Broken Agattu Mudguard

 

My son was riding my Agattu this afternoon and came back with the rear mudguard in 2 pieces:rolleyes:

It snapped cleanly across at a weak spot where there are 4 holes through it, 2 holes for the support brackets and 2 for the rear lighting wires.

The bike has not been dropped or abused, so I can only assume the SKS Chromoplastics are weakened by the holes and fatigue has done the rest:o In my opinion they are not a very good design and I will speak to 50cycles about it.

I tried to get a replacment set from local bike shops, but they didn't have any to match in stock. Now I will try to get a set online.

In the meantime I will try to modify the broken one and refit it. The support brackets will be a problem though.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3011/2389188461_24ae38e092_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3222/2390017656_41090fed5f_m.jpg

 

John

I bought a pair from Wiggle the other day, they list all the sizes and colours, not cheap at £30 though.

They are usually quite tough, I have used them for years and never managed to break a set, thats riding off road too.

That's not good John, certainly looks like vibration fatigue on the weak point. Any chance of using a suitable piece of mudguard rivetted under the break to rejoin the halves? That would enable remounting using the old holes again.

 

I must say your son has a very bad record with your bikes.

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I have heard that SKS Chromoplastics mudguards can break like this but you must be unlucky for it to happen so soon. No trouble with mine in over a year now, I hope it is not a bad batch then...

The rear mudguard has 2 copper strips running through it to power the rear lights, so I need the original type to properly restore to orignal condition. I don't want to do a patch up on an expensive bike.

My son is not to blame for this breakage, it is just a bad design having the 4 holes all in a line. Wonder how long it will be before someone else encounters this problem.

I have performed a temporary 'bodge' with the shortened section of guard and restored power to the rear light by drilling through the copper strips and joining the lighting cable with a couple of self tapping screw from the underside.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2039/2390307760_d7640ca40f.jpg?v=0 http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2382/2390311010_41679626d3.jpg?v=0

 

Something else I discovered on removal of the rear mudguard was that the skirt guards rub against the frame to such an extent that they are wearing through the paint work on the frame where they contact it. Needless to say I won't be refitting them

 

John

When you examine the diamond and wave photos here Electric bicycles photographs and images - Gallery page with photographs of all 50cycles UK electric bikes , you can see, if you look closely, that the diamond frame has a stay close to the end of the rear mudguard just above the reflector, the wave frame model. Pro-Connect and Tasman don't have this stay. Could be that Kalkhoff have already altered the mudguards?

 

Has anyone bought a wave frame Agattu in the last month, and if so are the mudguards like the ones on the diamond frame?

 

John

I sent an email to 50cycles at the weekend regarding my broken mudguard.

This morning I rang 50cycles and spoke to Mark to check if they had got my email. Mark had just sent me a reply when he answered my phone call. The outcome is a new mudguard has been posted to me today and they will monitor this problem to see if it happens to anymore Agattus. Interesting to note that the diamond frame models are fitted with different type of mudguard with an additional stay for support.

I'm impressed with the quick response by 50cycles.

 

John

That's not good John, certainly looks like vibration fatigue on the weak point. Any chance of using a suitable piece of mudguard rivetted under the break to rejoin the halves? That would enable remounting using the old holes again.

 

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Looking at my Agattu I can see that this is a weak point although I would not have noticed without this thread. I wouldn't expect vibration to cause problems myself, but can see that a knock might well - and a rear mudguard might easily get such a knock. I've been wondering vaguely about doing some reinforcing underneath as a precaution, but haven't been able to think of anything suitable (and simple.) The extra stay on later bikes does look at though Derby Cycles have discovered this as a weak point.

The rear mudguard has 2 copper strips running through it to power the rear lights

 

Using self-adhesive copper tape (From dolls-house suppliers) on the inside of the mudguard is an old trick to hide the wiring. With a new mudguard on the way this trick hopefully won't be needed, but may be of interest to others.

Ian

 

The copper strips are an intergral part of the mudguard, there are no wires to hide, so what would be the point of the copper tape or am I missing your something:confused:

 

John

Ian

 

The copper strips are an intergral part of the mudguard, there are no wires to hide, so what would be the point of the copper tape or am I missing your something:confused:

 

John

 

The copper tape can fix the broken connection in a neat way.

 

I will point out missing rear stay as a weak spot when I pick my Agattu up today in presence of a journalist.

My Agattu has spare 5mm drillings each side of the rear forks, adjacent to the sprocket, which would suit the fitting of an extra mudguard stay.

Anyone know of an available stay which clips to the mudguard rather than needing a screw fitting - ie not needing additional mudguard drillimgs?

They are made Robert, having a smooth split plastic end with an integral screw to clamp on the edge of the mudguard, but they usually seem to come with mudguard sets. Could be worth a check around though, and check Halfords since I saw some in a sell-off bin a little while ago. I actually had some spare but sadly threw them away when having a clear out.

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That is a splendid tip, Flecc, and I shall now certainly be on the lookout. I had been thinking of trying to fix reinforcing underneath the guard but this solution would be so much better. Unfortunately the Felixstowe Halford's has pretty well stopped stocking most bicycle stuff, I can't imagine why. A trip into Ipswich may well be called for.

It was a Halfords I bought those from originally. I only wanted a front mudguard "skin", but they had a set in their sell-off bin for £16 which had that stay type from which I salvaged what I wanted.

 

If none at Halfords, try any bike shop, as they sometimes have this sort of item laying around. Bike mechanics in general throw nothing away, and can be relied on to have all manner of junk bits "just in case".

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Bike mechanics in general throw nothing away, and can be relied on to have all manner of junk bits "just in case".

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A splendid philosophy and one to which I have always subscribed. Unfortunately since we have been retired "her indoors" has insisted on the occasional "sort out" which always involves flinging away priceless material long treasured away. Even "my" bit of the shed is no longer sacrosanct. Of course it IS useful to have the extra space to hoard up yet more, but newer bits are never as useful as the older. I still have a single wheel for a Merry Tiller which was sold over thirty years ago and she has her beady eye on it. I must remember to hide it more deeply under the general surface! The old gimbals from the boat's oil lamp is also under threat and must be more securely secreted somewhere. Possibly in the box of beech rollers from the obsolete seed distributors which I was given thirty seven years ago, snd which are sure to come in useful!

Edited April 9, 200818 yr by tgame

Well, at least 95% of bike workshops are exclusively male provinces, conservative trade that it is, so there's no tidying and spring cleaning influences usually.

 

Good hunting.

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Well, at least 95% of bike workshops are exclusively male provinces, conservative trade that it is, so there's no tidying and spring cleaning influences usually.

 

Good hunting.

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I'm surprised you've not had a 'kindest regards' response to this one! I totally agree with you, of course

I now have a replacement for my broken rear mudguard supplied FOC by 50cycles. I would like to thank Mark for the speedy and efficient way he dealt with the issue.

 

John

Hurrah! A positive 50cycles story!

I'm surprised you've not had a 'kindest regards' response to this one! I totally agree with you, of course

 

Never understood why people like these sign-offs like regards (sorry Tony), let alone best regards or kindest regards etc. Or is it just civil and I'm not?

Never understood why people like these sign-offs like regards

 

I had actually forgotten about it. Automation can be a pitfall!