Short answer: most small clamp bolts on a bike want 5 to 6Nm, most large drivetrain interfaces want 35 to 50Nm, and disc rotor bolts want 2 to 4Nm. Those three bands cover almost everything. Where a number is printed on the part, that number wins over every table including this one, because manufacturers specify for their own hardware and materials.
Contents
- How to use these numbers
- Cockpit: stem, bars and levers
- Seatpost and saddle
- Chainset, bottom bracket and chainrings
- Cassette, derailleurs and shifting
- Disc brakes and rotors
- Rim brakes
- Axles, wheels and accessories
- Carbon parts and friction paste
- Choosing a torque wrench
- Frequently asked questions
How to use these numbers
Torque is a measure of rotational force, expressed in newton metres. It is not a measure of how tight something feels. Two people with the same allen key will apply very different forces to the same bolt, and neither will know it.
Three rules before you touch anything.
- The printed value wins. Manufacturers laser-etch or print a torque figure next to most clamp bolts. If your stem says 5Nm and the table below says 5 to 6Nm, use 5.
- The lowest number in the system wins. A steel bolt clamping a carbon handlebar in an aluminium stem is limited by the carbon, not the bolt. If the bar says 5Nm and the stem says 6Nm, use 5.
- Tighten in stages and in sequence. On any two or four bolt clamp, go around in a cross pattern in increments, roughly a third of final torque at a time, keeping the gaps even on both sides.
The ranges below are typical values across Shimano, SRAM, Campagnolo and the common component brands. Treat them as what to expect, not as permission to ignore what is written on your parts.
Cockpit: stem, bars and levers
This is where overtightening does the most damage and where the bolts are smallest, so the margin for error is narrow.
| Fastener | Typical torque | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stem to steerer clamp bolts | 5 to 6Nm | Alternate between bolts, keep the gap even |
| Stem to handlebar clamp bolts | 5 to 6Nm | Four bolt faceplates go in a cross pattern |
| Headset top cap | 1 to 2Nm | Sets bearing preload only, not a structural bolt |
| Brake and shift lever clamp | 5 to 8Nm | Shimano tends to 6 to 8, SRAM to 5 to 6 |
| Aero extension and clip-on clamps | 4 to 6Nm | Check the bar spec, many carbon bars cap at 5 |
| Computer and light mount bolts | 2 to 3Nm | Small bolts, easy to strip |
Tighten the top cap first to set headset preload, check the bearing has no play and the bars turn freely, and only then torque the steerer clamp bolts. Doing it the other way round leaves you with either a loose headset or a bound one.
Our reference on handlebar and stem sizing covers which clamp diameters fit what.
Seatpost and saddle
| Fastener | Typical torque | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Seat collar or frame clamp | 5 to 7Nm | Carbon frames and posts often cap at 4 to 5 |
| Integrated seatmast wedge | 5 to 8Nm | Frame specific, check the manual |
| Saddle rail clamp, twin bolt | 5 to 7Nm each | Alternate to keep the angle where you set it |
| Saddle rail clamp, single bolt | 12 to 20Nm | Much higher because one bolt does all the work |
| Dropper post remote clamp | 2 to 4Nm |
A seatpost that slips is almost never solved by more torque. It is solved by cleaning both surfaces and using friction paste, covered further down. Going past the collar rating is how carbon posts get crushed and how alloy posts get seized into frames.
See also seatpost diameters and setback and saddle width and sit bone sizing.
Chainset, bottom bracket and chainrings
These are the high torque fasteners. A 5Nm habit from the cockpit will leave every one of them dangerously loose.
| Fastener | Typical torque | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| External bottom bracket cups | 35 to 50Nm | Both cups, remember the drive side is usually reverse threaded |
| Crank arm pinch bolts (Hollowtech II) | 12 to 15Nm | Alternate between the two bolts |
| Crank preload cap | 0.7 to 1.5Nm | Removes bearing play only, never a tightening bolt |
| Self-extracting crank bolt (SRAM, Campagnolo) | 48 to 54Nm | Check the specific chainset |
| Chainring bolts, four and five arm | 12 to 16Nm | Alloy bolts sit lower, around 8 to 10 |
| Direct mount chainring lockring | 40 to 50Nm | |
| Pedals into crank arms | 35 to 40Nm | Left pedal is reverse threaded |
| Bottle cage bolts | 3 to 4Nm | 2 to 3 into a carbon frame |
Pedals are the fastener most often done by feel, and the one where feel is closest to correct, because a long pedal spanner naturally produces something near 35Nm. That does not make it right. An undertightened pedal will slowly chew out the aluminium threads in the crank arm, which is an expensive way to save two minutes.
Related: crank length and chainring compatibility, bottom bracket standards and pedal and cleat compatibility.
Cassette, derailleurs and shifting
| Fastener | Typical torque | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cassette lockring | 30 to 50Nm | Shimano states 30 to 50, most workshops use 40 |
| Rear derailleur mounting bolt | 8 to 10Nm | Into the hanger, which is softer than it looks |
| Rear derailleur cable anchor | 6 to 7Nm | |
| Rear derailleur jockey wheel bolts | 3 to 4Nm | |
| Front derailleur band clamp | 5 to 7Nm | |
| Front derailleur direct mount | 5 to 7Nm | |
| Front derailleur cable anchor | 6 to 7Nm | |
| Derailleur hanger to frame | 4 to 6Nm | Frame specific |
The cassette lockring is the one people underdo, because a chain whip and lockring tool feels like enough leverage long before it is. A loose lockring lets the sprockets move against each other and destroys shifting quality in a way that no amount of cable adjustment will fix.
See freehub and cassette compatibility for which cassette fits your wheel.
Disc brakes and rotors
Rotor bolts are the lowest torque fastener on the bike that genuinely matters. They are also the ones most commonly overtightened, because six small bolts feel insignificant.
| Fastener | Typical torque | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Six bolt rotor bolts | 2 to 4Nm | Star pattern, in two passes |
| Centerlock rotor lockring, external | 40Nm | Uses a cassette lockring tool |
| Centerlock rotor lockring, internal | 40Nm | Uses a bottom bracket tool |
| Caliper mounting bolts, flat mount | 6 to 8Nm | |
| Caliper mounting bolts, post mount | 6 to 8Nm | |
| Adapter to frame or fork | 6 to 8Nm | |
| Hydraulic hose compression nut | 5 to 7Nm | Overtightening splits the olive and causes leaks |
| Bleed nipple | 4 to 6Nm | |
| Brake pad retaining bolt or pin | 2 to 3Nm |
Torque the caliper bolts with the brake lever held on, so the caliper self-centres over the rotor before it is locked down. It saves most of the rubbing you would otherwise chase afterwards.
More in disc rotor standards and adapters, brake mounts and fluids and brake pad compatibility.
Rim brakes
| Fastener | Typical torque | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Caliper mounting nut | 8 to 10Nm | |
| Cable anchor bolt | 6 to 8Nm | |
| Brake pad holder fixing bolt | 5 to 7Nm | |
| Pad insert grub screw | 1 to 1.5Nm | |
| Cantilever and V-brake pivot bolts | 5 to 7Nm |
Axles, wheels and accessories
| Fastener | Typical torque | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Thru-axle, front and rear | 10 to 15Nm | Some fork brands specify 5 to 10, check the lowers |
| Quick release skewer | No spec | Cam lever, closed with firm hand pressure |
| Tubeless valve lock nut | Finger tight | A tool here deforms the rim bed seal |
| Rack and mudguard bolts | 4 to 6Nm | |
| Kickstand clamp | 6 to 8Nm |
Thru-axles are a clamping device, not a fastener under load, so more is not safer. Overtightening binds the hub bearings and makes the wheel feel slow for reasons nobody can diagnose on the road. See thru-axle and quick release sizing and wheel and hub compatibility.
Carbon parts and friction paste
Carbon does not fail gradually. It holds, and then it cracks, and the crack is often invisible until the part comes apart under load.
The important thing to understand is that carbon clamp ratings are low not because carbon is weak, but because it is being crushed rather than stretched. A 5Nm limit on a carbon bar is not the bolt's limit. It is the point at which the tube starts to deform.
Friction paste, sometimes called carbon assembly compound, is the answer to slipping, not extra torque. It is a grease carrying fine particles that key into both surfaces and raise the grip at a given clamping force, typically letting a joint hold at 30 to 40 per cent less torque. Use it on carbon seatposts in any frame, carbon bars in the stem clamp, and carbon steerers.
What to use where:
- Friction paste on carbon clamping interfaces, and on alloy seatposts that slip.
- Grease on threads, on all bolt threads that are not carbon-to-carbon, and on alloy seatposts in steel or alloy frames to prevent seizing.
- Anti-seize on titanium and on pedal threads, particularly if you ride through monsoon and store the bike outdoors.
- Threadlocker only where the manufacturer asks for it, most commonly rotor bolts and some derailleur hangers.
A greased thread reaches a higher clamping force than a dry thread at the same torque reading, because less of your effort is lost to friction. This is why the manufacturer's assumption about lubrication matters, and why a rusted, dry bolt torqued to spec is not actually clamping to spec. In Indian monsoon conditions this cuts both ways, so clean and re-grease threads rather than fighting corrosion with more force.
Choosing a torque wrench
No single tool covers a bike. The span from a 2Nm rotor bolt to a 50Nm bottom bracket is too wide for one mechanism to be accurate across, and accuracy is worst at the extreme ends of any wrench's range.
For most people, one tool in the 3 to 15Nm band does ninety per cent of home maintenance: stems, bars, seatposts, levers, calipers, rotors, derailleurs and bottle cages. The Birzman 3-15Nm is the one we sell most of for exactly this reason.
Options by use:
- Home workshop, one tool: Birzman 3-15Nm or the Topeak Torq Stick 4-20Nm if you also want to cover crank pinch bolts.
- Low range precision: Lezyne Pocket Torque Drive 2-6Nm for rotor bolts and computer mounts, where a 15Nm tool is least accurate.
- Carry on the bike: Topeak Nano Torqbar X, a preset tool for roadside adjustments.
- High range: a 10 to 60Nm wrench for cassettes, bottom brackets and pedals. The Birzman 10-60Nm covers this, though stock is limited.
The full range is in torque wrenches. If you are buying one tool and are not sure which, ask TBA Guide what suits what you ride and what you plan to work on.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need a torque wrench, or is careful hand feel enough?
For steel and aluminium parts, experienced hand feel is usually adequate. For carbon anything, it is not. Studies of mechanics tightening by feel show variation of 50 per cent or more on the same bolt, and carbon components typically fail between 8 and 10Nm on a fitting rated at 5. The consequence of guessing low is a slipping bar. The consequence of guessing high is a cracked one.
How often does a torque wrench need recalibrating?
Once every twelve months for regular home use, or roughly every 5,000 cycles for a click-type wrench in workshop service. Beam-type wrenches hold calibration almost indefinitely because they have no spring mechanism to fatigue. If a click wrench has been dropped, or has been stored under load, treat the reading as unreliable until it has been checked.
What torque should I use when nothing is printed on the part?
Use 5Nm as the default for any small clamp bolt of 4 to 5mm allen size, and check the component manufacturer's website before going higher. Bolt diameter is the best fallback guide: M4 bolts around 2 to 4Nm, M5 around 5 to 6Nm, M6 around 8 to 10Nm. If the part is carbon and unmarked, stay at 5Nm and add friction paste rather than torque.
Should I grease bolt threads before torquing them?
Yes for almost all threads, and it changes the number more than people expect. A greased thread transmits roughly 20 to 30 per cent more clamping force than a dry one at the same torque reading, because less energy is lost overcoming friction. Manufacturers generally specify for lightly greased threads. The exceptions are bolts that call for threadlocker, most commonly disc rotor bolts.
Should a click-type torque wrench be wound back down after use?
Yes, always return it to the lowest setting on its scale before storing, though not to zero on most designs. Leaving the internal spring compressed at a high setting causes it to take a permanent set over months, and the wrench then clicks early and undertightens everything. This is the single most common reason a torque wrench drifts out of specification in home use.
If in doubt
Bring the bike to our Kondapur workshop and we will torque it properly, or ask TBA Guide for the figure for your part. It costs nothing to ask, and a cracked carbon bar costs a great deal more than a two-minute question.
