WikiPedalia is not endorsed or affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.
Pre-load
From WikiPedalia
An initial load on a part, which is independent of the load it is designed to bear.
- Bearings are commonly supplied with a slight pre-load, that is, they are made to be slightly tighter than would permit the freest possible motion. This is to prevent slop in the bearing, and to ensure that the stresses are shared by multiple balls or rollers.
- Some suspension parts, particularly suspension stems and seatposts, are designed with an adjustable pre-load. This is adjusted so that in carrying the rider's steady-state weight, the part is pressed up against a stop, so that it doesn't bounce up and down with minor road irregularities or body movements. When a more serious bump is hit, the suspension will respond to the greater load thus applied.
