In light of receiving a brand new carbon Dolan road bike myself, I thought I would share with you what you need to know or do when you have gone out and bought a new bike. Congratulations first off, maybe you might like to bask in all it’s glory for the evening. After that most important would be to ensure your position is correct, from saddle height and setback to the bars and lever set-up. This can be replicated from your old bike, or you may want to go ahead and get a personalized bike fit.
New bikes tend to need a bit of bedding in, hydraulic disc brakes even more so. To ‘bed in’ your disc brakes, you need to build up speed of 20-25 kmh and pull your brakes, but not completely lock up, and come to a walking pace. Repeat 10-15 times and you should have completed the process. This is to ensure the pads material is transferred to the rotor evenly and they mate together in a controlled fashion. If not done correctly it can affect braking performance and you can have that horrendous squeal so often heard.
If bought from a local store they should offer you a first free service within 1-3 months, once you’ve had the chance to get out and have a few rides on it. The service will only be a nut & bolt check along with a gear and brake tune. New cables tend to stretch at the brakes and gears if they’re mechanical. Where there are bearings there may be slight play after some use and preload may not have been set correctly. Or even some bolts not torqued to spec. So, if it has been offered you should take use and give peace of mind your bike is safe to ride.
One thing to note and the big brands will not like me for saying this, but bikes are not built with the pride you would expect when so much money has been handed over. They tend to be built in factories on a production line by underpaid and underqualified laborers. Unless the bike is from a boutique brand and built in house by a qualified mechanic, many people could have been involved in the building of it. It’s always worth having a full service, typically 1 a year and before it gets too late as some parts can seize due to no grease application.
By Jordan Colledge, Head Mechanic Vélo Presto
