Safe To Drill?

[oldave]

Is there any safety reason why I should not drill through the exposed steerer part of a Kinesis Maxlight xlt in order to mount a mudguard? 5mm hole about 3/4" above the bottom I guess:

http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/products/ ... ight-xlt-1

I had been planning on buying another bike for 'grds, but unexpected outgoings intervene!

 

[Woz]

IMHO it is safe to drill. You could always email them the question too.

 

[oldave]

IMHO it is safe to drill. You could always email them the question too.

Thanks - seems so obvious when you say it! I shall do so.

 

[JamesM]

Re:

I suspect they'll tell you not too. I wouldn't give my consent in writing to some random person to take a drill to a fork I'd engineered, even if in reality I thought it was probably fine. You could make a really poor job of it, cause a failure and then make a compensation claim and you'd have written evidence from the manufacturer giving you the go ahead to make the changes. If they have any sense they will simply say no.

 

[futuristicoldman]

Re:

You could hammer a star fangled nut into the base of the steerer tube then screw a simple L shaped bracket against it.

 

[oldave]

Re:

Thanks both. Yes, I guess if as the manufacturer/seller I were asked, I'd say "no". And I had been considering some sort of expander.

But, after some thought, on balance, taking everything into account.... I took the easy route - and bought another bike! A quite seriously up-graded carbon-pimped Trex 7.5 hybrid, a whole lot lighter than my rigid Stumpy.

 

[stevet1]

Re:

Lol, would love to hear that coversation with the missus

I've had to buy a new bike
Really, HAD to?
Yes, you see the old one didn't have a hole for a front mudguard see, so I bought a new bike, it was a no-brainer really.

 

[oldave]

After nearly 44 years together no need for such a conversation! She understands such things. (And that cycling is the only thing that keeps my lungs functioning sufficiently well to live maybe another couple of years.)