United BMX Owners Manual

complete bike oWners manual

unitedbikeco.com

Welcome Congratulations on being the proud owner of a United BMX. This owners manual is here to help you learn the basics of assembling and servicing your bike, we have separated it into different chapters listed below to make it easier to use.

If you are unsure on how to repair or replace any part of your bike, we always recommend having a qualified bicycle mechanic, or your local bike shop do this. We also advise where possible if this bike has been bought online that you have a mechanic or bike shop build it for the first time to ensure you have the best possible experience with your brand new ride.

The bike you have purchased is a high quality product, whose components have been carefully chosen, researched, tested and developed to guarantee their function. These parts however, if incorrectly installed or not maintained, are liable to damage, which can be totally avoided with proper care and use. The following pages will give you guidance on how to care for your bike and keep it running smooth for years to come. _

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– contents –

1. Parts list 2. How to assemble your bike 3. Taking care of your bike 4. Servicing 5. Reflectors and helmets 6. Warranty

geoff slattery united pro team

photo by fred murray

alex valentino united pro team

photo by fred murray

1. parts list 01. Brake Lever

07. Forks

13. Sprocket/Chainwheel

19. Rims

02. Handlebar

08. Front Brake *

14. Chain

20. Tyres

03. Grips

09. Front Wheel

15. Seat Clamp

21. Spokes

04. Bar Ends

10. Frame

16. Seat Post

22. Hubs

05. Stem

11. Pedals

17. Seat

06. Headset

12. Cranks

18. Rear Wheel

* Not shown

17

16 10 15

20

f

19

e d

18

21

g

22 h

1

13 14

12

11

04

01

03

02

frame parts

Hub parts

forks

A. Head Tube

Shell

Steerer Tube

b. Down Tube

Cones

Legs

C. Top Tube

Axle

Dropouts

D. Bottom Bracket

Driver

Top Cap

e. Seat Tube

06

05

c

f. Seat Stay

Crank parts

g. Chain Stay

Crank Arms

H. Dropouts

Spindle

a

07 b 19

09

21

20

22

parts list

2. hoW to assemble your bike When you first receive your bike you should carefully unpack it and make sure all the parts are enclosed. It will contain the bike, handlebars, front wheel and a small parts box.

All the parts will be carefully attached to the frame for protection during transport, please take great care when removing this packaging to avoid marking any part of your new bike.

Please read the following assembly instructions and follow them step by step in this order to make the whole process go smoothly.

1.1 Tools for the Job 1.2 Handlebars & stem 1.3 seat 1.4 pedals 1.5 front Wheel 1.6 rear Wheel 1.7 brakes

1.1 Tools for the Job This is probably the most important part, making sure you have the right tools, and a clean and tidy space to assemble the bike, without these parts can get damaged, lost, or not perform as well as they should when installed. If you do not have any of these tools, you will not be able to finish building the bike, so it is recommended to get all of these before you start.

Allen key set, including 6mm, 5mm, 4mm. 17mm socket set. 15mm pedal spanner (wrench) 14mm & 10mm spanner, cable cutters.

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1.2 Handlebars & stem Loosen the four bolts that are on the front of the stem using a 6mm Allen Key. Once these are all the way loose, remove the stem cap and then place the handlebar into the stem and replace the cap.

Once the handlebars are in the correct position, which is usually level with the forks when viewed from the side, and ensuring the knurling is evenly in the stem, you can start to tighten down the bolts.

It is VERY important that you do not over tighten the bolts, and also that you tighten the bolts on opposite sides of the stem in a criss cross pattern as illustrated. You need to make sure the gaps between the stem cap and stem body are even all the way around. Do not over tighten individual bolts, they all need to be tightened gradually and evenly to prevent striping threads.

hoW to assemble your bike

1.3 seat Your bike will come with one of 4 types of seat. Traditional seat with rails and seat guts, an all in one seat and post combo, a pivotal system seat, or a tripod system seat. Here are the individual guides for each.

B. railed seat. This seat will come with the seat guts pre-installed on the rails of the seat. Take the seat post and insert it into the seat guts, then using a 14mm spanner, tighten down on the nuts each side evenly. Once this is installed and tight, you then take the seat post and insert this into the frame, making sure any minimum insertion markers are not visible and tighten the seat clamp with either a 4mm or 5mm allen key depending on your bike model until the seat does not twist. Again, be very careful not to over tighten and damage the seat clamp or threads.

A. All in one seat & post. The simplest seat and post combo, take the seat post and insert this into the frame, making sure any minimum insertion markers are not visible and tighten the seat clamp with either a 4mm or 5mm allen key depending on your bike model until the seat does not twist. Again, be very careful not to over tighten and damage the seat clamp or threads.

C. pivotal seat. The seat is attached to the post using a bolt that is hidden inside the rubber pivotal patch on the top of the seat. Take a 6mm allen key and put this into the rubber patch, then once inserted screw this into the thread at the top of the post, when nearly all the way tightened, line up the grooves to your desired seat angle, and then tighten all the way down. Once this is installed and tight, you then take the seat post and insert this into the frame, making sure any minimum insertion markers are not visible and tighten the seat clamp with either a 4mm or 5mm allen key depending on your bike model until the seat does not twist. Again, be very careful not to over tighten and damage the seat clamp or threads.

D. Tripod seat. This seat is attached to the post using a bolt that goes through the underside of the post into the base of the seat. Firstly put the two sections at the rear of the post into the slots in the underside of the seat. You can then line up the front part of the post with the hole underneath the seat and use the bolt to tighten down. There is also a wedge washer supplied for you to adjust the angle of the seat if needed, this is placed underneath the post where the bolt tightens it to the seat. Once this is installed and tight, you then take the seat post and insert this into the frame, making sure any minimum insertion markers are not visible and tighten the seat clamp with either a 4mm or 5mm allen key depending on your bike model until the seat does not twist.

Again, be very careful not to over tighten and damage the seat clamp or threads.

1.4 pedals

1.5 front Wheel

Apply a small amount of grease on the thread of the pedals and inside the crank thread. The pedals are marked L & R on the ends of the axles, showing what side of the bike they will go on. The right hand pedal has a regular direction thread, (tightens clockwise) but the left hand pedal has a left hand thread, (tightens anti clockwise) so it tightens in the opposite direction. The pedals need to be tightened very tightly to the cranks.

If you are having trouble with the pedals when threading on, you may have the wrong side pedal, or be trying to install in the incorrect direction.

Loosen the axle nuts then put the wheel into the fork dropouts before tightening. At this point, make sure the forks and stem are facing the correct direction, that is stem facing forward, and the dropouts of the forks facing forwards also.

Your front tyre is also directional, so please make sure this is on the correct way around (tread facing forwards when viewed from the top). If your bike is supplied with pegs, remove the axle nut on the side you want to run the pegs, and then slide the peg over the axle. Using a 17mm socket set, tighten the nut back onto the axle, but make sure it is on the thread correctly before tightening completely.

If the nut is hard to get onto the axle, the threads are not aligned properly. It is very important to make sure both sides of the axle nuts are tightened properly!

hoW to assemble your bike

1.7 brakes Firstly, it is important that the brakes are installed correctly and properly functioning. If you are not confident in setting up the brakes please contact your local bike shop or a trained bicycle mechanic.

1.6 rear Wheel Your rear wheel is already installed, aligned and tightened, but if your bike comes with pegs this will need to be installed. Remove the axle nut on the side you want to run the pegs and then slide the peg over the axle. Using a 17mm socket set, tighten the nut back onto the axle, but make sure it is on the thread correctly before tightening completely. If the nut is hard to get onto the axle, the threads are not aligned properly. It is very important to make sure both sides of the axle nuts are tightened properly!

The brake lever(s) will be installed onto the handlebars already, the rear brake is also installed. Connect the cable to the lever, you will need to un hitch the straddle cable on the rear U Brake to release the tension and allow you to fit the cable into the lever. Once the cable is fitted into the lever, re-connect the straddle cable on the U Brake. At this point you may need to do some slight adjustment to your preference with the amount of pull on the lever, this can be done via the barrel adjuster. If it is not possible to get your correct tension, you may need to pull more cable through to tighten. To do this, un hitch the straddle cable again, then undo the nut on the straddle holder with a 10mm spanner. Now you can pull more cable through and tighten down the cable again, creating more tension in the braking system. Re-connect the straddle cable and test the brakes again.

If your country requires front brakes by law, these will be supplied. To install, undo the nut and washer from the centre bolt, attach the brake to the fork through the hole and replace the nut and washer.

Thread the inner cable through the brake barrel adjuster, then pull the outer cable until it sits tight inside the barrel adjuster. Thread the inner cable through the front brake pinch bolt, squeeze the brake arms together until the brake pads almost touch the rims, then tighten the pinch bolt down. Small adjustments can be made using the barrel adjusters to tighten/loosen.

hoW to assemble your bike

indirect tyre • Aggressive directional dirt profile combining grip and speed • Directional tread for greater balance and stability • Fine micro knurling across full tyre for improved grip • Designed and developed with input from the United team • 120 tpi construction / 110 psi rating • 20 x 2.35” only • Inflated width: 61mm / 2.4” • Inflated diameter: 528mm / 20.7” • Weight: 730 g / 25.7 oz • Black, White, Tan, Red or White & Tan Pinstripe wall options

unitedbikeco.com

nathan williams united pro team

photo by walter pieringer

3. Taking Care Of Your Bike Please note: if you experience any issues with your bike that you are not confident fixing, or any of these procedures look too complicated, please visit your local bike shop or speak to a bike mechanic.

Your new United BMX is built from high quality materials and workmanship, it is designed to be ridden up to a certain skill level, depending on the model you have purchased. These steps will help you take care of your bike and prolong the life of it’s parts. However as you progress it is important to understand that certain models are designed for a certain level of rider, and these steps will help you to get the best out of your BMX. Do not leave the bike exposed to the rain for prolonged periods. If the bike gets wet, it is important that it is dried properly, and any moving parts are checked to ensure they have enough oil/grease on them. Dirt, water, sweat and salt not only affect the appearance of products but can harm the inner workings, so it is important to keep your bike clean and dry.

Tips for fixing your bike It is important, especially after the first few sessions on your new bike, that you check all the parts closely. Check all nuts and bolts to make sure the tension has not decreased, especially parts on the wheels, stem, brakes and crank arms. Has the bike started to feel loose or make any weird noises? This can usually be from the initial ‘bedding in’ period of parts, where grease works it’s way into bearings and a simple checking of the tension on bolts can help to fix this. It is important to also do this from time to time, checking spoke tension, tyre pressure, and giving your bike a general once over to keep it running smooth and damage free.

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•Keep the bike free from water and dirt, clean and dry after use.

•Moving parts, parts affected by friction should be oiled and greased after cleaning (chain, sprocket, hub bearings, brakes, cables) •Correct tyre pressure should be maintained at all times, with a minimum of 55 psi and maximum depending on your tyre model.

•Rims and brake shoes should be cleaned at all times and free from dust, grease and dirt to maintain breaking performance.

3.1 Drivetrain Maintenance Keep the chain clean and free from dirt as much as possible. This will help pedaling as smooth as possible, it is important to clean using a degreasing spray, and then re-apply a chain lube once cleaned.

If the pedals start to work loose then they need to be re-tightened, also keep an eye on your crank spindle and pinch bolts to check they have not worked loose. Your sprocket bolt may also work loose after time, so please check this whole area for any looseness or wobbles and tighten where appropriate.

3.2 Headset Maintenance This is a very important part of the bike to keep checking to avoid issues with damage to forks or bearings. If this works loose, in order to tighten you need to loosen the two bolts at the rear of the stem first. Then the cap located on the top of the fork will need to be tightened, but usually only very very slightly. Once tightened slightly (by turning the bolt clockwise), check how smooth the handlebars turn, as over tightening will impact the bearings, so this can sometimes need a few adjustments to get correct. Once you are happy with the tightness, make sure the stem is inline with the front wheel, and then re-tighten the bolts at the rear of the stem.

3.3 brake Maintenance You should check the function of your brakes before each time you ride. Make sure the straddle cable bolts are still correctly tightened, that the brake pads are aligned with the rims, and the cables are correctly lubed and still feel smooth.

Dirty brake pads are usually the main cause of bad braking, so usually you just need to clean these. This is be done by removing the brake pads, and lightly rubbing some sandpaper on them. When doing this, make sure you also clean the rim before replacing the brake pads so that you don’t transfer any grease back onto them.

3.4 Wheel Maintenance Tyre pressure is indicated on the side of the tyre, and this should be kept between these guides any time you ride. Low pressure will increase rolling resistance and the likelihood of damaging the rims. High pressure can lead to the tyre blowing off the rim and further damage, never increase pressure above the stated guideline.

Keeping the spokes on your wheels tight and the wheels true is important for maintaining a smooth ride. This requires experience and special tools,

we do not recommend anyone tries this without knowledge, so visit a local bike shop or ask as bike mechanic for assistance on this.

If you get a puncture, fixing this can be done simply, but you need to follow some careful steps.

Deflate the tyre completely after removing from the bike. Use a tyre lever to pry the tyre of the rim carefully and close to the valve, then take a second tyre lever and place it around 10cm away and lift the tyre of the rim here. Proceed around the rim in this fashion until one side of the tyre is completely removed. You can then push the valve out and insert a new tube. Before you insert the new tube, check the inside of the tyre for any glass, thorns or nails that caused the puncture and remove them. When inserting a new tube, place a small amount of air in there to prevent pinching when inflating, and also make sure the rim tape is still covering all the spoke nipples.

Push the tyre back onto the rim using the levers and then re-inflate and install the wheel.

•Make sure the wheel is placed centrally back into the dropouts.

•Make sure the chain is installed correctly on the sprocket and hub •Make sure the chain has the correct tension, if it is too loose it can fall off when riding, or too tight it will not run smooth and be more prone to breaking in the future.

Hubs, like spokes, it is important to keep running smooth and free from grease or dirt. If you start to have any issues with hubs such as noise, grinding bearings, or issues with the rear driver, we recommend going back to the bike shop where you purchased this bike to have them assess it. Usually it is something very simple to fix, but it requires a trained mechanic to do this to avoid causing any unnecessary damage to such complex parts.

taking care of your bike

fernando laczko united world team

photo by fred murray

4. Servicing Bike Description: Model …………………………………………………………………………………...................................

Serial Number …………………………………………………………………………..................................

Colour …………………………………………………………………………………...................................

Moifications ………………………………………………………………………………..............................

Customer Info: Name …………………………………………………………………………………....................................

Address …………………………………………………………………………………................................ ………………………………………………………………………………….............................................. …………………………………………………………………………………..............................................

Telephone No ……………………………………………………………………………...............................

E-Mail Address …………………………………………………………………………................................

Dealer Stamp, Name & Signature:

…………………………………………………………………………………..............................................

Dealers, please check that the following items have been checked before handing over the bike; • All components installed correctly.

• Tyres inflated to the correct pressure, as stated on the sidewalls.

• Chain is at correct tension • Brakes are working correctly • Headset and Cranks are running smooth • If this is a new bike, any extra parts from the box, including parts bags/catalogues/posters are given to the customer.

servicing

5. Reflectors & Helmets We recommend avoiding riding at night. If you must do so, by law you need to be using a certified light for the front and rear of the bike. Reflectors are installed on bikes for your safety, they reflect car lights, making you more visible and can prevent you from being hit by another vehicle leading to injury or even death. Do not remove the reflectors under any circumstances and make sure they are always in a clean and good condition.

Helmets save lives, simple as that. You should always wear a certified and correctly fitting helmet when you ride, no matter what the conditions or your level of experience.

Ryan Lloyd & luke peeters united world team

photo by vince perraud

reflectors & helmets

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6. Warranty Our aim with United warranty is to help you as the rider resolve any problem swiftly and efficiently. We understand that accidents can happen and part of our objective is to have all our customers back on their bikes as quickly as possible.

HOW DO I SUBMIT A CLAIM?

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

If you have a claim please make sure you provide us with the all the required information listed and read ALL the info below, this runs through step by step what we require is the fastest and most convenient way for you to submit and us to process your claim. Please visit our website to submit your claim, or visit the shop where you purchased your bike.

• Warranty can only be claimed if you are the original owner, and proof of purchase MUST be provided.

By making sure you provide all the information requested we will be able to deal with your claim quickly and efficiently.

WARRANTY POLICY INFO The following warranty policy applies to the original owner only, and to United hard goods only, it does not cover soft goods, plastic or rubber products (grips, tyres, seats etc). If you have experienced a problem with one of our products, please complete the online warranty claim form on our website, or visit the shop where you purchased this product and we will look into this for you ASAP to get it turned around and have you back on a full working ride..

COMPLETE BIKE WARRANTY POLICY United complete bikes are warranted to the original purchaser for the period of 6 months on the frame, fork & bars against breaks, and 3 months on all other components.

If any part of the bike is deemed to be defective or faulty within these periods, it will be replaced free of charge.

If we feel that the damage is caused by riding above and beyond the level of the capabilities of the rider, or particular model, we reserve the right to offer a goodwill upgrade only.

If the bike is assembled by anyone other than an authorised dealer, or professional bike mechanic, this warranty will be void.

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• Any faulty goods must be returned to us for inspection & disposal by United.

• Transportation cost, and labour are not covered by this limited warranty.

• This warranty will not be effective if the damage is caused by improper use, or the product was not being used under normal riding conditions.

Normal riding conditions are defined as using the bike in a manner that is within your own capabilities.

• This warranty does not cover damage to a product that is caused by an external force, or due to negligent use such as running into immovable objects, bailing or modification with improper tools.

• This warranty will not be effective if the product has been structurally altered in anyway.

• Bending, denting, stripping of threads is not covered by this warranty, as this can only be caused by rider error, or over abuse and punishment, which is not the fault of the product.

• Only products brought from an authorised united dealer are covered by this warranty.

• Normal wears, accident abuse, neglect, improper assembly, improper maintenance by other than an authorised United dealer is not covered by this warranty.

• We reserve the right to offer to replace a damaged product with one that we feel is a more suitable replacement.

• This warranty is made by United only, no person including the dealer is authorised to make an representation or warranty on behalf of United, and United assumes no responsibility thereof.

warranty

corey martinez united pro team

photo by andrew white

photo by fred murray

unitedbikeco

harry mills wakley united world team