RavenTour with wooden mudguards

[Toby.]

The mudguards I made myself, as I am a furniture maker with a grounding in traditional boat construction. They are steam bent ash staves 45mm wide by 4.5mm thick. These are the first prototype that I made and as such they are mounted on the standard SKS stays, which works but is crude. I will improve on this when I have time or I meet an engineer with a cycling persuasion!

They work, not as well as chromoplastics in really pouring rain or deep puddles, but acceptable to me and I ride every day and in all weathers all year. If you go off-roading, as I do, they are less prone to mud clogging than chromoplastics.

They are very strong, the rear one survived a 60mph clip by a transit van when on a car rack: the rear rim was bent through 90deg' sideways, the mudguard sprang back! They are 7 grams lighter than 55mm chromoplastics. They are finsished with a clear melamine rich cellulose lacqeur which is getting quite scruffy now, (2nd winter), so I might need to improve on that, although I quite a the worn in look, as with the Brooks saddle.

The handlebars are Nitto 'all-pupose'. They really suit this style of bike in my opinion, it's just a pity that there isn't a touch more space for the twist-grip; still, I prefer them to comfort bars. B+M IQ fly is a really good front light.

[stutho]

Wow - Have you though about going into production?

[kwkirby01]

Toby, would you be able to post some more pictures of your handlebar setup please? How much space do you have with the shifter fitted?
Thanks, Kevin

[Toby.]

Stutho, I have considered making these in batch 'runs', but until I have time to sort a simple and elegant set of mounting hardware that is managable by a DIYer the world will have to wait! I could supply the bent ash 'blanks' fairly cheaply to anyone with a little patience and skill who fancied a little project.

They also need a bike with massive clearances, like a Thorn!

kwkirby01, I will post some handlebar photos here soon. I very disobediently cut down my RH cork grip to make things fit, so my hand does now rest on the Rohloff shifter, no ill effects to report in the 570 miles that I have had the bike set up this way, (and much more comfortable wrist angle).

How do I post photos within my text?

[julk]

How do I post photos within my text?

• Click on '+ Additional Options...' which is just below the post reply text box.
You will now see some more options
• by 'Attach' click on Choose File and navigate to the picture on your computer and open or otherwise choose it.

The attached picture will not show in the preview, but when you post the reply it will be included at the end.

Give it a try and see.

[Toby.]

Thanks Julk, lets see if I can make it work!

--hmm, not really what I had in mind, other seem to be able to 'paste' photos in between paragraphs, etc.

[stutho]

Toby,

What’s the bracket for (the one near the rear axle LHS)? 

A little heads ups as well... Your HPX pump, it is a good idea to put a small length of old inner tube over the head.  It has two functions; it stops mud and gunk getting into the head and it protects the frame from the pump scratching it.

All the best

Stutho

[julk]

--hmm, not really what I had in mind, other seem to be able to 'paste' photos in between paragraphs, etc.

Toby,

As you have seen 'Attach' puts the image(s) at the end of the post, but is convenient in that it allows you to have the images just on your computer.

You can use 'Insert Image' to put an image within the text of your post e.g.



But you will have to put the image on a hosting site with public access and then put the image URL between the img and /img tags in your post.
The 'Insert Image' button is found just in from the left under the italic formatting button.

I hope this helps.

[Toby.]

Thanks for the advice Julk, I'll stick with 'attaching' photos for the mo', because, as you say, it is convenient! That looks like a fair old load you're packing there!

Stutho, thanks for the tip regarding my pump, I shall do that! The little bracket that you refer to is the tow hitch for my modified Carry Freedom trailer, (see pic), my dog commutes to work with me in this way.

kwkirby, here are some handlebar photos, the RH grip is shortened to 83mm of cork, (the grips have always had those splits at the sides, which have not got any worse since I cut the RH one down). I often rest my hands on the front of the bends when climbing long Dartmoor hills and when out of the saddle on steep short hills preserving speed. I keep the centre of the bars clear so I can hold on here for an aerodynamic tuck when battling a headwind. I might experiment some time with reversing the Rohloff shifter, fitting it backwards on the LH side right at the end of the bars and then thickly taping the whole rest of the bars, I'll post a photo if I do.