6.1 Fundamentals of cycling
1. Proceed to the mechanical safety inspection (refer to section 5.4) before every use;
2. Always wear a standard approved helmet (see section 5.1.2);
3. Keep moving parts of your bicycle away from your body Keep moving parts of your bicycle away from your body carry;
4. Wear shoes that hold your feet tightly and offer a good adherence with the pedals. Never use your bike wearing sandals or just barefoot;
5. Make sure you know and master every part of your bicycle;
6. Never do jumps with a bike not designed for this purpose. When landing, huge forces are distributed through the bike, generating massive stress levels. The most critical part is certainly
the fork that could, if not designed for excessive loads, break and lead to serious or even deadly injury;
7. Adapt your speed to your environment, to the riding conditions and to your level of skills. Make sure you always fully control your bike and that you are at ease with the speed you are
going. Never forget the direct correlation between speed and the risk of loosing control;
8. Wear clothes with bright and visible colors that are not likely to get stuck in the moving parts of your bike. Always avoid loose clothing.
WARNING: Jumping, riding half-pipe, attempting aerial maneuvers or carrying heavy loads are very dangerous and are not recommended uses of your bike, since they
imply high risk of damag ing your bike or causing serious injury that could even lead to death.
6.2 Road bike Safety Code
1. Know traffic laws and other specific regulations of the region where you ride. Many cities have adopted rules concerning bicycling, sidewalk use, bike licensing, etc. Many countries also
have laws concerning helmets and child carriers. Some even have specific traffic laws for bikers;
2. Ride carefully, anticipating and ready to avoid:
a. surrounding cars that turn, engage, disengage, brake or follow you;
b. motorist opening their doors on your path;
c. pedestrians crossing the street;
d. kids playing on the side of the road;
e. gully holes, railroad tracks, pot holes, bridge expansion joints, debris or any other objects obstructing your path that might cause damage to your bike and loss of control;
f. Any other distraction you may encounter on your path.
3. The roads are busy, be careful and respect the other cars, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles. Respect the traffic laws, be patient and tolerant even if others aren’t;
4. Learn how to properly hand signal your actions, like right or left turns and stops;
5. Respect the Highway Code: Obey traffic lights and stop signs, look both ways before crossing at an intersection;
6. Observe priority rules and try not to do unexpected maneuvers;
7. Make sure you stay focused at all times and anticipate the possibility of a motorist neglecting, forgetting or even not noticing your presence;
8. Never transport another person, unless it is a young child wearing a regulation standard helmet in a safe and securely mounted standard child carrier;
9. Always use the bike path if possible. On the road, stay on the right side as far as possible from the traffic;
10. Avoid as much as possible riding in bad weather with poor visibility, in dark areas or when you are tired. These conditions are dangerous and tend to substantially increase the risk of injury;
11. Never use headphones while riding since they impair your ability to hear the traffic sounds or the sirens of emergency vehicles;
12. Do not transport luggage that could impair your visibility, disturb the stability and maneuverability of your bike or get jammed in moving parts;
13. Never try to pull or get pulled by any other vehicle;
14. Do not ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol;
15. Do not attempt tricks, wheelies, jumps or any other stunts with your bike.
6.3 Off-road bike Safety Code
1. When riding off-road, help is often far away. Be cautious and prepared; bring all the necessary equipment presented in section 8.2;
2. Never ride by yourself in remote areas. Even when accompanied, inform at least one person of your destination and an estimated return hour;
3. Ride only in mountain biking trails. Do not enter private land and areas with forbidden access;
4. Since it is more dangerous and technically more difficult to do mountain biking than road biking, start by practicing in an easy and safe place;
5. You are not alone on the trails, make sure you respect the other users and be tolerant;
6. Always give priority to pedestrians and be careful not to disturb the fauna. Keep a good distance so as not to frighten them and to avoid their unpredictable moves that could cause losses
of control and make you fall;
7. Always stay on trails to prevent damage to the environment. In mud, be careful not to contribute to the soil erosion. You are likely to disturb the fauna and the flora by not following the
marked trails;
8. It is your duty to minimize your impact on the environment. Ride responsibly by leaving nature as you found it and by disposing of your garbages in the proper receptacles.
06
FOR A SAFE AND SMART EXPERIENCE
6.4 Riding at night
It is dangerous to ride your bike at night. It is not recommended to let children ride near roads at dusk or at night. Adults also should avoid it as much as possible.
WARNING: It is dangerous to use a bike without reflectors or a lighting system at night, at dusk or when visibility is reduced. You could risk serious injury or even death.
If you ride your bike at dusk or at night, make sure you are completely visible by taking the following pecautions:
1. Wear clothes with bright colors and accessories that make you easier to see, such as reflective vests, reflective arm, wrist, ankle and helmet bands and flashing lights. This will help the
motorists and pedestrians detect your presence;
2. Run a regular check to verify that your reflectors and their mounting brackets are functional, clean, straight and solidly mounted;
3. Install a lighting system for the front and the rear of your bike that runs on batteries or by a dynamo. Ask your authorized Devinci dealer for more information;
4. Be careful not to hide your reflectors and/or lights with your clothes or any objects you are carrying.
Adapt your behaviour:
1. Ride slowly;
2. Do not ride in areas with lots of traffic, on roads with a speed limit higher than 50km/h;
3. Avoid very obscure or dangerous areas;
4. Use only paths that are familiar to you.
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