B.Safety first
1. Always wear an approved helmet when riding your bike, and follow the helmet manufacturer’s instructions for fit, use and
care.
2. Do you have all the other required and recommended safety equipment? See Section 2. It’s your response- bility to familia
rize yourself with the laws of the areas where you ride, and to comply with all applicable laws.
3. Do you kno w how to c orrectly s ecure your front a nd r ear wheels? C heck Secti on 4 .A.1 to make s ure. Rid ing with a n
improperly secured wheel can cause the wheel to wobble or disengage from the bicycle, and cause serious injury or death.
4. If your bike has toeclips and straps or clipless (“step-in”) pedals, make sure you know how they work (see Secti on 4.E).
These pedals require special techniques and skills. Follow the pedal manufacturer’s instructions for use, adjustment and care.
5. Do you have “toe overlap”? On smaller framed bicycles your toe or toeclip may be able to contact the front wheel when a
pedal is all the way forward and the wheel is turned. Read Section 4.E. to check whether you have toeclip overlap.
6. Does your bike have suspension? If so, check Section 4.F. Suspension can change the way a bicycle performs. Follow the
suspension manufacturer’s instructions for use, adjustment and care.
C. Mechanical Safety Check
Routinely check the condition of your bicycle before every ride.
□Nuts, bolts screws & other fasteners: Because manufacturers use a wide variety of fastener sizes and shapes made in a
variety of mate rials,often differing by mod el and c omponent, the correct tighten ing force or torq ue ca nnot be generalized. To
make sur e tha t the man y fa steners o n your bic ycle ar e correctl y tig htened, refer to the F astener Torque Specifications i n
Appendix D of this manua l or to the torque s pecifications in the instruct ions provided by the manufac turer of the comp onent in
question. Corr ectly tig htening a fastener requir es a calibr ated torq ue wrench. A profes sional bic ycle mecha nic with a torqu e
wrench should torque the fasteners on you bicycle. If you choose to work on your own bicycle, you must use a torque wrench and
the correct tightening torque specifications from the bicycle or component manufacturer or from your dealer. If you need to make
an adjustment at home or in the field, we urge you to exercise care, and to have the fasteners you worked on checked by your
dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING: C orrect tig htening fo rce o n f asteners –n uts, b olts, screw s– o n y our bicycle is imp ortant. Too little
force, and the fastener may not hold securely. Too much force, and the fastener can strip threads, stretch, deform
or break. Either way, incorrect tightening force can result in co mponent failure, which can cau se you to loo se control
and fall.
□Make sure nothing is loo se. Lif t the front wheel of f the gr ound b y two or three in ches, then let it bounce on the groun d.
Anything sound, feel or look loose? Do a visual and tactile inspection of the whole bike. Any loose parts or accessori es? If so ,
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