Heatgun set to about hair dryer hot. Maybe a scooch more. Held a few inches away from the guard.
This story hasn't ended too well. I got to the point, no matter what angle I looked at the tyres, there's load of clearance. Suspending or upending the bike and spinning the wheels - they are running freely. But as soon as I sit on the bike, that sound of tyre rubbing against rear guard is back, haunting me. And in an effort to address the problem, out on a ride this afternoon, I snapped the rear guard. Stupid I know.
I think I'm going to write this bike off. It was a cheap frame. It's been used for an american coast-to-coast and goodness knows what else. I can't find any cracks in the frame, but it's not filling me with confidence. Neither is the creak that seems to come from the bottom bracket area whilst I'm climbing.
The wheels are true and none of the spokes are loose. I've gained a few pounds over the years, but I'm not that portly.
Some battles are won. Some are lost. This was only ever intended as a stop gap. Once we got to a thousand miles, I was going to treat myself to what I really wanted.
I might just have to do that a little sooner than anticipated.