Cannondale Bicycle Owner's Manual page 76

PaRt ii
■ 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
Cannondale 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.
■ stem
Clean and inspect carefully for cracks. Pay particular
attention to the underside of the stem. If the stem is
of welded construction, examine the edges of each
weld. See also the closely related handlebar section
below.
■ handlebars
Remove from stem. With road bars, you will need to
remove the handlebar tape. Remove any handlebar
mounted components. Clean and inspect carefully
for cracks. Pay particular attention to the area where
the handlebar emerges from the stem. This is the
area where virtually all handlebars will eventually
fail. Periodic replacement of all handlebars is strongly
recommended. How often they need to be replaced
depends upon the many factors outlined above.
Be sure that you do not scratch or score the surface
of the handlebars with either the stem or the brake
or shifter levers. As noted above, any such damage
will reduce the life of the handlebar and could lead to
premature failure.
If you find that there is a sharp edge or burr on the
inside of the stem, right where the handlebars emerge,
it must be smoothed out with fine sandpaper (220
grit or finer) before the new handlebars are installed.
Such a sharp edge or burr could cause a scratching or
scoring of the handlebar. As noted above, any such
damage will reduce the life of the handlebar and
could lead to premature failure.
■ seat Post
Remove from seat tube and remove from saddle.
Disassemble the head/saddle clamp assembly. Clean
and inspect all parts carefully for cracks.
Pay particular attention to the bolt (or bolts) that
clamp the saddle in place. If the bolt looks stretched,
bent or in any way damaged, replace it. Note that
these bolts have been known to fail in fatigue when
not properly tightened. They must be tightened with
a torque wrench.
The threads of the seat post bolts be greased before
reassembly.
Be sure the clamp assembly is clamped only to the
straight parallel part of the saddle rails.
■ seat Post lubrication
Clean and apply the following to a seat post before
inserting into the frame.
fRame mateRial
seat tUBe seat Post
ALLOY ALLOY
ALLOY CARBON
CARBON ALLOY
CARBON CARBON
GREASE - A high-quality bicycle bearing grease
CARBON GEL - Is a gel like lubricant formulated for use
with carbon fiber components (Cannondale p/n KF115/).
■ saddle
While the saddle is off the seat post, clean and inspect
the rails carefully for cracks. Check the saddle rails to
the saddle body; make sure that the rails are firmly
attached.
74
seat Post
lUBRiCation
GREASE
CARBON GEL
CARBON GEL
CARBON GEL