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PART I
1. Front Wheel Secondary Retention
Devices
Most bicycles have front forks which utilize a
secondary wheel retention device to reduce the risk
of the wheel disengaging from the fork if the wheel
is incorrectly secured. Secondary retention devices
are not a substitute for correctly securing your front
wheel.
Secondary retention devices fall into two basic
categories:
a. The clip-on type is a part which the manufacturer
adds to the front wheel hub or front fork.
b. The integral type is molded, cast or machined
into the outer faces of the front fork dropouts.
Ask your dealer to explain the particular secondary
retention device on your bike.
WARNING
DO NOT REMOVE OR DISABLE THE SECONDARY
RETENTION DEVICE.
As its name implies, it serves as a back-up for a
critical adjustment. If the wheel is not secured
correctly, the secondary retention device can
reduce the risk of the wheel disengaging from
the fork. Removing or disabling the secondary
retention device may also void the warranty.
Secondary retention devices are not a substitute
for correctly securing your wheel. Failure to
properly secure the wheel can cause the wheel to
wobble or disengage, which could cause you to
loose control and fall, resulting in serious injury
or death.
2. Wheels with cam action systems
There are currently two types of over-center cam
wheel retention mechanisms: the traditional over-
center cam (fig. 8a) and the cam-and-cup system
(fig. 8b). Both use an over-center cam action to
clamp the bike’s wheel in place. Your bicycle may
have a cam-and-cup front wheel retention system
and a traditional rear wheel cam action system.
a. Adjusting the traditional cam action mechanism
(fig. 8a)
The wheel hub is clamped in place by the force of
the over-center cam pushing against one dropout
and pulling the tension adjusting nut, by way of
the skewer, against the other dropout. The amount
of clamping force is controlled by the tension
adjusting nut. Turning the tension adjusting nut
clockwise while keeping the cam lever from rotating
increases clamping force; turning it counterclockwise
while keeping the cam lever from rotating reduces
clamping force. Less than half a turn of the tension
adjusting nut can make the difference between safe
clamping force and unsafe clamping force.
WARNING
THE FULL FORCE OF THE CAM ACTION IS
NEEDED TO CLAMP THE WHEEL SECURELY.
Holding the nut with one hand and turning the
lever like a wing nut with the other hand until
everything is as tight as you can get it will not
clamp a cam action wheel safely in the dropouts.
See also WARNING on page 20.
