DIY Eyelet for Bicycle Forks

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Intro: DIY Eyelet for Bicycle Forks

How do you install fenders on a bike that doesn't have eyelets like on many carbon forks? You could buy fenders that are specifically made for that or you could make your own eyelets and I'll show you how. Its easy, cheap, and you may already have the parts laying around.

What you'll need:
    USB flash drive with swivel cap
    Nut and bolt
    Inner tube
    Washers (optional)

STEP 1: Cut Inner Tube

Remove wheel from fork and install fender. Then cut off 2 small sections of inner tube about 1 inch each and slide them up onto each leg of fork. The inner tube will provide good contact area and protect the fork.

STEP 2: Shape and Attach Swivel

Remove metal swivel cap from USB drive and wrap it around legs of fork. You may need to "play" with the cap to form a good fit. Use needle-nose pliers if necessary. Adjust height of inner tube and swivel to align with fender stay then secure in place with nut and bolt.

STEP 3: You're Done

Put wheel back on and that's it... happy riding.

3 Comments

Cool idea, but I think you mean to say rack eyelets. Dropouts are metal forms (sometimes complete with rack eyelets) bonded, welded, or brazed into the fork tubes, which the axle assembly is clamped into. Does the carbon fork work well at dampening vibrations from the fender, or do you feel it strongly at the handlebars?
Thanks for pointing out the mistake... I'll update the instructions. I own several bikes with forks of each material - aluminum, carbon, steel, and quite honestly I can't tell the dampening difference. Each bike serves a different purpose so any comparison would be unfair but what makes the greatest difference in terms of dampening is the amount of tire pressure - mountain bike with half inflated fat tires will dampen much more than road bike at 100psi.
Good idea, thanks for sharing.