6th Edition, 2003 SECTION INTRODUCTION A. General Warning B. Note to Parents C. Bicycle Part Names I. First A. Bike Fit B. Safety First C. Mechanical Safety Check D. First Ride II. Safety A. The Basics B. Riding Safety C. Off Road Safety D. Wet Weather Riding E. Night Riding F. Downhill or Competition Biking G. Changing Components or Adding Accessories III.Fit A. Standover Height B. Saddle Position C. Handlebar Height and Angle D. Control Position Adjustments E. Brake Reach IV. Tech A. Wheels 1.
INTRODUCTION B. If Your Bicycle Sustains an Impact: A. General Warning First, check yourself for injuries, and take care of them as best you can. Seek medical help if necessary. Like any sport, bicycling involves risk of injury and damage. By choosing to ride a bicycle, you assume the responsibility for that risk, so you need to know — and to practice — the rules of safe and responsible riding and of proper use and maintenance. Proper use and maintenance of your bicycle reduces risk of injury.
• • • • • feel loose? If so, have your dealer check it. Take a look at the brake pads. Starting to look worn or not hitting the wheel rim squarely? Time to have the dealer adjust or replace them. Carefully check the control cables and cable housings. Any rust? Kinks? Fraying? If so, have your dealer replace them. Squeeze each adjoining pair of spokes on either side of each wheel between your thumb and index finger.
I. First NOTE: We strongly urge you to read this Manual in its entirety before your first ride; at the very least, read and make sure that you understand each point in this section, and refer to the cited sections on any issue which you don’t completely understand. A. Bike Fit 1. Is your bike the right size? To check, see Section III.A. If your bicycle is too large or too small for you, you may lose control and fall.
The Shraeder valve (Fig. 23) is like the valve on a car tire. To inflate a Shraeder valve tube, remove the valve cap and clamp the pump fitting onto the end of the valve stem. To let air out of a Shraeder valve, depress the pin in the end of the valve stem with the end of a key or other appropriate object. The Presta valve (Fig. 24) has a narrower diameter and is only found on bicycle tires. To inflate a Presta valve tube using a Presta headed bicycle pump, remove the Fig.
D. First Ride When you buckle on your helmet and go for your first familiarization ride on your new bicycle, be sure to pick a controlled environment, away from cars, other cyclists, obstacles or other hazards. Ride to become familiar with the controls, features and performance of your new bike. Familiarize yourself with the braking action of the bike (see Section IV.C.). Test the brakes at slow speed, putting your weight toward the rear and gently applying the brakes, rear brake first.
F. Bicycle Suspension Many bicycles are equipped with suspension systems. There are many different types of suspension systems — too many to deal with individually in this Manual. If your bicycle has a suspension system of any kind, be sure to read and follow the suspension manufacturer’s setup and service instructions. If you do not have the manufacturer’s instructions, see your dealer or contact the manufacturer.
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Never carry a passenger, unless it is a small child wearing an approved helmet and secured in a correctly attached child-carrying trailer or a mounted child carrier. Never carry anything which obstructs your vision or your complete control of the bicycle, or which could become entangled in the moving parts of the bicycle. Never hitch a ride by holding on to another vehicle. Don’t do stunts, wheelies or jumps. They can cause you injury and damage your bike.
shifting where there are no obstacles, hazards or other traffic, until you’ve built up your confidence. If you have difficulties with shifting, the problem could be mechanical adjustment. See your dealer for help. WARNING: Never shift a derailleur onto the largest or the smallest sprocket if the derailleur is not shifting smoothly. The derailleur may be out of adjustment and the chain could jam, causing you to lose control and fall. 2.
that moves will help you get the attention of approaching motorists, pedestrians and other traffic. 4. Make sure your clothing or anything you may be carrying on the bicycle does not obstruct a reflector or light. While riding at dawn, at dusk or at night: 1. Ride slowly. 2. Avoid dark areas and areas of heavy or fast-moving traffic. 3. Avoid road hazards. 4. If possible, ride on familiar routes. F.
D. Shifting Gears III. Fit Your multi-speed bicycle will have a derailleur drivetrain (See 1. below), an internal gear hub drivetrain (See 2. below) or, in some special cases, a combination of the two. NOTE: Correct fit is an essential element of bicycling safety, performance and comfort. Making the adjustments to your bicycle which result in correct fit for your body and riding conditions requires experience, skill and special tools.
If your leg is not completely straight and just touching the center of the pedal, your saddle height needs to be adjusted. If your hips must rock for the heel to reach the pedal, the saddle is too high. If your leg is bent at the knee with your heel on the pedal, the saddle is too low. Once the saddle is at the correct height, make sure that the seatpost does not project from the frame beyond its “Minimum Insertion” or “Maximum Extension” mark (Fig. 4).
WARNING: The full force of the cam action is needed to clamp the seatpost securely. Holding the nut with one hand and turning the lever like a wing nut with the other hand until everything is as tight as you can get it will not clamp the seatpost safely. WARNING: If you can fully close the quick release without wrapping your fingers around a frame tube for leverage, and the lever does not leave a clear imprint in the palm of your hand, the tension is insufficient.
D. Control Position Adjustments The angle of the controls and their position on the handlebars can be changed. Ask your dealer to make the adjustments for you. E. Brake Reach Many bikes have brake levers which can be adjusted for reach. If you have small hands or find it difficult to squeeze the brake levers, your dealer can either adjust the reach or fit shorter reach brake levers.
brake pads; then squeeze the brake lever and make sure that the brakes are operating correctly. 3. Removing and Installing Bolt-On Wheels a. Removing a Bolt-On Front Wheel 1. If your bike has rim brakes, disengage the brake’s quickrelease mechanism to open the clearance between the wheel rim and the brake pads (see Section IV.C., Ffigs. 11 – 14). 2. Using a correct size wrench, loosen the two axle nuts. 3.
5. Raise the front wheel a few inches off the ground and tap the top of the wheel with the palm of your hand to knock the wheel out of the front fork. b. Installing a Quick Release Front Wheel CAUTION: If your bike is equipped with disk brakes (Fig.10), be careful not to damage the disk, caliper or brake pads when re-inserting the disk into the caliper. Never activate a disk brake’s control lever unless the disk is correctly inserted in the caliper. See also Section IV.C. 1. 2. 3. 4.
