Question about lateral stiffness of front fender stays, mid-fork mount versus dropout mount

[Patrick Moore]

I have a hankering to get Chauncey to add mid-fork fender strut braze ons to the dirt road bike (he forgot to do so when he built it), thinking that there may be a slight safety margin in doing so (I use only smooth tires with fenders).

But with the fenders (Kelpies, far sturdier than Honjos, etc) I have about 2-3" of toe overlap, and despite good riding habits, occasionally end up giving the trailing end of the front fender a mightly whack with my toe (usually left foot, now that I think of it).

So, question: Compared to attaching the end of the strut at the dropout, will attaching it about 1/3 of the way up the fork leg from the dropout make the fender significantly less laterally rigid, all else equal?

Chauncey comes by tomorrow, he said, so I'd like to have an answer and therefore a plan for him.

Many thanks.

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Patrick Moore]

I should also ask: How low down on the fork leg can you attach a strut and still have the fender move away from the tire instead of into it should an obstacle be caught between it and the tire?