Ar?v Meld, Owner'S Manual, Page: 8 / 194

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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 4.C). Test the brakes at slow speed, putting your weight
toward the rear and gently applying the brakes, rear brake first. Sudden or excessive application of the front brake could pitch you
over the handlebars. Applying brakes too hard can lock up a wheel, which could cause you to lose control and fall. Skidding is an
example of what can happen when a wheel locks up.
Practice shifting the gears (if equipped, see Section 4.D) and using the motor assist. Remember to never move the shifter while
pedaling backward, nor pedal backwards immediately after having moved the shifter. This could jam the chain and cause severe
damage to the bicycle.
Check out the handling and response of the bike; and check the comfort.
If you have any questions, or if you feel anything about the bike is not as it should be, see "How to find help for servicing your
AR
Ī V eBike above.
2. Safety
A. The Basics
WARNING: The area in which you ride may require specific safety devices. It is your responsibility to familiarize
yourself with the laws of the area where you ride and to comply with all applicable laws, including properly
equipping yourself and your bike as the law requires.
Observe all local bicycle laws and regulations. Observe regulations about bicycle lighting, licensing of bicycles, riding
on sidewalks, laws regulating bike path and trail use, helmet laws, child carrier laws, special bicycle traffic laws. It’s your
responsibility to know and obey the laws.
1. Always wear a cycling helmet which meets the latest certification standards and is appropriate for the type of riding you do.
Always follow the helmet manufacturer’s instructions for fit, use and care of your helmet. Most serious bicycle injuries involve head
injuries which might have been avoided if the rider had worn an appropriate helmet.
WARNING: Failure to wear a helmet when riding may result in severe injury or death.
1. Always do the Mechanical Safety Check (Section 1.C) before you get on a bike.
2. Be thoroughly familiar with the controls of your bicycle: brakes (Section 4.C.); shifting (Section 4.D.) and motor assist (Section
xx)
3. Be careful to keep body parts and other objects away from the sharp teeth of chainrings, the moving chain, the turning pedals
and cranks, and the spinning wheels of your bicycle.
4. Always wear:
• Shoes that will stay on your feet and will grip the pedals. Make sure that shoe laces cannot get into moving parts, and never
ride barefoot or in sandals.
• Bright, visible clothing that is not so loose that it can be tangled in the bicycle or snagged by objects at the side of the road or
trail.
• Protective eyewear, to protect against airborne dirt, dust and bugs — tinted when the sun is bright, clear when it’s not.
5. Unless your bicycle was specifically designed for jumping (See Appendix A, Intended Use) don’t jump with your bike. Jumping
a bike can be fun; but it can put huge and unpredictable stress on the bicycle and its components. Riders who insist on
jumping their bikes risk serious damage, to their bicycles as well as to themselves.
6. Ride at a speed appropriate for conditions. Higher speed means higher risk.
EN