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PART 2
3. Understanding components
Section D. Inspect For Safety
GT Bicycle Owner’s Manual
3. Understanding components
It is often necessary to remove and disassemble
components in order to properly and carefully
inspect them. Most customers will use this
component list as a checklist. The intention here is
to tell you what parts, and what area of each part,
most need inspection. Insist that your mechanic do
such inspections. Our intention is definitely not to
teach bicycle mechanics.
WARNING
Failure to disassemble or reassemble bicycle
components properly could result in an
accident, with risk of serious injury, paralysis
or death.
There are many special tools and techniques
required. Unless you are a very experienced and
skilled bicycle mechanic, we urge you to have
this work done by a professional bicycle retailer.
If you see any crack, or anything you are unsure
of, please take your bicycle to a retailer. If you
ride a delaminated or cracked frame/fork/
component it may completely break apart with
risk of accident, serious injury, paralysis or
death.
If you have carbon fiber components, you must
read part ii, section d. 2. Understanding
composites.
Do not ride any component with a crack, even a
small one. Replace the component before riding.
Break or saw in half any component you replace
so that no one uses it again.
■ Aftermarket “Super Light” Components
Think carefully about your rider profile as outlined
above. The more you fit the “shorten product life”
profile, the more you must question the use of super
light components. The more you fit the “lengthen
product life” profile, the more likely it is that lighter
components may be suitable for you.
Discuss your needs and your profile very honestly
with your retailer. Take these choices seriously and
understand that you are responsible for the
changes.
A great slogan to discuss with your retailer as you
consider changing components: “Strong, Light,
Cheap – Pick two.”
■ Original Equipment Components
GT tests the fatigue life of many of the components
that are original equipment on your bike. This
means that the designs many original equipment
components have met our test criteria and have
reasonable fatigue life. It does not mean that the
original equipment components will last forever.
They will not.
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