2
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the finest line of suspension bikes
available!
About Off Road, Stunt, Downhill and Freeriding
This manual is designed to be used in conjunction with the Bicycle Owner’s Manual
and owner’s manuals supplied by the manufacturer of the front and rear suspension
components. If you did not receive any of these manuals, download them from the Internet,
contact your Specailized authorized dealer, or contact us by telephone. There may be more
current manuals and technical information available. For the most current information,
regularly check the Specialized web site or consult your Specialized authorized dealer.
These manuals were written for an important reason: your safety while riding.
This manual contains many “Warnings” and “Cautions” concerning the consequences
of failure to maintain or inspect your bicycle or of failure to follow safe cycling practices.
The combination of the safety alert symbol and the word Warning indicates a potentially
hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in serious injury or death. The
combination of the safety alert symbol and the word Caution indicates a potentially
hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury, or damage
to your bicycle or a component. Because the consequences of not following a Warning
usually include “you may lose control and fall,” which could result in serious personal injury
or death, we may not repeat this in conjunction with each Warning. Because it is impossible
to anticipate every situation or condition which may occur, a practice or situation may be
unsafe but not anticipated by this manual. So, don’t forget to use your common sense.
WARNING! Make sure you have, review, and understand the warnings,
instructions, and content of the manuals for your bicycle.
ABOUT OFF ROAD, STUNT, DOWNHILL AND FREERIDING
Downhill racing, severe off road riding, jumping, and stunt riding is extremely dangerous.
Some downhill racers and freeriders reach speeds similar to motorcycles, thus face similar
risks and hazards. When engaging in these activities, you, your bicycle and safety equipment
must be in perfect condition. We recommend that at all times you wear appropriate safety
gear, such as an approved full face helmet, full finger gloves, and body armor.
Not every bicycle is built for every activity. Check with your Specialized authorized
dealer to make sure you have the right equipment.
No bicycle is indestructible. Downhill racing, severe off road riding, jumping, and stunt
riding increases the stress on every part of your bicycle. Frames or parts under high stress
may fail, causing you to lose control or fall. Because of the risk involved, Specialized
recommends that you conduct a thorough inspection before each ride. If you miss a jump,
ditch your bike in mid crash, dump or launch your bike without you on it, inspect yourself
for injury, then carefully inspect your bicycle for damage.
Here is what you should look for when you inspect your bicycle for this type of riding:
bent or broken components, such as the handlebar, handlebar stem, seatpost, pedals;
dents, cracks, scratches, deformation, or discoloration. Because damage may be internal
and hidden, if any of these signs are present, stop riding until your bicycle has been
thoroughly inspected by your Specialized authorized dealer.
WARNING! Although many catalogs, advertisements and articles about bicycling
depict riders racing, jumping, riding hard off road, and/or stunt riding, this activity
is extremely dangerous, increases the rider’s risk of injury or death, and potentially
increases the severity of any injury. The action depicted is being performed by
experts with many years of training and experience. Even with that training and
experience, cyclists who engage in such activity often get seriously injured. It is
also foreseeable that during some jumps or stunts, and even some races, that the
rider will exceed the design capacity of the frame or components, which may
result in something on the bicycle bending or breaking. If a frame or component
bends or breaks, such may lead to loss of control, serious personal injury or death.
