Tighten Handlebars; Install Seatpost; Tighten Seatpost - Bike Friday Silk User Manual

Assembly: Handlebars
Set the Handlebar Position
or Angle
With the handlebars in the
stem clamp, press them
firmly together to ensure
they are fully seated. Cus-
tom stems for drop bars
have a large window to
allow you to center the split
bar. Other handlebar types
have a small button screw on the stem clamp to keep the bars
centered. For the angle of the bars, experiment with what feel
appropriate.
Mechanic's Tip: For flat bars, the angle of the brake lever should
allow your hands and wrists to use them while maintaining a
straight line of your arm through your wrist/fingers. What you
want to avoid is a bend or angle in your wrist while using the
brakes; this causes unnecessary stress on the joint.

Tighten Handlebars

Using a 4/5/6mm hex/
Allen wrench, tighten the
handlebar clamp securely.
If you have a 4-bolt face
plate (four bolts are used
to secure the stem face
plate and handlebars to the
stem), avoid over tightening
either the top or the bottom
(relative to each other). The
gap between the stem and the faceplate should be the same on
the top as on the bottom.
Double Check your Steering System
Now is a good time to double check your
steering system. Stand in front of your
bike with your front wheel between your
legs. Try to push, pull, and twist the bars
to make sure everything is secure, that
the bars do not turn independent of the
fork/front wheel.
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Fig. 34 Correct wrist position.
Fig. 35 Tighten handlebars.
Fig. 36 Check steering.
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Assembly: Seatpost
Install the Seatpost
Remove the packing materi-
als from your seatpost and
insert the seatpost into the
frame. Make sure the nose
of the saddle is pointed for-
ward and tighten the seat-
mast collar bolt. Once you
have your saddle height set,
try adding a piece of elec-
trical tape to the seat post
or use a permanent marker
to mark your saddle height for quick re-assembly. If you did not
purchase a saddle with your bike now would be a good time to
install your own saddle.
Set the Correct Saddle Height
A good starting point is to sit on the bike with your heel on the
pedal at the lowest point. Adjust the saddle height so that your
leg is straight. Then, when you are correctly pedaling with the
ball of your foot on the pedal, your leg should have a slight
bend. This is your goal: a slight bend in the knee when the ped-
als are at the 6 o'clock position. NOTE: Never raise your saddle
past its maximum insertion line (the hash marks on the seatpost
3" from the bottom). See page 23 for minimum insertion marks.
Tighten the Seatpost
Some bikes have a seatpost
shim — a split aluminum
sleeve inside the seat mast
used to decrease the inside
diameter of the tube).
Whenever you install the
seatpost, make certain the
seatpost shim has its slot
alighed with the slot on the
seat mast. Also make sure
the seat mast collar has its
slot aligned with the slot in the seat mast. Tighten the seatpost
collar clamp. Do not over tighten; the bolt could break.
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Fig. 37 Install seatpost into frame.
Fig. 38 Tighten the seatpost.
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