How to adjust fenders (and brakes)

I finally got fenders (Bike Friday- the full coverage ones) and had the shop put them on since I'd heard they can be tricky to install. The guy had a hard time putting them on and I'm not sure he did it correctly now. I didn't have any trouble with my brakes at all before the fenders were put on and now the rub no matter how I turn the screws even after having my wheel trued. Now the fender is rubbing as well. I'm leary of taking it back in since I don't feel like being charged *again*. I'm wondering if anyone has any tips or links to sites with pictures for adjusting both fenders and brakes. I've tried looking on Google for help with the fenders with no luck and I'm going to grab a repair book in the library for the brakes, but I don't recall any of those books mentioning fenders either.

I don't have any experience with fenders - but if the problems started after the shop installed the fenders, then I'd take it back to the shop and ask them to fix it. In my experience, in cases when if a shop works on my bike and it's not quite right when I get it back, they always correct the problem without charging me again.

Also - have you called Bike Friday and asked them for advice? (Or were they the shop that installed the fenders for you? I couldn't tell from your post...)

--- Denise

Gah, I'm sorry, I had a brain fart when I wrote the brand name since I'd just read a bunch of Bike Friday articles. The fenders are from Planet Bike and are the Freddy Fenders.

Most of the shops here like to charge for every single little thing and I haven't found one that has good service here yet. Basically I keep going to different shops until they screw me over, then I try a different one. This is now the third shop I've gone through in this town, so I'm thinking I should just learn how to fix it myself. I just don't feel like fighting with them and meh, it'll just be learning useful skills anyhow, right?

I've put Freddy Fenders on 2 of my 5 bikes. It does involve a fair amount of time adjusting the stay lengths to keep the fenders from rubbing. If you are having trouble with your brakes, check that they are not actually hitting the fender. If the fenders are wide on some brakes I have had to file little notches to improve the clearance of the brake arms. If the brakes aren't hitting the fender, look at how they are mounted. Most of the front fenders get mounted on the front brake mounting bolt. If the shop had to take the brakes off to do this (most likely) the brake might not be properly centered. If that is the case, they should fix it. It doesn't matter if it is your car or your bike; when it comes out of the shop, the brakes should be working.

I know you probably already calculated this in but those fenders come in three different widths - are they rubbing because they are too wide for your tires? I just put on a pair of Freddys and didn't have any trouble at all. I was expecting major difficulty because of what the bike shop guys said, but they went on in a flash. I installed them on my hybrid - I'm sure it's alot harder on a road bike with those narrower clearances.

P.S. The brakes, however, are the bane of my existance. Every time I remove the wheels, the brakes are messed up for days. I think I've just about striped out the little adjustment screws on each side! :mad:

newf-Thanks! I couldn't figure out what it was I should be adjusting. I'll start fiddling with the stays posthaste, that rubbing is annoying!

nuthatch- My bike is a touring bike and built with plenty of clearance, the darn fenders just aren't on straight. They *ought* to fit. Glad to know I'm not the only one with finicky brakes! I was hoping having cantilevers would be *easier* to work with lol. What irks me is that I'll have it all perfect on the porch, then I go off for a ride and hear the shhhhhhh'ing if the brakes rubbing...