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// USER’S MANUAL
ENGLISH
HOW THE COMPONENTS WORK
C. BRAKES
For a more effective braking, use both brakes and apply them simultaneously.
The sudden or excessive use of the front brake can push the rider onto the handlebar and cause him
serious injury or death.
1. How brakes work
For your safety, it is important to know instinctively which brake lever controls which brake on your bike.
In the United States, bicycles must be mounted so that the right brake lever controls the rear brake, and
that the left brake lever controls the front brake.
The braking action of a bicycle is the result of the friction between the surfaces of the brakes, generally
brake shoes and the wheel rim. To make ensure maximum friction, keep your wheel rims and brake
shoes, clean and free of oils, waxes or polishes.
Make sure that your hands can reach and squeeze the brake levers comfortably. If your hands are too
small to operate the levers comfortably, consult your dealer before riding the bicycle. The range of the
lever may be adjustable, otherwise you will need a brake lever with a different design.
Most brakes have some kind of quick-release mechanism so that the brake shoes do not obstruct the
tire removal or reinstallation of a wheel. When the quick-release mechanism of the brake is in open posi-
tion, the brakes do not work. Make sure you understand how the quick release mechanism of the brakes
works and inspect it to make sure both brakes work correctly every time you ride your bike.
The brakes are designed not only to stop the bike but also to control speed. The maximum braking force
for each wheel occurs at the exact point before the wheel “block” (stop running) and start sliding. When
the tire skids, you lose most of the braking force and complete control of direction. You must practice
slowing and stopping smoothly without locking a wheel. This technique is called progressive brake mod-
ulation. Instead of moving the brake lever to the position you think will generate the required braking
force, squeeze the lever while increasing in a progressive manner, the braking force. If you feel that the
wheel starts to lock, release some pressure, so that the wheel continues to walk without blocking. It is
important to develop a perception of the degree of pressure applied to the brake lever, which is required
for each wheel at different speeds and different surfaces. To understand this better, try to apply different
degrees of pressure on each brake lever, until the wheel lock.
Some bicycle brakes, such as linear pull brakes or disc brakes, are extremely powerful. Pay special
attention to get familiar with these types of brake and be extremely careful when using them. If these
brakes are suddenly applied or applied all at once, you can lock a wheel, which would lead you to lose
control and fall.
When you activate one or both brakes, the bike begins to slow, but its structure continues at the rate
it was. This causes a weight transfer to the front wheel (or, in a hard braking, around the front wheel
hub), which can cause your projection over the handlebar. A wheel with more weight on it will accept a
higher braking pressure before locking, a wheel with less weight will block with less braking pressure. So
when you apply the brakes and your weight shifts forward, you must move your body to the rear of the
bike, to transfer the weight to the rear wheel, and at the same time, reducing the rear braking force and
increasing the front braking force. This is even more important in abrupt descends, because the downhill
projects your weight forward. Tricks for speed control and effective safe braking consist on controlling
the wheels locking and the weight transfer. Practice the braking and weight transfer techniques in areas
without traffic or where there are no hazards or distractions.
Everything changes when you use the bike on uncompressed surfaces or wet weather conditions. The
tire grip is reduced, so that the wheels have less cornering grip and traction when braking, and can block
with less brake force. Moisture or dirt on the shoes brake reduces the grip. The way to maintain control
on wet or uncompressed surfaces is cycling at a lower speed.