Q: My wife has a 43cm Trek WSD 1000. Due to its small size, Trek have reduced the size of the wheels to 650. Unfortunately, I have tried everywhere to get wrap around road bike guards and can't get them to fit this size of wheel. Have you any ideas, please?
She chose the Trek over the Specialized Dolce due to the ability to fit full 'guards. I think the manufacturers are missing something here by not making entry-level road bikes able to fit guards.
Alan Williams, by email >
A: Good news. You don't need dedicated mudguards for 650A wheels, which have a rim bead seat diameter of 590mm - just 32mm less than the 622mm diameter of a 700C rim.
You can fit 700C 'guards, such as the SKS Bluemels Racer. You'll be cutting off a bit more mudguard stay as the 'guards will have a tighter radius bend, but they'll work fine and the longer wraparound will cut out even more spray.
I've used 700C 'guards on 26in wheel mountain bikes and my son's 24in wheel bike has 26in mountain bike 'guards. Just watch out for toe overlap on the front, and make sure there's enough air between tyre and mudguard so debris will rattle through instead of jamming the wheel; I'd be wary with less than 5mm.
Dan Joyce