Excess lever throw? That's interesting. Mine are fine, a combination of pad adjustment at the caliper and tweaking the barrel adjuster has them just right.
Yes, it's a bit tricky getting the pads close enough for a nice amount of lever throw, but far enough away to erradicate irritating rubbing noises!
I'm very relieved to see the mudguards and generous rear flap
I'm a considerate chap, hence the long flap.
How heavy is the bike with all that gear on?
Not very! Those mudguards weigh fuck all! I haven't weighed it - it's light rather than very light.
Thorough.
I just need to chop another 2 or 3 inches off the bottom of the front guard (I already removed about 4!) and trim the stays to a neater length. I also need a stem with a couple of degrees more drop to get the angle
exactly the same as the top tube. Plus a few other bits and pieces...