How To Fit SKS Mudguards
Fitting mudguards will make your cycling much more comfortable in wet/muddy conditions by keeping you drier, enabling your ride to be enjoyable. We will show you how to fit and adjust your mudguards along with some tips to make fitting a little easier. For this demonstration we will show you how to fit SKS Chromoplastic Mudguards, however the process is very similar on other types of mudguards.
Tools you will need:
- 4mm Allen Key
- 8mm Spanner or Socket
- Hacksaw
- File
- Vice (optional)
1Will The Mudguards Fit
The first thing is to make sure that the bike you want fit mudguards to have the required mounting points. The front needs two mounting points, one at the top of the fork, this can either be a hole that goes all the way through, or a threaded hole. The second point is at the bottom of the fork leg. For the rear, there needs to be three mounts, one by the rear axle, one on the chain stay bridge and the third between the chain stays near the bottom bracket.
2Bolt Length
Check which bolt length that's needed, the SKS guards come with a long and short bolt to connect to the fork crown. Remove the wheel to get better access.
3Attach The Mudguards
Attach the mudguard to the fork crown loosely, so the stays can be adjusted as needed later.
4Attach The Stays
Now attach the stays to the mudguards using the included bolts (the front stays have plastic mounts and the rear doesn’t), fit the bolt to the mudguard and thread the stay through the back of the bolt. Tighten these up loosely so they can still be adjusted as needed.
5Connect Stays To Fork
Once all the stays are in place, connect the stays to the fork leg. Again, tighten this up loosely so the guards can be adjusted as needed.
6Adjust The Mudguards
Put the wheel back in place, so the wheel can be adjusted and aligned correctly with the tyre. Now the stays will need adjusting so that mudguard sits around 15mm away from the tyre.
7Cut The Stays
Once the mudguards are sitting correctly and nothing is rubbing on the tyre, it's time to cut the stays. Measure 10mm from the nut on the stay and mark where the cut will be. The stays can be cut while the mudguards are attached to the bike, however we have a vice so will remove, cut and then re-attach the guards.
8Finish Off
Now that the stays have been cut, the cut will need filing to remove any sharp edges. The final step is to make sure that all bolts are tight on the mudguards and to finally fit the protective end caps.
9Fitting The Rear Mudguard
The rear mudguard fits in much the same way as the front, the only change is an extra mounting point. This can be found between the chain stays near the bottom bracket.
