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Nothing lasts forever, including your bike
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Currie Tech
Technical and Customer Service: +1 800-377-4532
Appendix - Lifespan indd
The lifespan of your bike and its components
Nothing lasts forever, including your bike
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Nothing lasts forever, including your bike
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The lifespan of your bike and its components
Appendix B
The lifespan of your bike and its
components
Nothing lasts forever,
including your bike
When the useful life of your bike or its
components is over, continued use is haz-
ardous.
Every bicycle and its component parts
have a finite, limited useful life. The length
of that life will vary with the construction and
materials used in the frame and compo-
nents; the maintenance and care the frame
and components receive over their life; and
the type and amount of use to which the
frame and components are subjected. Use
in competitive events, trick riding, ramp rid-
ing, jumping, aggressive riding, riding on
severe terrain, riding in severe climates, rid-
ing with heavy loads, commercial activities
and other types of non-standard use can
dramatically shorten the life of the frame
and components. Any one or a combina-
tion of these conditions may result in an
unpredictable failure.
All aspects of use being identical, light-
weight bicycles and their components will
usually have a shorter life than heavier
bicycles and their components. In selecting
a lightweight bicycle or components you
are making a tradeoff, favoring the higher
performance that comes with lighter weight
over longevity. So, If you choose lightweight,
high performance equipment, be sure to
have it inspected frequently.
You should have your bicycle and its
components checked periodically by your
dealer for indicators of stress and/or poten-
tial failure, including cracks, deformation,
corrosion, paint peeling, dents, and any
other indicators of potential problems, inap-
propriate use or abuse. These are important
safety checks and very important to help
prevent accidents, bodily injury to the rider
and shortened product life.
Perspective
Today’s high-performance bicycles
require frequent and careful inspection and
service. In this Appendix we try to explain
some underlying material science basics
and how they relate to your bicycle. We
discuss some of the trade-offs made in
designing your bicycle and what you can
expect from your bicycle; and we provide
important, basic guidelines on how to main
-
tain and inspect it. We cannot teach you
everything you need to know to properly
inspect and service your bicycle; and that
is why we repeatedly urge you to take your
bicycle to your dealer for professional care
and attention.
