Gazelle bike, User Manual

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22 23
The use of the bike
43
44
45
Tyres and wheels
Tyres
If you’re only able to press your thumb into your tyres a little way
they still contain enough air. If you use a pump with a pressure
gauge, you can read the recommended pressure on the side of
the tyre. You are advised to regularly check the tyre pressure,
because tyres that are too soft have considerable disadvantages.
First, they wear much quicker and are more likely to puncture.
In addition, it simply takes a lot less effort and is more pleasant
to bike with hard tyres. Hard tyres have a much lower rolling
resistance than soft tyres!
Valves
Gazelle bikes can be fitted with two types of valves: the “Dunlop”
or “Woods” valve (fig. 43) and the racing or “Presta” valve (fig. 44).
Dunlop valves are the norm in the Netherlands, but less common
in the UK, though both types can be inflated using a traditional
pump with the same valve connector. For greater convenience
however, you may wish to purchase a Gazelle track pump from
your dealer which is specially designed to accommodate Dunlop
valves. For pumping up tyres with a racing valve, a push on style
pump is needed. Before inflating a tyre with a racing valve the
dust cap must be removed. Then the nut (w) should be loosened.
Before you start pumping, it is desirable to briefly press down
the valve in order to blow out possible dirt. After inflating the
tyre, retighten the nut and screw the dust cap back on.
A flat tyre might very well be the biggest nuisance for bike riders.
Luckily, repairing a puncture doesn’t have to take too much time.
The chapter “Minor repairs”, on page 34, describes in detail what
steps to follow in order to get cycling again quickly. If the hole in
the tyre is too big to repair, it is necessary to replace the tyre. In
that case you have to remove the wheel. You are instructed how
to do this in the chapter “Minor repairs” as well, on pages 35 and 36.
Wheels
If the wheel is buckled, we advise you to call in the help of the
Gazelle dealer as quickly as possible. That is because repairing
a wheel is a job for a specialist. The same goes for repairing a
broken spoke. If a spoke is broken the wheel can deform, as a
result of which there is a great chance that more spokes will break.
Please be aware that under
wet conditions pedals can
be slippery!
Some bikes are fitted with a special wheel set that is characterised by a
different spoke pattern. In the case of a broken spoke or a buckled wheel,
swiftly go to your Gazelle dealer.
Wheel hubs
The hub is the heart of the wheel. If there is play in the wheel or if it’s hard
to turn the wheels this is almost always due to a problem with the wheel
hubs. In that case, immediately go to your Gazelle dealer. He is the only
one capable of solving this quickly and professionally.
The chain
To be able to cycle comfortably it is essential that the chain has the
correct tension. If the chain is too tight, it will require extra force to get
the bike moving. In addition, you run the risk of damaging the wheel
bearings, chainwheels or bottom bracket bearings. If the chain is too
loose it may come off the chainwheels. Have your Gazelle dealer regularly
check the chain tension. In the chapter “Maintenance and inspection”, on
page 32, you will find all the information needed to clean the chain. If it
is necessary to adjust the chain tension, then go to the chapter “Minor
repairs”, on page 40. There you can read exactly how to do this.
Bottom bracket, cranks and pedals
The pedals of your bike are attached via cranks to the bottom bracket,
which basically looks after itself. Both the bottom bracket and the pedals
are manufactured in a “sealed” fashion. This means that you never have to
grease them.
However, it’s still worth it to pay some attention to these parts once in a
while. The cranks have to be fixed tightly, for instance, and shouldn’t have
any play. If they do, you will hear an annoying cracking sound during
cycling or feel the play. More seriously, riding with a loose crank can also
damage it irreparably. It’s OK for the pedal bearings to have a bit of play.
This is because the pedal axle will bend a little over time as a result of the
force exerted on it.
If the pedals themselves or the cranks are bent or damaged, for instance
following a fall, they need to be replaced. Bending them back to their
original shape can change the structure of the material in a way that
might make them break spontaneously at a later stage.
W