7
slight bend at the knee when the ball of your foot is centered on the pedal. Note where the TFT is
positioned on the ruler that is marked on the smaller tube.
WARNING
: After any seat adjustment, be sure that the seat adjusting mechanism is
properly tightened before riding. Loose fixings on the seat post, seat back, seat pan or seat
mount can cause damage to the components, or can cause you to lose control and fall. A
correctly tightened seat will allow no seat movement in any direction. Periodically check to
make sure that the seat adjusting mechanism is properly tightened.
Handlebar height and angle
Your bike is equipped either with a “threadless” stem, which clamps on to the outside of the steerer
tube.
The steering assembly features a stem with 90 degrees of adjustment that allows you to set the
handlebars at the appropriate height and distance from your body. Taller riders will have the stem
angled forward around 45 degrees; shorter riders will have the stem almost vertical.
The handlebars should be high enough to clear the knees, the grips should be pointed down and the
levers should point forward and be in a comfortably reached position and orientation. See paragraphs
20 and 21 in Section 10 Assembly Instructions.
The angle of the brake and shift control levers and their position on the handlebars can be changed
with the use of an Allen wrench. If you are not confident in making these adjustments, ask your dealer
or local bike shop or local bicycle shop mechanic to make the adjustments for you.
Many bikes have brake levers that can be adjusted for reach. If you have small hands or find it
difficult to squeeze the brake levers, your dealer or local bike shop or local bicycle shop can either
adjust the reach or fit shorter reach brake levers.
WARNING
: The shorter the brake lever reach, the more critical it is to have correctly
adjusted brakes, so that full braking power can be applied within the available brake lever
travel. Brake lever travel insufficient to apply full braking power can result in loss of control,
which may result in serious injury or death.
WARNING
: An insufficiently tightened stem binder bolt, handlebar binder bolt or bar end
extension clamping bolt may compromise steering action, which could cause you to lose
control and fall. Place the front wheel of the bicycle between your legs and attempt to twist the
handlebar/stem assembly. If you can twist the stem in relation to the front wheel, turn the
handlebars in relation to the stem, or turn the bar end extensions in relation to the handlebar,
the bolts are insufficiently tightened.
Fitment Checklist
1. Rider height: The Cruzbike Sofrider and Freerider are designed to fit most riders with a height
between 5’1” (155 cm) and 6’4” (193 cm). If your bike is not the right size for you, you may
lose control and fall. If your new bike is not the right size, there may be other options such as
using a Cruzbike kit to modify a bicycle with a smaller or larger frame. An in-depth discussion
of the Cruzbike kit is outside the realm of this Owner’s Manual, but there is more information
about kit-built Cruzbikes on the Cruzbike.com “wiki” pages and the Cruzbike yahoo group.
2. Rider weight: The Cruzbike frame, like most adult bicycle frames, is designed for riders up to
250 pounds (114 kg). While there are many Cruzbike enthusiasts whose weight exceeds 250
lbs., we cannot officially endorse its use for riders above this weight and we recommend
caution and frequent examination of the frame and other components for signs of structural
fatigue.
3. Seat and backrest adjustment: Are seat, backrest, and backrest-post securely fastened? A
correctly tightened seat/backrest will allow no seat movement in any direction.
4. Handlebar position: Are the stem and handlebars at the right height and distance for you?