An Orrville Cycling Advantage: Bike Setup
We use our experience and attention to detail to properly setup your bike.
February 2011

Introduction

In this article we would like to share with you another advantage of buying your bike from Orrville Cycling and Fitness. From experience we know many bike shops do not spend as much time as we do assembling and properly setting up bikes. We pride ourselves on the attention we give to setting up a new bike and know it makes a positive difference in the reliability, comfort, and safety of your new bike.

What It Takes

When we receive a new bike from the manufacturer it arrives in a cardboard box, partially disassembled. The manufacturers have packing down to a science. We unpack the bike and arrange the pieces to begin the build up.

On the bike in the accompanying pictures the fork comes uninstalled. The headset components are lubricated with grease to prevent corrosion. The headset and front fork are then mated to the frame. The stem is installed on the fork’s steerer tube to complete the fork installation.

Now we turn our attention to the cables and housing that support braking and shifting. We ensure the cables are properly routed and we lubricate shifting cables for smooth and consistent shifts. On bikes with cable actuated brakes we grease the brake cables to prevent corrosion and provide smooth brake lever action.

Next up is installation of the wheels, but here is where shortcuts can be made. Some shops simply pull the wheels out of the box and install them. We check and true the wheels before installation, and if equipped with disc brakes, we check and true the brake rotors as well.

Most wheels require at least a small amount of truing out of the box. Doing so increases the reliability and durability of the wheels. True wheels translate to a better ride feel and best performance. On rim brake equipped bikes a true wheel allows the brakes to be adjusted closer to the rims for faster brake action.

The wheels are now true but still not ready to install. We check the hub bearings for smooth operation and, if necessary, adjust the bearings for best performance and durability (a poorly adjusted hub will wear out prematurely). On the rear wheel we ensure the cassette lock ring is installed with proper torque. Now the tubes are inflated while ensuring the tire beads are properly seated and the wheels are ready for installation.

Now it's time to focus on the front wheel. On some bikes the front brake needs to be installed prior to installing the front wheel. The front brake is adjusted for proper alignment and cable tension if the brake is cable actuated. We ensure the quick release that secures the front wheel functions correctly and is properly tightened as we install the wheel.

At the rear of the bike the back wheel is installed and its quick release is also checked. Many shops move on at this point but we ensure the rear derailleur hanger is in proper alignment. Many times the derailleur hanger requires adjustment out of the box. A special tool is used to do this which gauges the alignment and allows for adjustment. The rear shifting of a bike is much more consistent and reliable when the derailleur hanger is properly positioning the rear derailleur.

The handlebars are installed and roughly aligned at this time. Now we can setup the travel limits on the front and rear derailleurs and ensure indexed shfiting is flawless. Pedaling the bike by hand in the work stand we run the bike through all gear combinations and make adjustments as necessary.

With the bike on the floor we align the handlebars to the front wheel and properly tighten stem bolts for the handlebars and fork. The brakes are tested for proper operation. Most of the time, weather permitting, we take the bike for a test ride outside to ensure all systems operate perfectly. If we are not able to ride outside, a ride through the shop lets us validate the bike's setup.. Now the bike is ready for the showroom floor or pickup by a customer.

Conclusion

We setup every bike with care and attention to detail. Of course there are shortcuts that could be taken but we do not compromise our approach. The setup of your bike directly translates to the reliability, performance, and comfort of your bike. These are the qualities that make a bike fun to ride.

Let us put our years of experience to service setting up your bike!

- OC&F