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SAFETY EQUIPMENT
WARNING:
Many states require speciic safety devices.
It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the
laws of the state where you ride and to comply with all
applicable laws, including properly equipping yourself
and your bike as the law requires.
1. HELMET
While not all states require bicyclists to wear approved
protective headgear, common sense dictates that you
should wear an ANSI or Snell approved helmet whether
the law requires it or not. Most serious bicycle injuries
involve head injuries which might have been avoided if
the rider had worn a helmet. Your dealer has a variety
of attractive helmets, and can recommend one to suit your
needs. Your helmet must it correctly, be worn correctly
and be properly secured to do its real job. Ask your dealer
to help you with the it and adjustment of your helmet.
WARNING: Always wear a helmet when riding your bike.
Always keep the chin strap securely buckled. Failure to
wear an approved helmet may result in serious injury or
death.
2. REFLECTORS
Relectors are important safety devices which are designed
as an integral part of your bicycle. Federal regulations
require every bicycle to be equipped with front, rear,
wheel and pedal relectors. The size, performance and
location of each relector is speciied by the U.S. Consumer
Products Safety Commission. The relectors are designed
to pick up and relect car lights in a way that helps you to
be seen and recognized as a moving bicyclist.
CAUTION:
Check relectors and their mounting brack-
ets regularly to make sure that they are clean, straight,
unbroken and securely mounted. Have your dealer
replace damaged relectors and straighten or tighten
any that are bent or loose.
WARNING:
Do not remove the relectors or relector
mounting brackets from your bicycle. They are an inte-
gral part of the bicycle’s safety system. Removing the
relectors may reduce your visibility to others using the
roadway. Being struck by other vehicles often results in
serious injury or death.
Remember:
relectors are not a substitute for lights.
Always equip your bicycle with all state and locally
mandated lights.
3. LIGHTS
We strongly recommend that children not ride after dusk
or before daylight. If you must ride your bike after dusk
or before full daylight, your bicycle must be equipped
with lights so that you can see the road and avoid road
hazards; and so that others can see you. Vehicle laws
treat bicycles like any other vehicle. That means you must
have a white front and a red rear light operating if you are
riding after dusk or before full daylight. Your bike dealer
can recommend a battery or generator powered lighting
system appropriate to your needs.
WARNING:
Relectors are not a substitute for proper
lights. It is your responsibility to equip your bicycle with
all state and locally mandated lights. Riding at dawn,
at dusk, at night or at other times of poor visibility
without a bicycle lighting system which meets local and
state laws and without relectors is dangerous and may
result in serious injury or death.
4. PEDALS
Some higher performance model bicycles come equipped
with pedals that have sharp and potentially dangerous
surfaces. These surfaces are designed to add safety by
increasing adhesion between the rider’s shoe and the
bicycle pedal.
If your bicycle has this type of high-performance pedal
you must take extra care to avoid serious injury from the
pedals’ sharp surfaces.
Based on your riding style or skill level, you may prefer a
less aggressive pedal design. Your dealer can show you a
number of options and make suitable recommendations.
MECHANICAL SAFETY CHECK
Here is a simple, sixty-second mechanical safety
check which you should get in the habit of making
every time you’re about to get on a bike.
1. NUTS & BOLTS
Lift the front wheel off the ground by two or three
inches, then let it bounce on the ground. Anything
sound, feel or look loose? Do a quick visual and tactile
inspection of the whole bike. Any loose parts or
accessories? If so, secure them. If you’re not sure, ask
someone with experience to check.
2. TIRES & WHEELS
Tires correctly inlated? Check by putting one hand on
the saddle, one on the intersection of the handlebars
and stem, then bouncing your weight on the bike while
looking at tire delection. Compare what you see with
how it looks when you know the tires are correctly
Inlated; and adjust if necessary.
Tires in good shape? Spin each wheel slowly and look
for cuts in the tread and sidewall. Replace damaged
tires before riding the bike.
Wheels true? Spin each wheel and check for brake
clearance and side-to-side wobble. If a wheel wobbles
side to side or hits the brake pads, take the bike to a
qualiied bike shop to have the wheel trued.
BICYCLE
SAFETY
BICYCLE
SAFETY
WRONG WAY
RIGHT WAY
