front fender twist

I now own two sets of fenders on two bikes, one SKS, the other Zefal. Both of them twist to the side
on the portion of the front fender that protrudes from the front of the fork. This is annoying,
primarily for cosmetic reasons but also because they come closer to rubbing. I tried removing the
front wheel and bedning the hell out of the fender in the opposite direction, but that plastic stuff
is tough and it bounces right back to the off-center twisted position. Any tips? Could heat get them
to deform?

Side note: I like the SKS fenders better, I only wish the 35mm version were round not squarish. The
Zefal fenders came with stays that were too short (only about 32cm long, as compared to the SKS 34.5
cm) - why not make them plenty long, you can always trim them? Also, you have to trim them back to
fit in the clip mounting system which blocks the ends of the stays, no going back after you do that.
Thirdly, that clip mounting system is crummy.

Is there a third option besides SKS or Zefal for thin road fenders?

 

> Is there a third option besides SKS or Zefal for thin road fenders?

And I've seen Salmon but I won't buy them until I get a closer look, maybe too skinny. I have a bike
that is 100% fenderable (bosses on chainstay bridge, brake bridge, rear of fork, and fork crown) so
I'd like to stick with full coverage fenders.

 

Mudguards you pesky Yanks, egad. They don't fend off anything, not here anyway.

nyes, nyes

 

"Gear id Laoi, Garry Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Mudguards you pesky Yanks, egad. They don't fend off anything, not here anyway.

they fend off, er, mud.

-Luigi

 

And what, precisely, are they guarding?

"Gearóid Ó Laoi, Garry Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]it.esat.net...
> Mudguards you pesky Yanks, egad. They don't fend off anything, not here anyway.
>
> nyes, nyes

 

Robert Strickland wrote:
> And what, precisely, are they guarding?
>
Backsides from mud. It's funny reading 'fenders'. Fenders are the things we put between yachts to
stop them bumping together. The idea that our American cousins might ride around with these things
on their cycles is faintly amusing.
--
Michael MacClancy

 

KBH <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I now own two sets of fenders on two bikes, one SKS, the other Zefal.
Both
> of them twist to the side on the portion of the front fender that
protrudes
> from the front of the fork. This is annoying, primarily for cosmetic reasons but also because they
> come closer to rubbing. I tried removing
the
> front wheel and bedning the hell out of the fender in the opposite direction, but that plastic
> stuff is tough and it bounces right back to
the
> off-center twisted position. Any tips? Could heat get them to deform?
>
>
> Side note: I like the SKS fenders better, I only wish the 35mm version
were
> round not squarish. The Zefal fenders came with stays that were too short (only about 32cm long,
> as compared to the SKS 34.5 cm) - why not make them plenty long, you can always trim them? Also,
> you have to trim them back
to
> fit in the clip mounting system which blocks the ends of the stays, no
going
> back after you do that. Thirdly, that clip mounting system is crummy.
>
> Is there a third option besides SKS or Zefal for thin road fenders?
>
>

I have had this problem as well. First thing is to determine if the fender actually has a twist or
the mounting system is causing the twist. If you remove the fender and lay it on a flat surface and
it has a warp to it you can sometimes bend it way beyond where you think it should be and let it
spring back. Plastic has a "memory" and this may take a day or two or more than one attemp. Be very
careful heating, it may just make the problem worse or introduce a new one. Once plastic distorts,
good luck!

If it is in fact flat, then the mounting is causing this distortion and even though you think the
length of the rods are equal they probably are not. The reality is that I almost always have to
split the distortion between the front and rear of the fender and also over the brakes until a
compromise that I can live with looking at for miles and miles and miles occurs.

I have 15 yr old Esge fenders on my commuter and winter bikes; keeps the bike and me cleaner. Pay
for it against the wind though. Sorry, never tried any other.

PB

 

Thanks for actually contributing to the thread as opposed to simply musing over the word 'fender'.

"pixelbrainz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> KBH <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > I now own two sets of fenders on two bikes, one SKS, the other Zefal.
> Both
> > of them twist to the side on the portion of the front fender that
> protrudes
> > from the front of the fork. This is annoying, primarily for cosmetic reasons but also because
> > they come closer to rubbing. I tried removing
> the
> > front wheel and bedning the hell out of the fender in the opposite direction, but that plastic
> > stuff is tough and it bounces right back to
> the
> > off-center twisted position. Any tips? Could heat get them to deform?
> >
> >
> > Side note: I like the SKS fenders better, I only wish the 35mm version
> were
> > round not squarish. The Zefal fenders came with stays that were too
short
> > (only about 32cm long, as compared to the SKS 34.5 cm) - why not make
them
> > plenty long, you can always trim them? Also, you have to trim them back
> to
> > fit in the clip mounting system which blocks the ends of the stays, no
> going
> > back after you do that. Thirdly, that clip mounting system is crummy.
> >
> > Is there a third option besides SKS or Zefal for thin road fenders?
> >
> >
>
> I have had this problem as well. First thing is to determine if the
fender
> actually has a twist or the mounting system is causing the twist. If you remove the fender and lay
> it on a flat surface and it has a warp to it you can sometimes bend it way beyond where you think
> it should be and let it spring back. Plastic has a "memory" and this may take a day or two or
more
> than one attemp. Be very careful heating, it may just make the problem worse or introduce a new
> one. Once plastic distorts, good luck!
>
> If it is in fact flat, then the mounting is causing this distortion and
even
> though you think the length of the rods are equal they probably are not. The reality is that I
> almost always have to split the distortion between
the
> front and rear of the fender and also over the brakes until a compromise that I can live with
> looking at for miles and miles and miles occurs.
>
> I have 15 yr old Esge fenders on my commuter and winter bikes; keeps the bike and me cleaner. Pay
> for it against the wind though. Sorry, never tried any other.
>
>
> PB