rear mudguard comes pre-drilled with a hole in the right place for the front mounting. The screw and packing pieces were again supplied by me as they do not come with the mudguards.
Another bracket is needed for the mounting where rim brakes would normally be fitted.
The Tortec rack had another conveniently placed mounting point I could use for a second bracket on the rear mudguard. This also stops the mudguard rubbing at this point. Different racks may not offer this but the combination of the two brackets and the front mounting bolt held the mudguard so firmly I could probably have got away without the stay.
Summary: You will need to order extra bits from Gilles Berthoud to fit these mudguards and you will still need to rummage in your parts bin for a few other items but once fitted they seem quite rigid and hopefully should stay in place. I needed extra washers and used brass ones as that was all I had available. I will change them to stainless steel in due course.
The Schwalbe 28 * 2.0 Marathon XR tyres are new to the UK market. There is a wide range of knobbly MTB tyres available for wheels this size but the choice of 2.0" tyres suitable for road use was very limited to non-existent until these became available. Initial impressions are they ride well and are comfortable over potholes etc.