WARNING! READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS SAFETY NOTICE COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY.

SAFETY INFORMATION
Brakes are a critical safety-related component of a bicycle. Improper set up or use of brakes may result in reduced braking power and, thus, loss of control of the bicycle, which could ultimately cause serious injury or death. Bleeding is one of the most important steps to assure the proper functioning of any hydraulic braking system. The goal of bleeding is to remove the air in the braking system. Any air inside a hydraulic braking system reduces its performance. FORMULA STRONGLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU AVOID BLEEDING YOUR BRAKES YOURSELF, AND THAT YOU HAVE A QUALIFIED MECHANIC PERFORM THIS DELICATE AND CRUCIAL FUNCTION FOR YOU. Should you decide to bleed your brakes yourself, follow these instructions carefully and please remember that you do so at your own risk. Use only DOT 4 hydraulic fluid with your Formula brakes. Do not use a fluid other than the DOT 4 fluid suggested. Doing so will damage the system and make the brakes unsafe for use. You are advised to bleed brakes at least 3 hours prior to using them on the bicycle to be able to check successful bleeding has been undertaken (see step 11 below). WARNING! The DOT 4 fluid used in this braking system may be harmful to your eyes or skin upon contact. ALWAYS WEAR APPROPRIATE GLOVES AND SAFTEY GLASSES WHILE BLEEDING YOUR FORMULA BRAKES. In case of accidental contact, rinse your eyes and/or skin thoroughly with running water. In case of contact with your eyes seek immediate medical assistance. DOT 4 fluids also damage painted surfaces. If any fluid comes in contact with a painted surface, wipe it off immediately and clean with denatured alcohol. Do not allow any brake fluid to come in contact with the brake rotors. If this occurs, clean the rotors with denatured alcohol. Do not allow any brake fluid to come in contact with the brake pads. If this occurs, the pads are contaminated and must be replaced before any further use of the bicycle. Do not touch the braking surface of any rotor with your bare hands, as the oils from your fingers will degrade its performance. Always wear gloves, or handle the rotor by its spokes. Disc brakes become very hot during use. Do not touch the caliper or rotor immediately after use. Make sure the brake has cooled before making any adjustments.

BLEEDING PROCEDURE (ORO, MEGA, THE ONE, R1)

Tools Needed
T10 Torx Hex Wrench set, 5mm, 2.5mm Dot 4 5.1 hydraulic fluid Alcohol Paper towels or oil-free rags Formula bleed kit Safety glasses Gloves Zip ties

Please take the time to read all instructions before attempting to bleed; it will make life easier. If you encounter any difficulties at any stage of the below steps, we advise you to have a qualified experienced mechanic complete the procedure

1:
The most important parts of bleeding brakes are set up and clean up. The more time spent preparing for the bleed process, the easier it will be. DOT 4 Hydraulic fluid will strip paint. Be sure to clean any surfaces that the fluid comes in contact with using denatured alcohol and a clean rag or paper towel. This includes under the lever clamp if it is attached to your handlebar or a bleeding fixture.

2:
A proper bleed is more easily accomplished with the brakes removed from the bike. During the bleed process the caliper and master cylinder assembly (M/C) bleed port screws must remain vertical. This will allow air to escape up and into the syringe. A fixture simplifies the bleeding process, but it is not necessary. It helps if the brakes will stay in the proper bleed position so hands are free to do other things. An old bar, rotor and upside down quill stem will build one similar to ours.

3:
As the caliper pistons are self-centering, it is important to reset the pistons before bleeding to prevent overfilling the system. Use the pad spacer included with the brakes to gently spread the pads. The rubber-covered handle of a Park Tool cone wrench or a plastic tire lever can be used on the piston face if the pads are removed. Caution: If pads do not spread with light pressure, do not force them. The system may be over filled. Wait until a bleed port has been opened relieve pressure, and then reset the caliper pistons.

While bleeding, it is important that the caliper pistons stay in a retracted position. Because the brake system is an open system, it is possible to overfill the system if the pistons are not retracted. An overfilled system can cause serious injury.

4:
Assemble syringes as illustrated in the figure. Cut hoses down to 4cm in length to ease use Zip tie hose to syringe and fitting to ensure a tight hose fit.

5:
WARNING! The DOT 4 fluids used in this braking system may be harmful to your eyes or skin upon contact. ALWAYS WEAR APPROPRIATE GLOVES AND SAFTEY GLASSES WHILE BLEEDING FORMULA BRAKES. In case of accidental contact, rinse eyes and/or skin thoroughly with running water. In case of contact with eyes seek immediate medical assistance. Fill one of the syringes. Wrap a paper towel or clean rag around the bleed fitting to prevent leaked fluid from spreading. Open caliper bleed port using a T10 torx. Do not lose the O-ring under the bleed port screw! The brakes will not function without it!

Screw the bleed fitting and syringe into the bleed port.

6:
With the lever blade and bleed port oriented vertically, remove the M/C bleed port screw. Exception: The R1 does not need to have the lever blade oriented upward. Bleed ports on the M/C assembly are in the correct position when the M/C is in riding position on the bar. Screw the bleed fitting and syringe into the

bleed port.

7:
Begin moving fluid from the caliper syringe to the M/C syringe. The fluid should move easily and smoothly. It is helpful to assist the M/C syringe with very light back pressure. Do not force the syringe. Light pressure is all that is required; it should take approximately 20 seconds to move all of the fluid from one syringe to the other. Too much pressure can damage the master cylinder reservoir.

If flushing the old fluid, push clean fluid through the system until the caliper syringe is nearly empty. Disconnect the caliper syringe, refill, and continue to push fresh fluid through the system. Empty the M/C syringe if it becomes too full. Note the color differences in fluid to determine when all of the old fluid has been purged from the system. Once all of the old fluid has been cleared from the system, empty the M/C syringe and refill halfway with fresh fluid. At this point both syringes should be about half full of clean fluid.

8:
In order to remove air from the system, push fluid from one syringe to the other. While compressing one syringe, assist the other with light back pressure. Leave at least 1cm of fluid in each syringe during compression; this will ensure that air is not forced back into the system. Continue to work the fluid back and forth between the two syringes until air bubbles no longer come out of either side. To remove trapped air bubbles, bleed the M/C or caliper individually. To do this, squeeze and hold the brake lever. This will isolate the reservoir from the rest of the system. Now apply back pressure on the syringe by lightly pulling the plunger back. This can be done to both the M/C and the caliper.

9:
Remove caliper bleed fitting and syringe and replace the caliper bleed port screw. Make sure the bleed port O-ring is properly seated in the bottom of the bleed port. Check the bleed port O-ring for damage before re-installation. Do not use brakes without the bleed port O-ring, or with a damaged bleed port O-ring. This will cause fluid leakage and make the brakes unsafe.

Remove M/C bleed fitting and syringe and replace the bleed port screw.

Check the bleed port screw O-ring for damage before re-installation. Do not use brakes without the bleed port screw O-ring, or with a damaged bleed port screw O-ring. This will cause fluid leakage which will make the brakes unsafe.

10:
Carefully remove the rag around the caliper and clean the caliper with denatured alcohol. Clean the master cylinder with denatured alcohol. Be sure to clean under the lever clamp if it is attached to a handle bar or a bleeding fixture.

11:
The quality of the bleed can be checked by hanging the brake with the M/C above the caliper for a few hours, then checking the fluid level by opening the M/C bleed port screw. The fluid level should be visible in the bleed port about where the bottom of the bleed port screw would be if in place. If it is possible to see down into the reservoir, there is still air in the system. To remedy this there is often no need to bleed the entire system. The M/C may be bled separately by inserting a half-full syringe, squeezing and holding the lever closed to isolate the reservoir, and then back pressuring the syringe in order to pull out the bubbles. The syringe will need to be lightly re-pressurized in order to return enough fluid to the reservoir. Release the lever and remove the syringe. Fluid should be visible in the bleed port, and should slightly overflow when the bleed screw is re-inserted. Again clean the M/C with denatured alcohol. With a proper bleed the lever should have a solid feel when the pads contact the rotor.
IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF THE QUALITY OF A BLEED, DO NOT RIDE YOUR BICYCLE AND SEEK THE HELP OF A QUALIFIED MECHANIC. Please dispose of all used Dot 4 fluid according to the instructions on the product. Most auto parts stores will recycle Dot 4 fluid. If you are bleeding brakes it is your responsibility to dispose of the brake fluid safely and properly.