SilverBack SCALERA 1 - Mechanical Safety Check

8
C. Mechanical Safety Check
Routinely check the condition of your bicycle before every ride.
• Nuts, bolts screws & other fasteners: Because manufacturers use a wide variety of
fastener sizes and shapes made in a variety of materials, often diering by model and
component, the correct tightening force or torque cannot be generalized. To make sure that
the many fasteners on your bicycle are correctly tightened, refer to the Fastener Torque
Specifications in Appendix D of this manual or to the torque specifications in the
instructions provided by the manufacturer of the component in question. Correctly
tightening a fastener requires a calibrated torque wrench. A professional bicycle mechanic
with a torque wrench should torque the fasteners on you bicycle. If you choose to work
on your own bicycle, you must use a torque wrench and the correct tightening torque
specifications from the bicycle or component manufacturer or from your dealer. If you
need to make an adjustment at home or in the field, we urge you to exercise care, and to
have the fasteners you worked on checked by your dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING: Correct tightening force on fasteners –nuts, bolts,
screws– on your bicycle is important. Too little force, and the fastener may
not hold securely. Too much force, and the fastener can strip threads, stretch,
deform or break. Either way, incorrect tightening force can result in component
failure, which can cause you to loose control and fall.
• Make sure nothing is loose. Lift the front wheel o the ground by two or three inches, then
let it bounce on the ground. Anything sound, feel or look loose? Do a visual and tactile
inspection of the whole bike. Any loose parts or accessories? If so, secure them. If you’re
not sure, ask someone with experience to check.
• Tires & Wheels: Make sure tires are correctly inflated (see Section 4.G.1). Check by
putting one hand on the saddle, one on the intersection of the handlebars and stem, then
bouncing your weight on the bike while looking at tire deflection. Compare what you see
with how it looks when you know the tires are correctly inflated; and adjust if necessary.
• Tires in good shape? Spin each wheel slowly and look for cuts in the tread and sidewall.
Replace damaged tires before riding the bike.
• Wheels true? Spin each wheel and check for brake clearance and side-to-side wobble. If
a wheel wobbles side to side even slightly, or rubs against or hits the brake pads, take the
bike to a qualified bike shop to have the wheel trued.
CAUTION: Wheels must be true for rim brakes to work effectively.
Wheel trueing is a skill which requires special tools and experience. Do not
attempt to true a wheel unless you have the knowledge, experience and tools
needed to do the job correctly.