Buddy Bike BB102-AL User manual

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BuddBike
Owner’s Manual
Bike Model BB102-AL and BB104-AL-27 V.1
Please read every word of this manual
BEFORE you ride your Buddy Bike!
Because your safety is most important to us it is our policy that a trained
professional assemble and adjust your Buddy Bike. Any Buddy Bike that is not
assembled by a professional at a bike shop will not be covered by the Limited Warranty.

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For your protection it is important to keep a record of the serial number of your bicycle and the
date and place of purchase. The serial number can be found under the Rear Bottom Bracket
Shell where the rear rider crank joins the bike where the Chain Stay is welded. Please fill out
the information below and keep it for your records.
Your name:
Bike serial number:
Bike model:
Bike color:
Date of purchase:
Dealer name:
Dealer address:
Dealer phone number:
To activate your warranty, please fill out and return the enclosed Warranty Registration card
along with a copy of your purchase receipt to:
Buddy Bike, LLC
2775 Sunny Isles Boulevard, Suite 118
North Miami Beach, FL 33160
ATTN: Warranty Registration
Table of Contents
HELMETS AND SAFETY...................................................................................................... 4
MAXIMUM WEIGHT.............................................................................................................. 4
HOW TO RIDE YOUR BUDDY BIKE.................................................................................... 4
KICKSTANDS........................................................................................................................ 5
FOLD-OUT FOOT PEGS (sold separately)........................................................................... 6
PRACTICE BRAKING AND SAFE SPEED CONTROL......................................................... 6
HOW AND WHEN TO SHIFT GEARS...................................................................................7
HOW TO FIT YOUR BUDDY BIKE TO YOUAND YOURS................................................... 7
SEAT ADJUSTMENTS.......................................................................................................... 8
HANDLEBAR ADJUSTMENTS ............................................................................................. 8
BRAKE LEVER ADJUSTMENTS........................................................................................ 10
REMOVE CABLE STRETCH..............................................................................................10
ADJUST THE ROLLER BRAKE CABLE..............................................................................11
BRAKE MAINTENANCE......................................................................................................11
HUB CABLE ADJUSTMENT FOR BUDDY BIKE FAMILY .................................................. 13
LEARN TO USE QUICK RELEASE DEVICES ................................................................... 13
WHEEL AND TIRE MAINTENANCE ................................................................................... 14
CHAIN MAINTENANCE...................................................................................................... 16
HEADSET ASSEMBLY........................................................................................................ 17
BUDDY BIKE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE.......................................................................18
LIMITED WARRANTY......................................................................................................... 19

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and, at the same time, press down hard
on that pedal, hoist your body up onto
the seat and KEEP PEDALING. The mo-
mentum will help keep the bicycle bal-
anced.
For Both Riders
Captain and stoker should practice the
start-off procedure above until it is au-
tomatic and second nature. When you
brake to a stop, reverse the mounting
and start-off instructions given above
so you are ready to take off again, say
from a stoplight. At this point both rid-
ers should have one or both feet on the
ground and be straddling the bicycle.
Pedaling Techniques
As Figure 2 shows, captain’s and stoker’s pedals are connected by a bicycle chain. Both
sets of pedals move simultaneously. As one rider pedals, the other rider must also pedal. To
coast, both riders must agree to do so. Verbal communication on a tandem is important! If
one rider decides to coast and the other tries to keep pedaling,
balance and control can be affected. For stoker’s with disabili-
ties, it is also helpful for the captain to maintain a slow, steady
pace for stoker to work at keeping their feet on the pedals.
Steering Techniques
The Buddy Bike has a much shorter wheelbase than conven-
tional tandems and it is unique in that both sets of handlebars
(Figure 5) turn as the bicycle is steered. The captain leans into
the direction of the turn, moves the handlebars to turn and, as
he/she does so, the stoker’s handlebars will move in the same
direction. The stoker should balance in the same direction.
Whenever possible, the captain should tell the stoker when a
turn is about to be made. Again, communication between cap-
tain and stoker is essential to the safety of both.
NOTE: A bike shop professional should adjust the stoker han-
dlebars to accommodate the reach of the stoker. For safety, do
not rotate the handlebars to closer than a 90 degree angle.
KICKSTANDS
Buddy Bike Family BB102-AL includes one bi-pod spring kick-
stand (Figure 3A). Buddy Bike Sport includes one Pletscher
bi-pod kickstand (Figure 3B). Once assembled, to lower either
kickstand, slightly raise the bicycle by the rear seat and use
your foot to push the kickstand down then gently lower the bike.
To raise the kickstand, slightly raise the bicycle by the rear seat
and use your foot to sweep the kickstand backwards. These
kickstands are intended to hold and balance the bike while it is
not being ridden. Raise the kickstand to mount the bicycle.
PLEASE DO NOT mount the bicycle while it is balanced on
the kickstand.
Congratulations!
You have purchased the Buddy Bike, the alternative tandem bicycle! Now you and your
loved one can enjoy safe cycling and quality time together. You can ride with any youngster
old enough to sit on a bicycle seat or with an adult. With a maximum weight capacity of 380
pounds, the Buddy Bike is the ideal family bike that can be enjoyed by riders of all ages and
abilities. Put your loved ones first, up front on a Buddy Bike as you have put them first in
your life!
Please read every word of this manual
BEFORE you ride your Buddy Bike!
This manual includes tips on how to ride your Buddy Bike safely, instructions on basic bike
maintenance to keep your bike in safe operating condition and a Maintenance Schedule.
Please note that some maintenance should only be performed by a professional bike me-
chanic.
HELMETS AND SAFETY
Always wear a helmet! This means adults too!
Your head is too precious to risk especially if
you are riding with a child who may require spe-
cial assistance. Adjust your helmet as shown
in Figure 1 so it offers maximum protection.
Use a helmet that bears a CPSC,ANSI or Snell
safety label.
Please practice safe cycling. For safe cycling
information visit our web site:
www.buddybike.com/BikeSafety.html
MAXIMUM WEIGHT
The combined weight of captain and stoker
should not exceed 380 pounds. As you mount
or pedal, do not bear down hard on the handle-
bars, as if you were doing pushups. However,
should the handlebars move up or down as you
mount or ride the Buddy Bike tighten all the
handlebar clamp bolts with a 6-mm Allen wrench to 150—225 inch/pounds as soon as pos-
sible, as shown later in this manual in “HOW TO FIT YOUR BUDDY BIKE TO YOU AND
YOURS.” Better yet, stop at the nearest bike shop and have a pro do it.
HOW TO RIDE YOUR BUDDY BIKE
Before you start the practice rides that get you familiar with your Buddy Bike’s steering,
braking and shifting performance, please adjust the seats, handlebars and brake levers to
fit your body, as shown later in this manual in “HOW TO FIT YOUR BUDDY BIKE TO YOU
AND YOURS.” Practice riding your Buddy Bike in a traffic-free area, such as an empty school
playground, until the rear rider (“captain”) and the front rider (“stoker”) are both thoroughly
familiar with its braking, steering and shifting.
For the Captain
Start with the captain riding alone. Straddle the top tube (the tube from the rear seat to the
fork column, Figure 2) with one foot on the ground, the other foot on a pedal at the 2 o’clock
position. Hold the captain’s handlebar (Figure 5) firmly. Push off with the foot on the ground
The correct way to wear a helmet
Wear the helmet flat atop your head, not tilted back at an angle!
Make sure the helmet fits snugly and does not obstruct your fieldof vision.
The chin strap should fit securely andthe buckle should stay fastened.
Figure 1
Pedals are connected and work simultaneously
Start riding with the pedals at the 2 o’clock position
TOP TUBE
Figure 2
Figure 3A
Figure 3B

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as you approach parking lot driveways, children and others on foot, bicycles, skate boards
or roller blades. Watch out for school and other buses approaching a stop. When you come
to a stop, both captain and stoker should extend one foot to the ground, and then both feet if
you have to wait for a stoplight.
On the flats, the captain can usually control speed by applying both brake levers. Apply the
rear brake lever first, then the front brake lever. On a downhill ride or in an emergency situ-
ation use both captain’s and stoker’s brakes to slow or to stop. Both riders should practice
braking on the flats and on downhill runs until you both are thoroughly familiar with the brak-
ing power and speed control of the Buddy Bike’s brakes.
NOTE: When it’s raining, your brakes, good as they are, will lose some stopping power. It will
take longer to stop when wheel rims are wet. In wet conditions, apply brakes sooner than you
would in dry conditions. Both captain and stoker should
use both sets of brakes, even at low speeds. Reduce
speed in wet weather and beware of slippery surfaces.
For more safe cycling information visit our web site:
www.buddybike.com/BikeSafety.html
HOW AND WHEN TO SHIFT GEARS
7-Speed Buddy Bike Family (BB102-AL)
Buddy Bike Family is equipped with the Shimano’s NEX-
US INTER 7. It can shift to any gear anytime, even at
a stop. To shift, simply rotate the gripshift on the right
of the captain’s handlebar (A in Figure 6). The 7 speed
gear combinations gives you a wide range of choices for
easy pedaling. By turning the gripshift toward you, select
gear 6 or 7 for pedaling downhill. While on level roads
or paths use gears 3, 4 or 5. Upon pedaling uphill, turn
the gripshift away from you to gear 1 or 2. By selecting
the proper gear, you can make pedaling comfortable and
easier for both riders.
27-Speed Buddy Bike Sport (BB104-AL-27)
Buddy Bike Sport is equipped with a Shimano Deore 27
speed hub. This bike includes a derailleur so it is best to
shift gears while pedaling. To shift the gears, push the
bottom lever to lower the gear and pull the top lever to
shift to a higher gear on the left side (Figure 7A) or right
side (Figure 7B) of the captain’s handlebar. The Deore
hub is considered a professional level component. The
shifters are not numbered or marked so practice shifting
until you are comfortable with the procedure and various
gear levels.
HOW TO FIT YOUR BUDDY BIKE TO YOU AND YOURS
Before you go off for your first practice rides, have your bicycle dealer inspect the Buddy
Bike and make the following handlebar and seat adjustments to your Buddy Bike for your
riding comfort and safety. You could make them yourself, if you wish, using a torque wrench
(Figure 8) to tighten nuts and bolts to the torque tightness specified, so you are sure they
are safely tight.
FOLD-OUT FOOT PEGS (sold separately)
To install the fold-out foot pegs (Figure 4A): 1) remove the ad-
hesive from the padded tape sections and press to the inside
curve of each foot peg; 2) with the pegs folded up, position the
pegs on the small down tube in front of the front rider seat and 3)
use the included screws to secure the pegs to the tube. The foot
pegs should be positioned above the path of the pedals so the
stoker’s feet will be safely out of the pedal motion path.
While the stoker is pedaling, fold the pegs up (Figure 4B). For
smaller riders, fold each peg down (Figure 4C) so they can rest
their feet out of the way of the pedal motion path.
PRACTICE BRAKING AND SAFE SPEED CONTROL
First, be aware that the right side of a bicycle is the side to your
right as you sit on the seat. That’s the side the chainwheel is on.
Figure 5 was taken from riders’ point of view. The brake lever
on the left side of the captain’s handlebar is for the front brake
(D in Figure 5). The brake lever on the right side of the captain’s
handlebar is for the rear brake (C in Figure 5). The brake lever
on the right stoker’s handlebar is for the additional brake which
is a hub brake on some versions of Buddy Bike Family or a
standard brake caliper on the rear wheel of Buddy Bike Sport
(E in Figure 5). The stoker’s brake provides additional braking
power and a sense of control for the stoker but it will not stop the
bike if used alone.
CAUTION: Your Buddy Bike can go faster than single bikes,
for these reasons:
The Buddy Bike with aluminum frame weighs 51-55 pounds
(depending upon bike model and accessories). That’s just 27.5
pounds or less for each of you. The rider on a typical bike (ex-
cluding road bikes) has to push its 33 pounds alone.
The captain is shielded from wind by the front rider or stoker so
you both have only half the wind resistance faced by a single
biker. For these reasons your Buddy Bike is a lot easier to pedal,
so please keep it at a speed that lets you slow down or stop
quickly and safely in an emergency.
Again, as you practice riding
the Buddy Bike in a safe place
try stopping at various speeds,
say at 5, 10 and 15 miles per
hour. Note how many feet it
takes to stop at each of these
speeds. Use the captain’s
brakes alone then combined
with the stoker’s brake. Use
this information to keep your
speed under control. Go slow-
er in traffic, for example, where
you may have to make a sud-
den, unexpected stop. Look as
far ahead as possible, be alert
Figure 4A
Figure 4B
Figure 4C
STOKER HANDLEBARS
CAPTAIN HANDLEBARS
DBA
C
E
Figure 5
Figure 7A - BB104 Left Shifter
Figure 7B - BB104 Right Shifter
A
Figure 6 - BB102 Grip Shifter

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a 6-mmAllen wrench. Tilt the captain’s handlebar up
or down until the captain can ride with a comfortable
bend of his upper body while sitting on the rear seat.
Once the handlebar is at a convenient angle, tighten
these bolts to 150—225 inch/pounds.
CAUTION: The handlebar stem supports both cap-
tain and stoker handlebars. The stem is held by two
clamp bolts (A in Figure 14). The stem must always
be in the position shown in Figure 14, all the way
down to the fork bearing locknut (B in Figure 14).
Do not loosen these bolts to raise the handle-
bars. Handlebar height can only be adjusted as
shown above.
Stoker’s Handlebar
The stoker’s handlebar (Figure 5),
is adjustable to three different posi-
tions, tilt, up or down, and distance
from the stoker’s seat. For your
stoker’s safety, please do not rotate
the handlebars to closer than a 90
degree angle.
Tilt: Loosen clamp bolt (B in Figure
13)with a 6-mm Allen wrench, and
rotate the handlebar until the stoker
can reach it without strain and with
ease. Tighten this bolt to 150—225
inch/pounds.
Distance from Seat
Loosen clamp bolts (C in Figure 13) with a 6-mm Allen
wrench and move the stoker’s handlebar closer to or away
from the stoker’s seat until it can be reached in comfort.
Tighten these bolts to a torque of 150—225 inch/pounds.
CAUTION: For safety keep at least 2 inches of the
stoker’s handlebar stem INSIDE the handlebar tubes as
shown in Figure 13.
Up or Down
Loosen clamp bolts (D in Figure 13) with a 6-mm Allen
wrench and rotate the stoker’s handlebar to move it up or
down to suit the stoker’s arm length. Tighten these bolts to
150—225 inch/pounds.
CAUTION: Before your first ride and every four to six
months thereafter (depending on ride frequency), stand in front of the Buddy Bike, hold
the front wheel between your knees, grasp the captain’s handlebar and rotate it firmly from
side to side. If the handlebar moves but the wheel does not, retighten the clamp bolts (A in
Figure 13) with a 6-mm Allen wrench to a torque of 180—250 inch/pounds. These two han-
dlebar stem bolts (A in Figure 14) hold both stoker and captain handlebars securely on the
fork steerer tube.
SEAT ADJUSTMENTS
You can move each seat in five directions, up or down, closer to or farther from the handle-
bars, and tilted for comfort.
Seat Height
Adjust seat height for both riders so the knee is slightly bent
when one pedal is at the 6 o’clock position, as shown in Fig-
ure 9. To adjust seat height, turn the seat post quick release
lever, (A in Figure 10) to the OPEN position. Move the seat
up or down until the rider’s knee is bent as shown in Figure 9.
Tighten the seat post quick release lever to the closed posi-
tion, with the end of this lever facing toward the rear. (Be sure
to read “LEARN TO USE THE FRONT WHEEL AND SEAT
QUICK RELEASES” section later in this manual).
CAUTION: For safety, keep at least 4 inches of the seat
post inside the seat tube, as shown in Figure 11.
Seats to handlebar distance
The seat should be close enough to the handlebars so the rid-
ers can reach them without strain. To move the seat toward or
away from the handlebars, simply loosen the seat clamp bolts
that hold the seat on the seat post (Figure 12), and move the
seat toward to or away from the handlebars, until the rider has
a slight bend at the elbows.
Seat Tilt
Reduce pressure on the hands by tilting each seat so its
nose points slightly upward (B in Figure 10). To make these
adjustments, loosen the seat clamp bolts (C in Figure 10)
with a 5-mm Allen wrench, slide the seat forward or back as
necessary and tilt it as noted above. Tighten the clamp bolts
to 180—250 inch/pounds with a torque wrench (Figure 8).
Again, use the torque wrench on all applicable nuts and
bolts noted throughout this manual so you are sure they
are safely tightened.
HANDLEBAR ADJUSTMENTS
Adjust both handlebars so they can be reached without strain.
Move the handlebars up or down, tilt (rotate) them and move
them closer to or further away from the rider as needed for
comfort. Here’s how:
Captain’s Handlebar
The captain’s handlebar shown in Figure 5 is the longest bar
on the Buddy Bike. Loosen clamp bolts (A in Figure 13) with
Figure 8 - Torque Wrench
Figure 12
Figure 9
Figure 11
minimum
insertion
4 inches
100 mm
SEAT
POST
B
C
A
Figure 10 A
A
B
Figure 14
CC
A
DAD
B
2” MIN
Figure 13