A South African company dedicated to crafting customised carbon frames with each tailored to the individual, combining the passion of cycling with the pursuit of performance.
Torque Guidance
A torque wrench should be used for all tightening of bolts on your carbon bike. Excessive tightening of any bolts on your frame can lead to carbon failure, rendering your Cabal frame game-over. Please refer to the guidance directly on the part you are tightening.
Bottle cage bolts should be snugged down very lightly. Use some blue loctite on the threads. If your cage contacts the frame directly around the bolt holes, use tape or a rubber washer between the cage and the frame to protect your paintwork.
Stopping slippage of seat posts
Carbon assembly paste should be used on the seat posts of all Cabal frames. The following is a good way to make sure carbon paste is going to coat the contact point between your seat post and frame, avoiding slippage.
To start, mark your seat post height on the seat post. Now tip the frame forward, holding the seat frame tube horizontal to the ground. Remove your seat post. Holding the frame forward will prevent your seat post wedge bolt, from falling down, inside the seat tube.
Once the post is out, loosen the seat post bolt and remove. Apply some loctite blue, medium strength thread-locker to the bolt threads. Rethread the bolt in, just one or two turns. Now apply carbon paste onto the seat post wedge, inside the frame, between the seat post contact area and frame. With the bike still tilted forward, insert the seat post. This way the wedge will not scrape off all the paste when you reinsert it, as there is a small space between it and the frame.
Use your marking to get the correct insertion point. Tighten bolts to te specified torque with a torque wrench.
Please note that if the seat post is adjusted while inserted and the frame is at normal position, the wedge will scrape off the carbon paste and this process should be repeated.
Carbon
Carbon is a synthetic composite material comprised of fibres soaked in epoxy resin and then compressed, heated and cured. Essentially, your carbon bicycle and parts are made up of a super-strong fabric, which requires a little new know-how on your part. The foremost being that while metal shows signs of damage - typically bends, dents or bulges - carbon may appear normal, yet, if compromised enough, even though you can't see the defect, the component could fail without warning. Another issue is notch sensitivity, which means that deep cuts, gouges or scratches can cause carbon to break and should be inspected by a pro immediately.
Even with carbon fibres incredible strength and toughness, with a single indiscriminate act like clamping a bicycle incorrectly in your repair stand, over torquing with a wrench, or letting the handlebars swing around and bump into the top tube, you can do some serious damage.
Some simple steps can ensure that your carbon bicycle remains in a great and safe condition. One of the easiest is parking it safely. Never lean it in such a way that it can fall on its side or slam into anything. To prevent these risks, ensure that it's resting on a level surface and leaning against a wall or lying down on its side. We recommend avoiding exposing your bicycle and components to high temperatures such as leaving them inside a parked car in the sun or storing them next to heat sources. Similarly, if you live by an ocean where there's lots of salt in the air, or if you're a person who sweats excessively, you should take extra care to clean and rinse the salt off your bicycle and components to protect them from any possible corrosion of the metal parts. Car Racks
Do not use cycle car racks that clamp frame tubes. High clamping loads concentrated in a small area on the carbon tubes can cause fracturing of the carbon surface rendering your beautiful machine game-over.
When using racks that clamp forks, never apply sideways load when removing the bike, this can break fork dropouts (tips). Fully loosen the fork mount and then lift until the fork is clear of the mount before removing the bike. Use caution to protect the carbon rims with something that keeps the strap from compressing small areas or chafing the rim when you're driving.
Washing and Cleaning
It's fine to wash carbon bicycles and components like you would any other, using warm soapy water and a hose. Clean carbon parts with a soft cloth and clean water. Tough oil or grease stains may be removed by using petroleum based cleaners. Never use cleaners which contain acetone, trichloroethylene or methyl chloride and avoid harsh chemical cleaning materials on your bike’s paintwork.
If your frame has a gloss finish frame, you can use a light polish after your wash, but NEVER USE POLISH ON A MATTE FINISHED FRAME. A simple wash is sufficient. Never use a rough surface sponge or scourer on any bike finish.
It's never a good idea to aim the water directly at your bike's bearings (headsets, Bottom bracket, etc), the high pressure of the water will displace grease and push water an ingress beyond the seals, leaving metals open to rust. For especially greasy components, any bike-safe degreaser will work fine and won't effect the carbon in any way. After completing any cleaning work on the chain you should check the chain and lubricate it if required.
Service Manuals
The following download links will initiate a zip file download which once extracted contains a folder with all relevant pdfs for installation and service of your groupset. Some newer groupset links may take you through to OEM provider videos.
SRAM Rival
SRAM Force
SRAM Red
Shimano Ultegra 6800
Shimano Ultegra R8000
SRAM Force eTap® AXS®
