Bicycle Owner’s Manual 9
may surprise people with whom you are sharing the road.
14. Observe and yield the right of way.
15. Never ride your bicycle while under the inuence of
alcohol or drugs.
16. If possible, avoid riding in bad weather, when
visibility is obscured, at dawn, dusk or in the dark, or
when extremely tired. Each of these conditions increases
the risk of accident.
C. O Road Safety
We recommend that children do not ride on rough
terrain unless they are accompanied by an adult.
1. The variable conditions and hazards of o-road riding
require close attention and specic skills. Start slowly
on easier terrain and build up your skills. If your bike
has suspension, the increased speed you may develop
also increases your risk of losing control and falling. Get
to know how to handle your bike safely before trying
increased speed or more dicult terrain.
2. Wear safety gear like a helmet and protectors
appropriate to the kind of riding you plan to do.
3. Don’t ride alone in remote areas. Even when riding
with others, make sure that someone knows where you’re
going and when you expect to be back.
4. Always take along some kind of identication, so that
people know who you are in case of an accident; and take
along some cash for food, a cool drink or an emergency
phone call.
5. Yield right of way to pedestrians and animals. Ride in
a way that does not ighten or endanger them, and give
them enough room so that their unexpected moves don’t
endanger you.
6. Be prepared. If something goes wrong while you’re
riding o-road, help may not be close.
7. Before you attempt to jump, do stunt riding or race
with your bike, read and understand Section 2.F.
O Road respect
Obey the local laws regulating where and how you can
ride o-road, and respect private property. You may be
sharing the trail with others — hikers, equestrians, other
cyclists. Respect their rights. Stay on the designated
trail. Don’t contribute to erosion by riding in mud or
with unnecessary sliding. Don’t disturb the ecosystem by
cutting your own trail or shortcut through vegetation or
streams. It is your responsibility to minimize your impact
on the environment. Leave things as you found them; and
always take out everything you brought in.
D. Wet Weather Riding
WARNING: Wet weather impairs traction, braking
and visibility, both for the bicyclist and for other
vehicles sharing the road. The risk of an accident is
dramatically increased in wet conditions.
Under wet conditions, the stopping power of your
brakes (as well as the brakes of other vehicles sharing the
road) is dramatically reduced and your tires don’t grip
nearly as well. This makes it harder to control speed and
easier to lose control. To make sure that you can slow
down and stop safely in wet conditions, ride more slowly
and apply your brakes earlier and more gradually than you
would under normal, dry conditions.See also
Section 4.C.
E. Night Riding
Riding a bicycle at night is much more dangerous
than riding during the day. A bicyclist is very dicult
for motorists and pedestrians to see. Therefore, children
should never ride at dawn, at dusk or at night. Adults
who chose to accept the greatly increased risk of riding
at dawn, at dusk or at night need to take extra care both
riding and choosing specialized equipment which helps
reduce that risk. Consult your dealer about night riding
safety equipment.
WARNING: Reectors are not a substitute for
required lights. Riding at dawn, at dusk, at night or
at other times of poor visibility without an adequate
bicycle lighting system and without reectors is
dangerous and may result in serious injury or death.
Bicycle reectors are designed to pick up and reect
car lights and street lights in a way that may help you to
be seen and recognized as a moving bicyclist.
CAUTION: Check reectors and their mounting
brackets regularly to make sure that they are clean,
straight, unbroken and securely mounted. Have
your dealer replace damaged reectors and straighten or
tighten any that are bent or loose.
The mounting brackets of ont and rear reectors are
oen designed as brake straddle cable safety catches
which prevent the straddle cable om catching on the tire
tread if the cable jumps out of its yoke or breaks.
WARNING: Do not remove the ont or rear reectors
or reector brackets om your bicycle. They are an
integral part of the bicycle’s safety system.
Removing the reectors reduces your visibility to
others using the roadway. Being struck by other vehicles
may result in serious injury or death.
The reector brackets may protect you om a brake
straddle cable catching on the tire in the event of brake
cable failure. If a brake straddle cable catches on the tire,
it can cause the wheel to stop suddenly, causing you to
loose control and fall.
To Next Page
Loading...
