Sportster Cycle Wing Brackets

[Patrick]

Hi Chris, not sure if you got my reply on my site;

I'm happy with them.

I was recommended to move the wings closer to the tyres over on the MoC forum (https://www.marlinownersclub.com/for...es-broke-again), but they work and took quite lot of time to make. I think if there was a hole in the side of the wing that the metal rod passed through it would be possible to move the wings out a bit and down quite a bit to get that result. However visually that would have needed wings with a larger radius - aesthetically they work quite well where they are now.

I do have a bit of damage on one wing where the wing stays broke last time, but I've not had much luck finding spares the same as these. Carbon mods stopped making them and chucked out the moulds years ago. A lot of the caterham ones are too small for the size tyre I'm using. The bigger ones are often fibre glass instead of carbon, or rather overpriced carbon. I ditched the Marlin wings very early on after the factory wing stays broke within 50 miles of driving - they were very heavy and hazard if they hit anyone. The carbon ones as a pair weigh a good deal less than the originals. I still have the factory ones somewhere I think.

The wings wobble a bit, but much less than the old ones. I'd perhaps make a more solid mounting mechanism than a u bolt, but it works and they've not moved anywhere. Someone with an engineering background could probably design wing stays with angles that resonate less. I modelled the new ones after the design of the Marlin factory item.

Thanks, Patrick

[Mitchelkitman]

From what I've seen of broken wing stays over many years there is a common failure and it's that the tubing breaks at the end of the welds (the heat affected zone). One simple way to avoid this happening, which it has to be said few people appreciate, is to braze the joins. I've had people laugh when I've suggested it (even though my wing stays are still intact), They state that 'welding is stronger. I've even pointed out where they can see such 'technology' which takes huge stresses and rarely breaks.......... Just look at a pair of forks from an old (pre 1980) or a more recent high-quality hand made British bicycle! The forks and the dropouts (where the wheel secures) are brazed together. Consider the force these parts are subjected to when a wheel hits a pothole/ bumpy road - there are bikes 50 years old and more still in daily use. The process of welding can damage the metal, brazing is very unlikely to do that. A cycle frame builder may be able to braze some stays which will outlast the car!