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recommended lubrication frequency for your area.
4. After every long or hard ride or after every 10 to 20
hours of riding:
• Squeeze the front brake (if you have one) and rock the
bike forward and back. Everything feel solid? If you feel a clunk
with each forward or backward move ment of the bike, you
probably have a loose headset. Have your dealer check it.
• Lift the front wheel off the ground and swing it from side
to side. Feel smooth? If you feel any binding or roughness in
the steering, you may have a tight headset. Have your dealer
check it.
• Grab one pedal and rock it toward and away from the
cen ter line of the bike; then do the same with the other pedal.
Any thing feel loose? If so, have your dealer check it.
• Take a look at the brake pads. Starting to look worn or
not hitting the wheel rim squarely? Time to have the dealer
adjust or replace them.
• Carefully check the control cables and cable
housings. Any rust? Kinks? Fraying? If so, have your dealer
replace them.
• Squeeze each adjoining pair of spokes on either side of
each wheel between your thumb and index fi nger. Do they
all feel about the same? If any feel loose, have your dealer
check the wheel for tension and true ness.
• Check the frame, particularly in the area around all
tube joints; the handlebars; the stem; and the seatpost for
any deep scratches, cracks or discoloration. These are signs
of stress-caused fatigue and indicate that a part is at the end
of its useful life and needs to be re placed.
• Check to make sure that all parts and ac ces so ries are
still secure, and tighten any which are not.
fi rst time you work on something and be fore you ride the bike,
just to make sure that you did everything correctly. Since that
will require the time of a mechanic, there may be a modest
charge for this ser vice.
A. Service Intervals
Some service and maintenance can and should be
per formed by the owner, and requires no special tools or
knowledge beyond what is presented in this manual.
The following are examples of the type of service you
should perform yourself. All other service, main te nance and
repair should be performed in a properly equipped facility
by a qualifi ed bicycle mechanic using the correct tools and
procedures specifi ed by the manufacturer.
1. Break-in Period: Your bike will last longer and work
better if you break it in before riding it hard. Control cables
and wheel spokes may stretch or “seat” when a new bike is
fi rst used and may require readjustment by your dealer. Your
Mechanical Safety Check (Section 1.C) will help you identify
some things that need readjustment. But even if everything
seems fi ne to you, it’s best to take your bike back to the dealer
for a checkup. Dealers typically suggest you bring the bike in
for a 30 day check up. Another way to judge when it’s time
for the fi rst checkup is to bring the bike in after three to fi ve
hours of hard off-road use, or about 10 to 15 hours of on-road
or more casual off-road use. But if you think something is wrong
with the bike, take it to your dealer before riding it again.
2. Before every ride: Mechanical Safety Check
(Section 1.C)
3. After every long or hard ride if the bike has been exposed
to water or grit, or at least every 100 miles: Clean the bike and
lightly oil the chain. Wipe off excess oil. Lubrication is a function
of climate. Talk to your dealer about the best lubricants and the
