SPECIALIZED Hotwalk Carbon User Guide

ASSEMBLY GUIDE

What’s in the box

General information about your Hotwalk Carbon

This assembly/setup guide is specific to your Specialized Hotwalk Carbon balance bike. It contains important information about assembly and safety, which you should read before your child’s first ride and keep for reference. You should  also read the entire Specialized Bicycle Owner’s Manual (“Owner’s Manual”), because it has additional important general information and instructions which you should follow. If you do not have a copy of the Owner’s Manual, you can  download it at no cost at www.specialized.com, or obtain it from your nearest Authorized Specialized Retailer or Specialized Rider Care.
Assembly of this balance bike requires experience in the use of basic tools as well as general knowledge regarding bike maintenance. If you do not have such experience, it should be assembled by an Authorized Specialized Retailer. When reading this user manual, you will note various important symbols and warnings, which are explained below:
WARNING! The combination of this symbol and word indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in serious injury or death. Many of the Warnings say “you may lose control and fall.” Because any fall can  result in serious injury or even death, we do not always repeat the warning of possible injury or death.
INFO: This symbol alerts the reader to information which is particularly important.

Intended use

WARNING! The Hotwalk Carbon is intended and tested for use by children age 2 and older, up to a maximum rider weight limit of 40 lb / 18 kg. Adult supervision required at all times. The Hotwalk Carbon should be used with caution to  avoid falls or collisions that could cause injury to the user or third parties.
WARNING! Protective equipment should be worn. Not to be used in traffic. Suitable protective equipment includes helmets, gloves, knee pads, elbow pads. Refer to the Owner’s Manual for more information and safe riding practices.

Please refer to the Owner’s Manual for more information on the intended use and structural weight limits.

Assemble the Hotwalk Carbon

Remove the balance bike from the packaging and set aside the handlebar and torque wrench. When installing the handlebar or adjusting the saddle height, use the supplied torque wrench (Fig. 1).
WARNING! CHOKING HAZARD – packaging may contain small parts.
The Hotwalk Carbon balance bike must be assembled by an adult. Follow the steps below and perform a safety check before riding.

Using the torque wrench

When there is no tension on the torque wrench lever arm, the right-side edge of the arm A is aligned with the small white line to the left of the “0” B . When tensioning a bolt, turn the lever arm clockwise until the right- side edge aligns  with the white line to the left of the desired torque spec number as illustrated in Figs. 4, 6.

Installing the handlebar

The stem comes pre-installed on the balance bike. The handlebar assembly must be installed on the stem.

„ Fig. 2: Loosen the faceplate bolts C to remove the faceplate D from the stem E . Place the handlebar against the stem. Thread each bolt through the faceplate and into the stem body until they are equally finger- tightened, and the upper  and lower gaps between the stem body and faceplate are equal, as shown in fig. 4.

„ Fig. 3: Make sure the handlebar is centered with the stem by vertically and horizontally centering the handlebar logo in the stem faceplate F .

•  Fig. 4: In an alternating (cross) pattern, using the supplied torque wrench and 4 mm Allen bit, tighten each
  faceplate bolt approximately 1/2 turn, then repeat the cross pattern to torque to 45 in-lbf / 5.1 Nm.

• Once assembly is complete, double-check to make sure the stem is aligned with the center line of the balance
  bike, as shown in Fig. 7.

• Fig. 7 shows a properly aligned handlebar/stem, Fig. 8 shows an improperly aligned handlebar/stem.

Adjusting the saddle height

Fig. 5: Check the height of the saddle by having your child sit on the saddle. While there is a range of saddle height that can work, the ideal position to maximize control is for your child’s feet to be flat on the ground G with a slight knee bend H .
More pronounced knee bend or moderate space under the heels, while acceptable, can result in less control of the balance bike. Experiment with the saddle height until you find the position that works best for your child.

• Fig. 6: If the saddle height needs to be adjusted I , use the supplied 5 mm Allen key and torque wrench to loosen the seat collar bolt J and adjust the height. Make sure the minimum insertion line K is not visible.
  WARNING! When adjusting the saddle height, the seatpost must be inserted deep enough into the frame so the minimum insertion line is not visible.

• Once the correct height is determined, align the saddle with the center line of the bike, as shown in Fig. 7, then using the supplied torque wrench and 5 mm Allen bit, torque the seat collar bolt to 44 – 53 in-lbf / 5 – 6 Nm.

• Fig. 7 shows a properly aligned saddle, Fig. 8 shows an improperly aligned saddle.

Safety Check

„ Pay particular attention to the following sections:

• 1: Seatpost/saddle: Ensure the saddle is properly aligned with the frame A , the saddle height is correct B and the minimum insertion line isn’t visible C .
• 2: Stem/handlebar: Ensure the stem and handlebar D are properly aligned with the front tire.
• 3: Wheel retention system: Ensure the secondary retention devices (safety washers) are securely engaged in the frame and fork’s dropout holes E . If they’re not, using a 17 mm wrench and a 5 mm hex key, loosen the axle, engage the  secondary retention devices, then using the supplied torque wrench, tighten the axle to 88.5 in-lbf / 10 Nm.
• 4: Nuts, bolts, screws and other fasteners: Ensure the seat collar F , stem G and wheel bolts H are properly tightened. You can check the tightness of the handlebar, stem and seatpost by securing the balance bike between your legs  and trying to forcefully twist the handlebar and saddle. It should take a significant amount of force. If either moves easily, realign the part, check the bolt tension and try again. Repeat as necessary until there is no movement.
• 5: Wheels: Ensure the wheels I spin freely and are centered in the frame and fork.
• 6: Tires: The tires must be inflated and periodically checked and re-inflated, using a pump with an accurate pressure gauge. The tire pressure range is 20-30 PSI. Please refer to the Tires and Tubes section of the Specialized Bicycle Owner’s Manual for additional information.
• 7: Headset: The headset and stem should be pre-adjusted and aligned out of the box. If the headset is loose or the stem is misaligned, please visit your Authorized Specialized Retailer.

„ Ensure there is no damage to any components of the balance bike. Replace any worn components.
„ Periodically check all bolts to make sure they’re tightened to specification.

We may occasionally issue updates and addendums to this document.
Please periodically check www.specialized.com or contact Rider Care
to make sure you have the latest information. Info: specialized.com /
877-808-8154 SPECIALIZED BICYCLE COMPONENTS
15130 Concord Circle, Morgan Hill, CA 95037 408-779-6229
0000152638_UM_R2, 03/22

References

• Made for riders, by riders. | Specialized.com
• Made for riders, by riders. | Specialized.com

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