For metric folks, use 10 % in BAR of your body weight in Kg up to the
maximum inflation pressure of 7.5 BAR. Let’s say you weigh 50 Kg, use 5 BAR.
Let’s say you weigh 100 Kg, ten percent of 100 is 10, and the maximum
inflation pressure is 7.5 BAR, so use 7.5 BAR.
Front tire pressure:
When inflating the front tire of the Easy Rider DO NOT
follow the pressure recommendation on the tire’s sidewall. Instead follow these
instructions and the warning on the rim, reproduced below.
English units: The MAXXIS Hookworm 16 x 1.95 (ISO 305) front tire should be
inflated to 1/3 of your body weight in PSI.
Metric units: Use 5 % in BAR of your body weight in Kg. Therefore, if you weigh
50 Kg, you should inflate the front tire to 2.5 BAR. If you weigh 100 Kg, you
should inflate the front tire to 5 BAR.
Lower pressure in the front tire is required because of the low percentage of
weight, approximately 30%, on the front tire. As with any bike, lower tire
pressures give better grip on wet, unpaved, cobbled or loose surfaces. The grip
comes at the price of increased rolling resistance. If you have any difficulty
following these important instructions please see your retailer.
Shifter positioning:
Rider position on a recumbent makes it difficult to see the
drive train. We use modern index shifters that have gear position indicators. We
suggest that you rotate the shifters so that the rider can see the gear position
indicators while riding.
Shifter choice:
Think twice about using “Rapidfire” style shifters in place of
twist or “Grip Shift” type shifters. The under handlebar levers on “Rapidfire”
style shifters will reduce knee clearance and cause you to raise the stem more
than you might wish to.
Mid-drive/Mid-drive bearing:
The Easy Rider uses a mid-drive system. The
front chainring is simply a single crankset. It is connected by the front chain to
the inner chainring of a crankset without crankarms. This special crankset has 4
Needle Bearing Lubrication: The needle bearings (which provide the smooth
travel of the HeadShok suspension system) inside all Easy Rider forks should
be lubricated every 6 months or 60 hours of riding. This procedure requires
partial disassembly of the suspension fork, and therefore must be performed
only by an experienced bicycle mechanic at an Authorized Cannondale retailer.
HeadShok warranty:
All HeadShok forks and their internal assemblies are
warrantied against manufacturing defects in materials and/or workmanship for a
period of one year from the date of original retail purchase. Not covered under
warranty is damage resulting from improper adjustment or maintenance, lack of
maintenance, crashes, or use judged to be excessive or abusive. Please see
your Cannondale Bicycle Owner’s Manual for more complete warranty
information.
Fox rear shock service and warranty:
See the Fox Shox Owners Manual
included with your Easy Rider regarding the Fox “Vanilla” shock.
Tire choice:
Standard tires for the Easy Rider are MAXXIS “Hookworm”. This
odd name comes from the fact that these tires were developed for a segment of
the BMX market. We believe that they are ideal for the Easy Rider. They are
very tough, minimizing the risk of flats. They have high air pressure capability,
necessary for use on the rear, which will carry approximately 70% of the weight.
They have a round profile, an important characteristic for smooth, predictable
“turn-in” to a corner and mid-corner steering corrections. This round profile is
particularly important on the front. Note that a ”pointed” or raised center profile
tire will have quick, uneven “turn-in” characteristics. We believe that any
hypothetical reduction in rolling resistance is not worth the adverse effect on
handling. In our testing these tires had low rolling resistance. If you choose to
change to another make and model of tire we recommend you consult with an
experienced bicycle retailer about weight distribution and these characteristics.
Rear tire pressure:
This recumbent carries much more weight (approximately
70%) on the rear tire than on the front tire. The MAXXIS Hookworm 20 x 1.95
(ISO 406) rear tire should be inflated to approximately 2/3 of your body weight
in pounds in PSI (pounds per square inch). You may inflate the rear tire up to
the 110 PSI listed on the tire manufacturer’s label, on the sidewall of the tire.
Let’s say you weigh 100 pounds; use 65 PSI. Let’s say you weigh 200 pounds;
two thirds of 200 is 130, and the maximum inflation pressure is 110 PSI, so use
110 PSI.
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