30
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 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 and rock the bike forward
and back. Everything feel solid? If you feel a clunk with
each forward or backward movement 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 centerline of the bike; then do the same with the
other pedal. Anything 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 finger. Do
they all feel about the same? If any feel loose, have your
dealer check the wheel for tension and trueness.
• Check to make sure that all parts and accessories
are still secure, and tighten any which are not.
• 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 replaced.
!
WARNING: Like any mechanical device, a bicycle
and its components are subject to wear and stress.
Different materials and mechanisms wear or fatigue from
stress at different rates and have different life cycles. If
a component’s life cycle is exceeded, the component
can suddenly and catastrophically fail, causing serious
injury or death to the rider. Scratches, cracks, fraying
and discoloration are signs of stress-caused fatigue and
indicate that a part is at the end of its useful life and needs
to be replaced. While the materials and workmanship
of your bicycle or of individual components may be
covered by a warranty for a specified period of time by
the manufacturer, this is no guarantee that the product
will last the term of the warranty. Product life is often
related to the kind of riding you do and to the treatment
to which you submit the bicycle. The bicycle’s warranty is
not meant to suggest that the bicycle cannot be broken
or will last forever. It only means that the bicycle is
covered subject to the terms of the warranty.
5. As required: If either brake lever fails the Mechanical
Safety Check (Section 1.C), don’t ride the bike. Have
your dealer check the brakes.
If the chain won’t shift smoothly and quietly from
gear to gear, the derailleur is out of adjustment. See
your dealer.
6. Every 25 (hard off-road) to 50 (on-road) hours of riding:
Take your bike to your dealer for a complete checkup.
B. If Your Bicycle Sustains An Impact: