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Another popular way to improve the performance of a bicycle is to sub-
stitute lighter weight “racing” components. Lighter wheels, tires, handle-
bars and so on can enhance the performance of your bike; but you must
always keep in mind that light weight racing components are not intend-
ed to have the life expectancy of their heavier counterparts, and you
must therefore exercise extra care in checking for signs of stress fatigue
(See Section 7.4)
Suspension forks are also a popular component upgrade. Before
installing a suspension fork on a non-suspension bike or installing a fork
with different travel or geometry characteristics than the original fork on
the bicycle, you must make sure that the frame is designed to take the
change in geometry and the changes in stress characteristics which the
change in fork can cause. Ask your dealer to check with the bike’s man-
ufacturer—or check with the manufacturer’s technical support staff
yourself—before installing a different fork on your bicycle.
WARNING: Suspension forks, particularly the “double clamp” and
“triple clamp” designs favored by downhill racers, put extraordinary
stresses on the head tube and front part of the bicycle frame which
the frame’s design may not be able to handle. Such stresses can
result in sudden, catastrophic frame failure, which can cause serious
injury or death.
!
2000 owner's manual 10/27/99 10/27/99 11:16 AM Page 81