Handlebar clip bolt:
Check that this is properly secured, torque 15NM. If it is loose, the handlebars may slip without
warning.
Brakes:
The brakes should be set so that the pads are as close to the rim as practical without actually
interfering with the free running of the wheel. When setting the rear brakes, the bicycle should be
in its un-parked position. Adjustment is carried out using the threaded cable stop on the brake
lever (or, on a C-type, at the caliper).
Dual-pivot calipers, centering. These are not self-balancing, and need to be trimmed so as
not to exert any side force on the rim. Apply the brake and watch for any trace of sideways motion
of the rim or tyre as the pads engage: adjust the M5 set-screw (visible on top of the caliper - use
a 2.5mm hex key) in order to get the caliper properly balanced. (If after doing this, the caliper
appears "lop-sided", with one arm lower relative the rim than the other, then the whole caliper
assembly needs to be re-positioned in the frame. Slacken off the main nut (10 AF) holding the
brake spindle, adjust the M5 set-screw to get rid of the uneven look of the brake, and do up the
main nut again while pulling on the brake lever. Finally, re-trim the caliper so as to centre the
pads using the M5 set-screw.)
Dual-pivot calipers, pad position. As these wear down, or after any adjustment as above, the
pads may no longer bear centrally against the braking surface on the rim: re-position as needed.
Cup and cone bearings:
If these are set over-tight, damage is likely, and in the case of a geared rear hub, the freewheel
will tighten up as well (in turn causing chain problems during folding). Always ensure that the
relevant locknut is secure after adjustment:
a) wheel hubs: set so that very slight play is just discernible at the wheel rim. On the rear geared
hub, do not use the RH cone for bearing adjustment. Instead use the two nuts (22AF) at the LH
end: the bearing cone here is unthreaded, and its position on the axle is set by the inner of these
two nuts, which is in turn locked in position with the outer.
b) steering head: set so that no play is discernible, and so that (after tightening the lock-nut) the
steering is still free, and without tight spots.
