Product test: Nitto wire guard

Before I picked up the Nitto wire guard I was using a home-made contraption built from a couple of P clips and an old rack stay to do the same job. It worked, but was neither aesthetically pleasing nor could it be easily switched between the two or three bikes with which I used my saddlebag. When I discovered Nitto made this little gizmo I knew it was something I needed so I bought one from Japan and waited patiently for it to arrive. Out of the box it is clear it has been made, like everything that Nitto produce, to a very high quality. It is nice and light, flexible but strong, and the stamped Nitto badge is a lovely finishing touch. Although the instructions in the box are in Kanji it is pretty obvious from the photo how to install it, you just flex it in and clip it on. The rubber coated parts sit next to the frame to avoid scratches and the design means it clears a cantilever or centre-pull brake easily.
Nitto Japan wire guard saddlebg support
Nitto wire guard saddlebag support
I was at first a little concerned it wouldn’t work for a bike with a caliper brake because my frames are all small and there is little room for it to sit in, however it tucked in nicely on my commuter and stopped the rub of the underside of the bag on the caliper. I am using it with a Carradice Super C bag which also has a reinforced patch on the bottom to prevent rub. After nearly 1,000 miles with it installed there has been little to report, it moves between bikes easily, it still looks shiny and frankly the best thing I can say about it is that I don’t even realise it is there.
I have limited stock of the Nitto wire guard in the shop here.
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