Wheel Owner's Manual ENGLISH Welcome Wheel Owner's Manual Important: Keep for Future Reference This manual shows how to ride your new wheelset safely. Even if you have ridden a bicycle for years, it is important for EACH person to read this information before riding this wheelset! In addition to the information in this manual, you should also read the owner's manual that came with your bicycle. For installation instructions and additional information, visit our web site. Some maintenance should only be done by your dealer. The manual gives these tasks. Table of Contents Introduction Meaning of Safety Signs and Language..................................................5 If You Have Questions.............................................................................5 Chapter 1: Wheels Overview Special Instructions.................................................................................6 Chapter 2: Guide to Safe On and Off-Road Operation Use Common Sense When You Ride......................................................8 Check Your Wheels Regularly................................................................10 Using Wheels with Disc Brakes.............................................................12 Using Tubular (sew-up) Wheels.............................................................13 Using Carbon Rims...............................................................................14 Using TubeLess Ready (TLR) Wheels....................................................15 Using Track (fixed-gear) Wheels............................................................16 Chapter 3: Clincher Wheel Set-Up Installing Traditional Rim Tape................................................................17 Installing Tubeless Ready Rim Strip and Valve.......................................18 Installing a Traditional Tire and Tube......................................................20 Chapter 4: Tubular Wheel Set-Up Stretching the Tire.................................................................................22 Preparing the Tubular Rim.....................................................................23 Attaching the Tubular Tire to the Rim....................................................25 Completing the Tubular Installation........................................................26 Chapter 5: Operating a Quick Release Testing the Attachment.........................................................................27 Adjustment and Operation....................................................................29 Chapter 6: Adjustment Tire Pressure.........................................................................................31 Wheel Bearings.....................................................................................31 Chapter 7: Lubrication Each Year..............................................................................................32 Chapter 8: Valve Extenders Types of Valves and Extenders..............................................................33 External Valves......................................................................................34 Inline Valves..........................................................................................35 Bontrager Limited Warranty...................................................................36 5 Meaning of Safety Signs and Language In this manual the Safety Alert symbol, a triangle with an exclamation mark, shows a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could cause injury: `CAUTION' indicates the possibility of mild or moderate injury. `WARNING' indicates the possibility of serious injury or death. Assembly and parts installation, including tires and correct installation of parts, is critical to performance and safety. If you are not familiar with installation procedures, have your dealer do this work. Special tools and skills are necessary for the assembly and the first adjustment of your wheelset. Consider having your dealer assemble the wheels and install them into your bicycle. If you prefer to do this work yourself, make sure you read the instructions on our web site before you begin. If You Have Questions There are many models of wheels with a variety of equipment, so this manual may contain some instructions or illustrations that do not apply to your wheelset. If you have questions after you read this manual, speak to your dealer. If you have a question your dealer can not answer or problem that your dealer can not repair, tell us: Bontrager Components Attention: Customer Service 801 W. Madison Street Waterloo, Wisconsin 53594 Web site: http://www.bontrager.com Phone (in the U.S.): 920.478.4678 Chapter 1-- Wheels Overview The wheels of a bicycle (Figure 1) let the bicycle roll down the road smoothly. On many bicycles, the quickrelease mechanism (Figure 2) attaches the wheels to the bicycle. Also, many bicycles use the wheels as part of the brake system. The integrity and strength of the wheels is important for your safety. These instructions tell how to use, adjust, and lubricate the wheels of a bicycle. Useful Life of Wheels Wheels are not indestructible. As with anything mechanical, every part of a wheel has a limited useful life due to wear, stress, and fatigue. Fatigue is a lowstress force that, when repeated over a large number of cycles, can cause a material to crack or break. If you ride hard or aggressively, you must replace the wheel and/or its parts more frequently than riders who ride gently or carefully. Several factors can change the condition of your wheels: weight, speed, skill, terrain, maintenance, environment (humidity, salinity, temperature, and more). Because there are many variables, it is not possible to give an accurate timetable for replacement. To be safe, replace the wheel or parts more frequently. If you are not sure, speak to your dealer. Light-weight, high-performance wheels and parts require better care and more frequent inspections even though in some cases they have a longer life than heavier ones. With wheels, remember that a rim wears as you use your brakes, so the rim must be replaced occasionally. For more information about Use Conditions, visit our web site at http://www.bontrager.com. Special Instructions Some models of Bontrager wheels have special properties, so special maintenance is necessary. If your wheels include any of these features, read these extra sections carefully: + Disc brakes + Tubular (sew-up) tires + Carbon rims + Tubeless tires + Fixed-gear (track) hubs 1 2 2 1 3 Figure 1. Bicycle wheels and parts: 1. Rim 2. Hub 3. Spokes Figure 2. Hub and quick-release 1. Hub 2. Quick-release (for parts of the quick-release, see Figure 28) 6 7 Chapter 2-- Guide to Safe On and Off-Road Operation This section explains some of the basics of how to use your wheelset safely. Also read your bicycle owner's manual, which contains additional safety information. Avoid Riding Too Fast Higher speeds create higher risks and greater forces in the event of a crash. At higher speeds, it is more likely that wheels will slip or that a small bump can create a significant impact to your frame, fork, or wheels. Keep your bicycle under control, at a reasonable speed, at all times. Use Common Sense When You Ride Many cycling accidents could be avoided by using common sense. Here are a few examples: + Do not ride with `no hands.' + Do not `ride double.' + Do not ride with loose objects attached to the handlebar or any other part of the bicycle. + Avoid objects that might get into the spokes. + Do not ride while intoxicated or while using medications that might make you drowsy. + For road bicycles, ride only on paved surfaces. + Use special care when riding off-road. Ride only onthe trails. Avoid rocks, branches, or depressions. + When approaching a descent, reduce speed, keep your weight back and low, and use the rear brake more than the front. + Do not ride in an abusive manner. Watch for Cars, Pedestrians, and Other Obstacles A bicycle rider is hard to see, and many drivers do not know the rights and special considerations of a bicycle rider. Ride defensively; watch for cars, pedestrians, and other trail users. Be prepared for all situations. Watch for and avoid potholes, drain grates, soft or low shoulders, and other deviations which could impact your wheels or cause them to slip. If you are not sure of riding surface conditions, walk your bike. Do Not Make Changes to the Wheelset If you make a change to the wheelset, you will void the manufacturer's warranty. Also, this is not safe. Do not install parts on this wheelset that do not have approval. Parts that lack approval can cause damage to the wheelset and are not safe. If you are not sure if a part has approval, speak to your Bontrager dealer. WARNING The following abusive riding practices increase your risk of injury: + Jumping your bicycle + Performing bicycle stunts + Severe off-road riding + Downhill riding + Any abnormal bike riding Each of these practices increases the stresson every part of your bicycle. Bicycles or parts under high stress may fatigue prematurely, causing them to malfunction or break, increasing the risk of injury to the rider. To decrease your risk of injury, avoid these riding practices. 8 9 Check Your Wheels Regularly You can stop trouble before it occurs by examining your wheels regularly. If a wheel is not in satisfactory condition, the power of the brakes and the strength of the wheel can be greatly decreased. If you change tires or tubes, make sure an approved rim strip is in the correct location to avoid puncture or sudden air loss. Each Week Make sure there are no loose, bent, worn, or broken spokes. If the spokes are not in good condition, have your Bontrager dealer repair your wheels. Each Month Examine your rims for wear. Some rims have marks on the brake surface that show wear. Aluminum rims have a continuous indented band or several small spherical"dents" at regular distances around the brake surface. If the marks are worn or are not there, have your dealer replace the rim. Carbon fiber rims have a layer of scrim, a woven material, on the brake surface of the rim. Under the scrim layer, the carbon fibers are straight and parallel. If you can see straight fibers showing through the scrim layer, have your dealer replace the rim. Before Each Ride Make sure your wheels are correctly attached to your bicycle. For instructions on how to use wheel quick-releases, read Chapter 3 or speak to your Bontrager dealer. For thru-axles, read the informationthat came with your suspension fork or frame. Make sure your tires are inflated to the pressure shown on the sidewall of the tire. However, never inflate a tire on a carbon clincher road rim to a pressure higher than 120 psi (8,3 ATM) or a carbon clincher mountain rim to a pressure higher than 60 psi (4,1 ATM). Use a gauge and a bicycle pump when possible. Examine your tires for wear and other damage. Replace the tire if you can see the inner tube through any cuts or separations which go through the tire. If you can see a part of the tire casing through the tire tread (contact surface) or if tire knobs are worn or are not there, replace the tire. Make sure the wheels are straight and circular. Turn the rim. If the rim moves up-anddown or side-to-side, have your Bontrager dealer repair the wheel. Make sure your rims are clean. Dirty or greasy rims make your brakes less powerful. Clean your rims with a clean rag, or clean them with soap and water, rinse, and let them air dry. NOTICE: Do not fill your tires at gas stations because gas stations use compressors. A compressor releases pressure and volume very fast, so it could explode your tire. WARNING With rim brakes, brake-pads remove rim material when you apply the brake. If too much material is removed, the rim can become weak and break, decrease your control, and cause you to fall. Regularly examine your rims. Replace the rims when they are worn. Make sure the bearings of the wheels are correctly adjusted. Lift the front wheel of the bicycle off the ground with one hand and try to move the rim laterally, left to right. Look, feel, and listen for loose bearings. Turn the wheel and listen for grinding or other noise. For the rear wheel, do these procedures again. If a bearing feels loose or makes noise, have your dealer adjust the bearings. WARNING An incorrectly adjusted bearing can cause you to lose control and fall. Examine the bearings once a month, and correct the Problem before you ride the bicycle. 10 11 Every 100 Hours of Use Have your hubs serviced by an authorized Bontrager Wheel Works dealer after every 100 hours or 6 months of use. More frequent service may be required for wheels under heavy usage. Using Tubular (sew-up) Wheels Regularly examine your tubular tires and keep them in good condition. Examine the casing and tread of the tire for cuts or tears to the tubular casing. Make sure the base tape ...