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Let’s say you hit a curb, ditch, rock, car, another cyclist or other object.
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is hard enough the fork or frame may be bent or buckled. On a steel bike,
the steel fork may be severely bent and the frame undamaged. Aluminum
is less ductile than steel, but you can expect the fork and frame to be bent
or buckled. Hit harder and the top tube may be broken in tension and the
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tube buckled and broken, leaving the head tube and fork separated from
the main triangle.
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ductility in bent, buckled or folded metal.
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crash scenario you can expect some bending or bucking in the metal but
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completely broken.
A. Understanding Metals
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characteristics, but in high performance bicycles, steel has been largely
replaced by aluminum and some titanium. The main factor driving this
change is interest by cycling enthusiasts in lighter bicycles.
Properties of Metals
Please understand that there is no simple statement that can be made
that characterizes the use of different metals for bicycles. What is true
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WKDQVHHNLQJDVLPSOLVWLFDQVZHU
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resistant to corrosion. Aluminum is not perfectly corrosion resistant, and
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corrosion can occur.
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stretching before breaking. Generally speaking, of the common bicycle
frame building materials steel is the most ductile, titanium less ductile,
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composite at 1.45 grams/cm3.
Metals are subject to fatigue. With enough cycles of use, at high enough
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Appendix B
The lifespan of your bike and its components
1. Nothing Lasts Forever, Including Your Bike.
When the useful life of your bike or its components is over, continued use
is hazardous.
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IUDPHDQGFRPSRQHQWVUHFHLYHRYHUWKHLUOLIHDQGWKHW\SHDQGDPRXQW
RIXVHWRZKLFKWKHIUDPHDQGFRPSRQHQWVDUHVXEMHFWHG8VHLQ
competitive events, trick riding, ramp riding, jumping, aggressive riding,
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loads, commercial activities and other types of non-standard use can
dramatically shorten the life of the frame and components. Any one or a
combination of these conditions may result in an unpredictable failure.
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FRPSRQHQWVZLOOXVXDOO\KDYHDVKRUWHUOLIHWKDQKHDYLHUELF\FOHVDQGWKHLU
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You should have your bicycle and its components checked periodically
by your dealer for indicators of stress and/or potential failure, including
cracks, deformation, corrosion, paint peeling, dents, and any other
indicators of potential problems, inappropriate use or abuse. These are
important safety checks and very important to help prevent accidents,
bodily injury to the rider and shortened product life.
2. Perspective
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WUDGHRIIVPDGHLQGHVLJQLQJ\RXUELF\FOHDQGZKDW\RXFDQH[SHFWIURP\RXU
ELF\FOHDQGZHSURYLGHLPSRUWDQWEDVLFJXLGHOLQHVRQKRZWRPDLQWDLQDQG
LQVSHFWLW:HFDQQRWWHDFK\RXHYHU\WKLQJ\RXQHHGWRNQRZWRSURSHUO\
LQVSHFWDQGVHUYLFH\RXUELF\FOHDQGWKDWLVZK\ZHUHSHDWHGO\XUJH\RXWR
take your bicycle to your dealer for professional care and attention.
WARNING: Frequent inspection of your bike is important to your
safety. Follow the Mechanical Safety Check in Section 1.C of this
Manual before every ride.
Periodic, more detailed inspection of your bicycle is important.
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upon you.
You, the rider/owner, have control and knowledge of how often
you use your bike, how hard you use it and where you
use it. Because your dealer cannot track your use, you must
take responsibility for periodically bringing your bike to your
dealer for inspection and service. Your dealer will help you
decide what frequency of inspection and service is appropriate
for how and where you use your bike.
For your safety, understanding and communication with your
dealer, we urge you to read this Appendix in its entirety. The
materials used to make your bike determine how and how
frequently to inspect.
Ignoring this WARNING can lead to frame, fork or other
component failure, which can result in serious injury or death.
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