Congratulations on your new bike. We hope you get many years of riding on this bike. Your Zinn, Clydesdale, or Tui bike has been assembled with care by one of our seasoned professional bike mechanics and checked off by our team. We ensure all components are installed properly, shifting is tuned, brakes are bedded in, and brake calipers are centered and adjusted. We warranty the assembly of your bike for 3-months from the date of delivery. If you find any issues with the assembly of the bike, please submit a service request form here and we will determine if the issue is due to a mistake in assembly or due to normal riding. If you live on the Colorado Front Range or are in the area, you can bring your bike to our shop for service any time. Be aware that bikes encounter a great deal of vibration during shipping which can cause cables, bolts, and threaded components to loosen. It’s important to check the tightness of everything on the bike before the first ride, and it’s normal for shifting to need minor adjustments when the bike arrives. 

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • Pre-ride checks
  • Every 3-5 ride checks
  • 2 week check up
  • 4-6 week check up and preventative maintenance
  • 6-month maintenance
  • Guidelines for bike storage and transport
  • Troubleshooting common issues
  • Taking care of your bike frame

Bicycle Assembly

When you get your Zinn, Clydesdale, or KHS bike fully assembled from us, it’s shipped to your house already built. But, you will have a few minor steps to complete before you can hop on and go for a ride. So, follow this how-to guide to assemble your bicycle quickly and easily. It’s doable on your own but we always recommend taking the bike to an experienced bike mechanic. 

Tools

There are a few tools and care items you’ll need to maintain your bike, or you can always bring it to a bike shop. 

**Resources: The books Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance and Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance have full step by step instructions on all bicycle maintenance tasks as well as torque tables in the appendices. If you plan to do your own maintenance, these books are highly recommended and have been the world’s best-selling bike maintenance books for around 30 years. 

**Not following these guidelines voids the warranty on assembly as well as components. 

**Every bolt or threaded component on a bike can potentially loosen from riding. Bikes encounter a lot of vibration on roads, gravel, and trails. If your bike was shipped to you, it encountered a huge amount of vibration during transit. Vibration may cause bolts to loosen. You should regularly check all bolts and threaded components on the bike. It is a good idea to own a torque wrench. Sometimes manufacturer torque specs are not high enough for heavy riders, so if you have bolts that loosen frequently despite being tightened to the manufacturer’s specification, you may need to tighten beyond that spec. Be sure to gently and carefully increase the torque to avoid breaking the bolt.

**NOTE FOR MECHANICS: Due to our unique client base, often big and tall riders or very small riders, we are regularly using some non-standard components to achieve the performance and fit that our customers need. We often use components outside of the “technical specification requirements” from Sram or Shimano so that we can achieve better fit, gear ranges, and other features needed by our customers. We always test these component combinations before installing them on a customer’s bike. Adjustments can prove to be more challenging with some of these component combinations. Please contact us before working on any bike built by Zinn Cycles, Clydesdale Bikes, or Tui Bikes so we can help you to understand the nuances of these component combinations.

When you get the bike – before the first ride. 

  • Tire pressure – make sure your tire pressure is within the range printed on the side of the tire. Heavier riders should inflate in the upper end of the posted range. 
  • All bolts and threaded components need to be torqued to their minimum torque requirements.
  • Check crank bolts and bottom bracket tightness

Every Ride: Things to Check before every ride

  • Tire pressure – make sure your tire pressure is within the range printed on the side of the tire. Heavier riders should inflate in the upper end of the posted range. 
  • Headset tightness – apply the front brake and push the handlebars back and forth. If you feel play in the headset,  you will need to tighten the preload bolt. Headset bolts often loosen up in the first couple weeks of riding. **see below for instructions on this
  • Crank bolt tightness – grab the crank arms and move them to see if there is any play in the assembly of the crank arms. 
  • Wheel axle tightness – grab your wheel around the tire and try and move it side to side. If you feel play, you’ll need to tighten your axles. 

Every 3-5 rides: Preventative maintenance every 3-5 rides

  • Clean your drivetrain using a good bike wash. You can spray the cleaner on the drivetrain and let it sit for a few minutes before gently hosing it off. Do not use a high pressure hose nozzle. You don’t have to use a bike specific wash. Simple Green or 409 diluted a bit can be a good wash for a bike too. 
  • Let drivetrain air dry
  • Lubricate chain by dripping a small drop of high quality chain lube onto each chain link. Turn the crank around a few times then wipe the excess chain lube off with a towel.
  • If you have a waxed chain, only wash the drivetrain with water, if at all (dusting it off with a rag usually suffices). Do this after riding to allow it to dry before the next ride. The waxed chain will not pick up dirt, so there will only be loose dust on the chain, chainrings, cassette, and jockey wheels, making this a quick and easy task (there won’t be the normal oil/dirt drivetrain sludge). It will go 300-400 miles before adding wax drip lube or re-waxing is necessary.
  • On a waxed chain, only use a wax based drip lube compatible with the wax: Silca Super Secret, Effetto Mariposa Flower Power Wax, CeramicSpeed UFO, and Tru-Tension BananaSlip Tungsten drip lubes will lubricate the chain almost as well as molten wax (and better than non-wax-based lubes) and will also not pick up dirt, since they are wax in a water emulsion (and since they are water-based, you can apply them when the chain is wet). Allow to dry overnight; otherwise, rain can rinse them off if riding before they are set. If you put any other lube than the ones listed above on your chain, it will have to be thoroughly cleaned and immersion-waxed again to regain its low friction, longevity, and dry, non-dirt-attracting performance and low maintenance (https://zinncycles.com/immersion-chain-waxing/ ).

After 2 weeks: Adjustments and checks after approximately 2 weeks of regular riding. 

  • Tighten crank arm fixing bolt to 20-30 nm
  • *Tighten headset if there is play. This is often something that loosens slightly after a few rides. 
    • First loosen the stem clamp pinch bolts
    • Tighten the vertical top cap preload bolt until there is no play. Then re-tighten the stem pinch bolt alternating between the two bolts until you have reached the manufacturer’s torque setting. 
    • Stand in front of the bike and place the tire between your knees and hold firmly while trying to twist the handlebars. If you can turn the handlebars while the wheel stays straight, you will need to tighten the pinch bolts more. Do this carefully to avoid breaking the bolts. 
  • Adjust cable tension on shifters for mechanical shifting groups
  • Check to make sure pedals have not loosened up
  • Tighten chainring bolts
  • Tighten suspension pivot bolts for bike with rear suspension
  • Tighten derailleur fixing bolt
  • Check bottom bracket cup torque – 40nm
  • Check air pressure on shocks. Rear shocks should be set to approximately 25-30% sag and front forks are approximately 20-25% sag. 

4-6 weeks: Checks and adjustments after about 4-6 weeks of regular riding

  • Check wheels for any loose spokes. Spokes can loosen up after riding due to the compression of the rim. The heavier you are, the more likely this is to happen. Also rough terrain will increase the probability of loose spokes. 
  • True wheels – typically once the wheel gets trued at this interval, it will stay true for a longer time period since the rim and spokes have settled into their tension. However, it is still possible for spokes to loosen again, so it’s a good idea to check them regularly to ensure that your wheels last many years. 
  • Check everything in the 2 week checklist again

6 months: After 6 months of regular riding

  • Full tune-up
  • Replenish tire sealant if you have tubeless tires (more frequently in arid climates)
  • Check tires for wear and replace if necessary 
  • Clean brake rotors with alcohol
  • Sand your brake pads with drywall screen to rough them up a little. Pads get glossed over after awhile so this can regain some of that original brake feel. 
  • Do the 4-6 week check again

Guidelines for bike storage, transport, and longevity

  • Don’t hang your bike upside down for long periods of time if you have hydraulic disc brakes
  • Keep your bike clean while storing. 
  • Store the bike inside as much as possible 
  • You can use SC-1 spray or Armor-All to coat the frame to protect paint or graphics from sun fading. 
  • When transporting your bike on a rear hitch-mounted rack, it’s advisable to remove the brake pad from the brake calipers to avoid getting road salt in the brake pads. This is more important in the colder months when there may be snow or sleet. 

Troubleshooting some common issues: 

Taking care of your bike frame:

Titanium Frames
Titanium frames can never corrode, but it’s always a good idea to drain water out of the seat tube after riding in the rain.
Use Anti-seize compound when threading any component directly onto the frame.
Scratches: Titanium frames can scratch. Use a scotchbrite pad to buff out scratches. We can refinish your titanium frame for a modest charge at any time during the life of the frame.
Use SC-1 Spray from Maxima Oils to clean and coat your frame to make it look nice and protect from sun and fingerprints.
Aluminum Frames
Drain water from seat tube after riding in the rain.
For Zinn Megabikes and Gigabikes, and other bikes with a concentrak bushing pivot: Squirt a high quality bicycle grease into the zerk fitting underneath the bottom bracket. A grease gun can be obtained at an auto parts shop, or even Walmart. Don’t use the auto grease. Use a spoon to scoop a high quality bicycle grease into the grease gun.  We recommend Buzzy’s Slick Honey grease because it is smooth, light, and clean. Pump grease into the zerk fitting after ever 3-6 rides. Grease more often when riding in wet or muddy conditions.
Steel Frames
Water can come come into the frame through the slot at the back of the seat tube. It gets in past the seatpost when it is thrown up at that area by the rear tire.
You need to remove the seatpost and leave it upside down overnight to drain whenever you ride or transport your bike in the rain. And then spray Frame Saver down in there after it’s dry. Frame Saver is available at most hardware stores, and there are other brands of a similar product available.
Some manufacturers drill a drain hole in the bottom of the BB shell. This can help protect the bottom bracket bearings, but water can still collect above the shell because the hole into the shell from the seat tube is at the high point, and water can sit down along the weld lines around the front and back of the tube.  A drain hole at the bottom of the bottom bracket shell alone is insufficient to protect the seat tube from rusting.
Touch up scratches in paint. Touch up paint can be easily attained at an auto body/paint shop. They usually have pretty close matches.
Magnesium Frames
Water can come come into the frame through the slot at the back of the seat tube. It gets in past the seatpost when it is thrown up at that area by the rear tire.
You need to remove the seatpost and leave it upside down overnight to drain whenever you ride or transport your bike in the rain. And then spray Frame Saver down in there after it’s dry. Frame Saver is available at most hardware stores, and there are other brands of a similar product available. It’s also a good idea to spray frame saver inside the frame every month or so.
Touch up scratches in paint. Touch up paint can be easily obtained at an auto body/paint shop. They usually have pretty close matches.