Specialized BICYCLE - Mechanical Safety Check

4
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 differing 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 Specications in Appendix
D of this manual or to the torque specications 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 specications from the bicycle or component manufacturer or from your
dealer. If you need to make an adjustment at home or in the eld, 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 off 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 inated (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
deection. Compare what you see with how it looks when you know the tires are
correctly inated; 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 qualied 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.
 Wheel rims clean and undamaged? Make sure the rims are clean and
undamaged at the tire bead and, if you have rim brakes, along the braking
surface. Check to make sure that any rim wear indicator marking is not visible at
any point on the wheel rim.