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Due to high demand and low stock nationwide, please allow additional time for orders to be processed and shipped. Forks may take 22-28 weeks to ship.

Owner’s Manual

Wound Up Composite Cycles Owner’s Manual for Carbon Forks.

Click for printable PDF of Wound Up Owner’s Manual

Note to shops/mechanics: These instructions are to be passed to the consumer for her or his future reference.

When a customer purchases a Wound Up Composite Cycles carbon fiber fork from you, be sure that they take a copy of this Owner’s Manual home with them!

WOUND UP COMPOSITE CYCLES

2575 South 3270 West, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119
P. 801-467-1204
F. 801-467-4367

www.woundupcomposites.com

Thank you for choosing Wound UpTM Composite Cycles for your composite bicycle fork. Read all instructions in their entirety prior to beginning installation. Warning: Improper installation may cause the fork to fail, which can cause serious injury or death. Wound UpTM carbon forks are to be installed by a qualified bicycle mechanic with the correct equipment to ensure proper installation. Use a calibrated torque wrench when tightening bolts to torque specifications.

READ THOROUGHLY PRIOR TO RIDING YOUR WOUND UP CARBON BIKE FORK!

Thank you for purchasing a Wound UpTM carbon fork! For nearly two decades, our forks have been manufactured in Salt Lake City, Utah by skilled composite technicians. Your high performance Wound UpTM carbon composite fork needs to be regularly and thoroughly inspected for defects in order to ensure safe use. Additionally, you must care for and schedule maintenance for the fork; to do any less could compromise your safety and the performance of your carbon fork.

CONDITIONS FOR USE OF A WOUND UP CARBON FORK.

Wound UpTM manufactures carbon forks in a variety of sizes for several specific applications. We offer carbon fiber forks for touring, cyclocross, road, tandem and track bikes. Each Wound UpTM fork model should be used only for the specific application or condition for which it was designed. For example, carbon road forks should be used only on road bikes, tandem forks on tandem bikes, cyclocross forks on cyclocross bikes, track forks on track bikes and touring forks on touring bikes. Furthermore, each carbon fork style, matched with the appropriate bike, should be ridden only under the conditions for which that bike type was designed; for example, road bikes are not designed for irregular surfaces and should not be ridden over obstacles, potholes or curbs. Wound Up’s carbon fiber forks are not designed for stunts, jumping, or overly aggressive riding, especially if such riding results in a crash. In general, avoid any activity that causes significant impact to the front wheel, and hence to the fork. Riding a Wound UpTM carbon fork in a manner other than its intended use constitutes misuse, which may result in property damage, injury or death, and will void all Wound UpTM warranties. If you are unsure which of Wound Up’s carbon forks to use, contact your local bike shop or Wound UpTM Composite Cycles. (NOTE: If you are a heavier rider considering a Wound UpTM cyclocross or tandem fork for your single rider bike please contact your local bike shop and/or Wound UpTM Composite Cycles prior to purchase).

GENERAL WOUND UP CARBON FORK INFO.

Carbon forks with 1″ steel steerer tubes are available as either threaded or threadless. The threaded steel steerer tubes have 55mm of threads. Weight for a 300mm 1” steel threadless steerer road fork is 613 grams (1.35 lbs). 1” steel steerer tubes are only available on 650c and 700c road, cyclocross and light touring forks. Maximum rider weight with rider gear (i.e. backpack, hydration system, etc.) is recommended to never exceed 230 lbs.

1-1/8” carbon steerer forks are threadless only. Carbon steerers require a star fangled nut that is standard for 1” aluminum steerers. This is supplied with the fork. Weight for a 300mm 1-1/8” carbon steerer road fork is 528 grams (1.16 lbs). 1-1/8” carbon steerer tubes are only available on 650c and 700c road, cyclocross, light touring and tandem forks. Maximum rider weight with rider gear (i.e. backpack, hydration system, etc.) is recommended to never exceed 230 lbs for single rider road, cyclocross and light touring forks. Tandem forks equipped with tandem specific aluminum crowns and 1-1/8” carbon steerer tubes have a maximum combined rider weight of 450 lbs.

1-1/8” carbon Duo tandem forks are available in threadless only but require the use of a compression plug top cap assembly, which we include with the fork. Do NOT use a star fangled nut with this steerer tube! The steerer ID is 0.875” (22.2mm). Tandem forks equipped with carbon DUO crowns and 1-1/8” carbon steerer tubes have a maximum combined rider weight of 450 lbs

GENERAL FORK INSTALLATION INFO.

Stems: For carbon threadless steerer tubes, we recommend a stem (preferably aluminum or titanium) with a rear bolt clamp design. (do not use a stem with an internal wedge clamp design in a carbon steerer tube, as doing so will void the warranty).

To cut 1” and 1-1/8” carbon steerer tubes, wrap the spot you want to cut on the steerer with tape and trace a line around the steerer where you want to cut. Take the time to measure this length twice! Use of a saw guide (Park Tools) is very helpful to ensure a straight cut. Then, using a sharp hacksaw blade, make your cut on the line (or through the guide). After the cut is made, deburr the inner and outer cut edges with sand paper or fine file.

Never clamp the carbon steerer tube in a vise! This damages the carbon composite! Clamping the composite steerer tube and/or fork blades voids the warranty.

The maximum spacer stack height allowed on any Wound UpTM carbon fork is 44mm (1.73”).

INSPECTION OF CARBON FORKS:

The proper inspection of your carbon fork and its components is critical. Before every ride, inspect your Wound UpTM fork and components against the checklist below. This checklist does NOT cover all possible types of damage and is NOT a substitute for regular maintenance performed by a certified bicycle shop mechanic. The checklist is intended to assist the rider to look for potential compromises to the carbon fork’s proper operation and the rider’s safety.

Inspect the entire exterior of the fork for abrasions, cracks, gouges and scratches. The fork should not be used if any damage appears. Please contact your local dealer or Wound Up Composites Cycles for further inspection.

Check for disturbance in the carbon fork’s painted or clear-coated surface, such as flaking, chipping or peeling. A marred finish could indicate structural damage to the underlying carbon fiber.

Check fork crown area for cracks and gaps.

Check fork for any unusual noises or rattles. Check for loose, bent, or otherwise compromised dropouts. Never remove the brake safety tab on the dropout. Check brakes. Look for poor brake performance, and for inscure or disconnected brake cables.

Caution: If you notice any of the above conditions, do not ride your bike. Bring it in for maintenance at your local bike shop or contact Wound UpTM at 801-467-1204 or through our website.

CARBON FORK CARE AND MAINTENANCE

For polishing aluminum crowns and dropouts, use Mother’s Mag & Aluminum Polish or equivalent. Use a soft cloth for optimum results. Fork blades are coated with a high quality urethane topcoat and can be polished using a mirror glaze polishing compound (like Meguiar’s Mirror Glaze #205 Ultra Finishing Polish ) for best shine.

NEVER use solvents or harsh chemicals on your carbon fiber fork for cleaning and/or removing decals. The chemicals can damage the finish and compromise the structural integrity of the carbon fiber.

The steerer and fork crown area should be cleaned and properly lubricated. After cleaning, we recommend that Boeshield T-9 (or comparable) be applied to the full length of a 1” steel steer tube and to the steel steerer insert connecting the crown to 1” or 1-1/8” carbon steerers. Allow this solution to dry and then thoroughly lube the bearing race with water-resistant grease.

Carbon bicycle forks are subject to wear and stress during their lifetime. Wound UpTM recommends that as part of a routine six-month maintenance program through your local bike shop, the carbon fork, steerer tube and fork crown area be examined for signs of impact damage and/or fatigue stress. If your bike is involved in any type of accident, your carbon fiber fork must also be inspected for possible hidden damage. A damaged fork can fail suddenly, causing serious injury or death. If you suspect the fork is damaged, immediately stop riding the bicycle and bring it in for an inspection & maintenance through your local bike shop, or contact Wound UpTM at 801-467-1204.

WOUND UP COMPOSITE CYCLES LIMITED WARRANTY

All Wound UpTM Composite Cycles products are warranted against defects in workmanship and materials to the original consumer purchaser for three years from date of original sale from an authorized Wound UpTM dealer, distributor, frame builder or through the manufacturer.

This warranty does not cover:

1) Normal wear and tear.
2) Any defects, damage, loss or failure caused in whole or in part by improper installation or improper use of the fork for other than its intended use.
3) Any defects, damage, loss or failure caused in whole or in part by negligence or improper maintenance, abuse, or by any alterations or modifications made to the fork by anyone other than the original manufacturer.
4) Any defects, damage, loss or failure caused in whole or in part by accidents or while damaged in transit through shipping and/or on bicycle racks. Product defects resulting solely from workmanship and/or materials will be repaired or replaced (at our discretion) at no cost solely to the original purchaser with proof of purchase. This warranty does not include shipping costs to and from Wound UpTM Composite Cycles.

PURCHASE OF A WOUND UP CARBON FORK INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING.

  • 1” compression plug for 1” carbon steer tube fork
  • 1-1/8” compression plug for 1-1/8” carbon Duo steerer tube fork
    1” star nut for 1” steel threadless steerer tube fork
  • 1” star nut for 1-1/8” carbon steerer tube with aluminum inner sleeve

TOOLS NEEDED FOR WOUND UP CARBON FORK INSTALLATION.

  • Crown race installation tool
  • Threadless saw guide for fork steerers
  • Fine-tooth hacksaw
  • Hex wrenches
  • Torque wrench (1-10 Nm range) with metric hex key attachments
  • High-quality bicycle grease

INSTALLING YOUR WOUND UP CARBON FIBER FORK.

Step 1: Verify Correct Components.

Verify that the intended headset matches your steerer tube diameter.

Verify that you are using the correct headset mounting system.

Use star nut and top cap with threadless steel and 1-1/8” carbon aluminum inner sleeve steerers.

Use compression plug and top cap with 1-1/8” and 1” carbon (no aluminum sleeve) steerers.

Use threaded headset with quill with threaded steel steerers.

Verify that the stem’s clamp diameter matches that of the steerer tube.

Step 2: Install Crown Race.

Do not score or damage the steerer tube surface. Any damage can cause failure of the fork. Do not, in any way, modify the crown race seat and only use a crown race with the correct diameter to match your forks crown race seat. NEVER set the fork on the dropouts or the crown while installing the race. This may cause damage and fork failure. Place a small amount of grease onto the crown race seat.

Using an appropriate race seating tool, press the crown race onto the fork crown race seat while holding one of the fork legs in your hand.

Step 3: Measure Steerer Tube.

For threadless steerer tubes (threaded steerers should already be the correct length and should not be cut to adjust the length)

Mount the bike fork in the head tube with the head set bearings and races, any desired spacers and slide the stem in place. Warning: The maximum spacer stack height below the stem for all steerer tubes is 44mm.

Hand tighten the stem’s steerer clamp bolts just enough to hold components in that position.

Mark the steerer at the top of the steering stem. Using calipers, measure 3mm below this mark to cut.

Disassemble the fork from the head tube and steering stem.

Use a fine tooth hacksaw and proper cutting saw guide to cut the steerer to length. Important: when cut, the top of the steerer tube must be approximately 3mm below the top of the headset/spacers/stem assembly.

Sand off any burrs with a file or 180 grit sand paper to a depth of 2” to remove ID shine. For all carbon steerers, lightly sand the inside surface of the steerer with 180 grit sand paper.

Clean the steerer with alcohol and allow to dry.

Step 4: Assemble Fork, Headset, and Stem.

For steel steerer or aluminum sleeved carbon threadless steerer tubes:

Install star-fangled nut (included) using an appropriate installation tool. The star-fangled nut should be 10-15mm from the top of the cut steer tube.

Reassemble the fork, head set, spacers, and steering stem.

Install top cap and tighten to manufacturer’s recommended torque. See attached FSA installation instructions.

For all-carbon steerer tubes:

(WARNING: Do not use a star nut for an all- carbon steerer tube. These nuts will damage a carbon steerer tube by cutting into the fiber structure and greatly increasing the potential for early and sudden fork failure. Installation and use of any star fangled nut on all-carbon steerer tube voids all warranties).

Use a compression plug with top cap (included).

Reassemble fork, headset, spacers, and steering stem with the compression plug and top cap installed as specified by the manufacturer.

For up-to-date instructions and other technical information, please contact us at 801-467-1204 or visit www.woundupcomposites.com. Questions can also be emailed to info@woundupcomposites.com