Steering Tube
Brake Boss
Crown
Blade
1.
Crown | Brake Bridge |
| |
| Brake Boss |
|
Steering Tube
Fork Blade
2.
Forks
There are two different types of forks that vary in styles and dimensions. One type is a rigid fork (Figure 1) consisting of stationary tubing with curved blades. The other type is a suspension fork (Figure 2) consisting of stanchion tubes riding on elastomers or springs inside of a straight fork leg. This mechanism acts as a shock absorber with a specified amount of travel that varies between models. Some suspen- sion forks are not adjustable and are very difficult to disas- semble. If service is needed on a suspension fork, consult a professional bicycle repair technician.
Do not attempt to disassemble a suspension fork yourself. Consult a professional bicycle repair technician.
Check the tightness of the headset and the fork. Rotate the fork checking for smoothness. If it feels like the fork is binding, then an adjustment will need to be made to the headset. Move the fork in a push/pull manner checking for tightness. If any play is detected, loosen the top nut, adjust the bearing cup, and retighten the top nut. Recheck the rotation and tightness. If necessary, readjust until a smooth rotation is achieved without backward or forward move- ment. If your bike is equipped with a suspension fork, check that the fork compresses and rebounds smoothly. To do this, place the fork dropouts against the ground, push and release the handlebar. The fork will generally compress
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