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Carefully inspect your components, including the crankset, before and after each
ride for signs of impact or fatigue stress:
• Dents
• Cracks
• Scratches
• Deformation
• Discoloration
Even if you perform regular inspections, if you exceed the limit of strength
of a given part, it may fail if overloaded. After any high force load, thoroughly
inspect all the parts of your bike. High force loads include crashes, but you don't
have to crash to put a high force load on your bike. For example, hitting a large
hole in the road or a sharp bump such as a railroad track can put large forces on
your bike.
The manner in which you ride will determine whether your bike and its parts
will last. If you ride hard or aggressively, you should replace the bike and/or its
parts more often than riders who ride smoothly or cautiously.
There are many variables to this equation: weight, speed, technique, terrain,
maintenance, riding environment (humidity, salinity, temperature, etc.), and the
frame or part itself- so it is impossible to give a precise timetable for replace-
ment. If you aren't sure, ask your dealer. But as a rule, it is better to err on the
safe side and replace the bike or parts more frequently.
Carbon fiber is among the strongest materials used in bicycle manufacture.
However, carbon fiber has unique qualities, different from metal parts, and must
be inspected carefully for damage.
Unlike metal parts, carbon fiber parts that have been damaged may not bend,
bulge, or deform; a damaged part may appear to be normal to a cursory glance.
Use the following procedures to inspect carbon fiber parts:
• Check for scratches, gouges, or other surface problems.
• Check the part for loss of rigidity.
• Check the part for delamination.
• Listen for unusual creaking or clicking noises.
These tests may not be conclusive.
The tests are difficult to describe, so as an aid to describing the tests we provide
a movie of inspecting a carbon fiber part in the owner's manual section of the
Bontrager website. If you have any doubts about the integrity of a part, do not
ride the bicycle.