After my troubles with my vintage Novara Trionfo’s Toba fenders that rattled alarmingly from their inadequate clearance, I consulted with Tom of Pie Cycles. He was confident that he could set me up with fenders using his tried and true techniques. I purchased some SKS Chromoplastic fenders, and brought it all over for Tom to work on. I soon learned that he had a nice trick up his sleeve: These Fender Reacharound Brackets from River City Bicycles. He had picked some up while he was at UBI, with my Novara in mind! Over the next hour, I watched as Tom cut the fenders with a hacksaw blade, and positioned each piece on either side of the brake calipers.
As he was attaching the rear fender, we hit a rather major snag, completely unrelated to the fenders themselves. It turned out that my rear axle was bent. The project was cut short, as Tom spent the next week giving my bike the care it deserved:
- He got a replacement axle.
- He realized that the remaining cones had very uneven wear, so he got some new ones.
- After he put it all together, the wheel was so wobbly, it was completely untrue-able!
- Instead of telling me to just get new wheels for $$$, he found a budget used rim at Wright Bros, and rebuilt my rear wheel using my existing hub.
- He shined up my old hub to blinding levels, making my bike look quite dapper.
These fenders fit beautifully, do their job, and I think they look great!
