You will be amazed at just how much carbon products or parts are light in terms of weight. The real surprise, however, will hit home when you ride a bike fitted with the carbon clincher wheelset. The "miracle" featherweight carbon material transfers much of your physical effort directly to the ground below you, amazing you with its levels of control, comfort and acceleration. This will surely be different from what you have previously experienced.
As you shop for your carbon bike products, take some time and visit the Bicycle Industries Australia (BIA) website. BIA is the Australian peak body for the entire bicycle industry in the country and aims to promote ethical business and trading business practices in the bike industry.
General Bike Care
Even with the awesome strength, toughness and power seen in carbon bike parts, one careless act can cause some serious degrees of damage to your bike. This is due to the fact that carbon has some very different attributes and features when compared to others such as steel, titanium or even aluminium which probably you might have ridden before.
Different from such, carbon is basically a composite synthetic material made up of fibres that have been uniquely and differently made. For that particular reason, the new carbon jewel in your possession is composed of a fabric that is super-strong requiring some little fresh new knowledge from you.
Safety First!
For your carbon rims ensure that you only use the particular brake pads types recommended by the product manufacturer as per the Australian Standards AS 1927-1998 on safety as well as the Road Traffic Regulations of 2014.
Preventing Flats
When it comes to flats, riding on a flat tire is not recommended. For a carbon rim, it becomes even more crucial as it could easily ruin your wheel, which due to their tall sidewalls can delaminate when in contact with the pavement for long durations.
Therefore ensure your tire inflation is always at optimum levels. Only use plastic tire levers as you fix any tire flats lest you damage the carbon rims with metal ones.
The Tubular Wheels
For your tubular carbon wheels, which must be glued onto the tires, confirm that the rims have been readied through having them lightly by scuffed using steel wool. This cleans and abrades them slightly. When the tires remain for very long durations on the rim, they could get stuck and difficult to remove and this could harm your carbon rims easily.
Taking Care Of Spokes
On any bike wheel, spokes can get loose and they ought to be regularly checked for optimum tension levels. As carbon wheels got tall and stiff rims, it may not be easy to notice when your spokes get a bit loose. Therefore, make it a point of regularly checking spoke tension by squeezing them.
Bicycle Rack Strapping
If the need to strap your bicycle onto any vehicle rack ever arises, ensure that the straps used don’t cut and scrape into the carbon rim by placing a pad against the rim.
Repair And Replacing Parts
Damaged or crashed bike wheels displaying visible indicators of damage like chips, cracks, loose fibres or marks of fatigue, should immediately be removed from use and taken for inspection to ensure they remain safe for use. Bicycles sold in Australia must meet the mandatory standards outlined in the Australian and New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS 1927:1998).