Hi Dave!
(A formal) welcome to the Forum; thanks for your kind words! Now you're a member, you'll be able to view attached photos which are unavailable to guests.
It sounds like wonderful adventures are ahead for you, and you'll soon have the ideal bike to accomplish your goals and dreams -- Adventure awaits! Congratulations! Of course, we'll be eager to see photos of it in the gallery after it arrives.
Looking at your questions in turn, I don't think you've made any mistakes in your tire and mudguard selection. The wide Mondials should do you in good stead no matter the roads (or lack thereof), and as Ewan mentioned, even if you later choose a narrower tire, it does no harm to have a somewhat wider 'guard -- the measured difference between the P55 and P65 amounts to ~5mm per side, so it won't look too visually awkward. The extra space will simply provide better coverage against spray and leaves the option to use wider tires as you please. Wider tires are also taller, so you'll have that little but more mud clearance if you do decide to drop to a 2.0in/50mm tire. I think you made a smart choice, especially given your itinerary.
With regard to the wider P65 mudguards, the 2.15 Mondials, and ring-lock clearance...there are some clearance issues to keep in mind.
I am running 26x2.0 Schwalbe Duremes and clearance with my AXA Defender is fine. Howeverm I am concerned about sidewall clearance with your wider Mondials. It would be very close under ideal conditions, but I am concerned that a broken spoke, out-of-true rim, or a buildup of mud could render clearance inadequate. Here's why: The AXA Defender offers a maximum of 63mm clearance. The 2.15 Mondials measure 54.61mm, leaving ~4.2mm of clearance on each side. That would be close but maybe okay if the lock could be positioned vertically to the ideal position. However, the larger Mondial has a taller and wider profile than the Dureme, so the sidewall bulge is also wider. Complicating this, the lock cannot approach any closer than the mudguard will allow, and the 'guard has to be out a bit to clear the larger-diameter tire, putting the narrower part of the opening near the sidewall. If it works, it'll have
awfully tight clearances, which is why I am concerned about wheel wobble or mud being problematic.
I would avoid using the AXA Defender with 2.15 tires, though it is fine with 2.0.
I would instead suggest the ABUS Amparo 4850 JimK and IlPadrone use. It will offer more clearance and you should have no problems fitting it to your Nomad. Though I prefer some details of the AXA Defender, in truth the two ring-locks are nearly identical in practice and I believe they are equally convenient and secure.
You can check on clearances in the measured photos JimK kindly posted here:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=1944.msg17320#msg17320 ...and...
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4148.0 As for fitting a ring-lock with the wider 'guards...again, you'll likely have no clearance problems with the Abus Amparo. The Abus' included nylon mounting bands will nicely mount to the Nomad's larger 19mm seatstays.
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If you decide to go with the AXA Defender
and 2.0in or narrower tires, the Defender will foul the P65 mudguard by 1mm per side, according to my measurements. To get the needed clearance you could carve a small notch in the 'guard, but I would suggest you instead consider heating the 'guard gently with a *warm* (
not hot!) hair dryer and pinching it slightly closed before it cools to avoid creating a stress riser that could initiate a fracture over time.
I found the trick to fitting the AXA Defender was to tip it sideways so it cleared the fender, then rotating it vertically into position against the 'stays.
If you decide to pursue the AXA Defender, you'll find the Nomad's larger and more robust 19mm seatstays will prove problematic to fitting the ATB mounting brackets. I came up with a solution here, complete with measurements:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4987.0 The modifications to the mounting bracket are not difficult now the measurements are known, so you should have no problems with fitting. Just avoid the AXA "Spam-key" metal bands...they simply can't be adapted to the Nomad's larger seatstays (I spent more than 6 hours trying!). The modified ATB mounts in size Large are the key to success.
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If you have any questions between now and collecting your new steed, the Forum's members will do their best to answer and you're welcome to PM me as well.
Best,
Dan.
