Riding a recumbent bicycle
14
HP
Velotechnik
Before the first ride
Before you mount your bike and enjoy your
first ride please make yourself familiar with
the instructions on the riding technique and
the handling
The seating position is essential for your
riding comfort, well-being and efficient cycling
on the recumbent bicycle. Therefor, you
should adjust the frame, seat, handlebar and
suspension to your individual requirements.
In order to adapt the bicycle as closely as
possible to your body dimensions and to find
the ideal seating position you need to adjust
the front boom, seat and handlebars.
Get you bicycle adjusted with the help of your
specialist dealer like described in "Adjusting
your recumbent bicycle" on page 17.
To ride this recumbent, you will have to make
yourself acquainted with the different riding
position. Make sure that you and all other
future users of this bicycle will have read this
manual carefully prior to the first ride. If you
are in doubt, please consult your local dealer.
Before the first ride the users of this recum-
bent have to practice and make themselves
familiar with the different handling. We rec-
ommend to practice on a quiet road away
from traffic. Before you ride the bicycle in
traffic you must master the handling com-
pletely.
Go to a road where you can ride straight
ahead without being hindered. Hold your bike
at the handlebars and pull a break. Then
mount your bicycle and lean back. Leave one
foot on the ground and put one on the pedal.
Therefor rotate the crank in the top position
so that you can pedal immediately with pow-
er.
Try to keep your balance in that position.
Assure yourself that you can stop whenever
you want to and hold the bicycle with one
foot on the ground. When you feel safe put
pressure on the pedal, loosen the brake, pedal
with a lot of force and immediately put your
second foot on the other pedal.
Do not care on which side of pedal you are
currently pedalling in the beginning. Hold the
handlebar loose but steady and accelerate
with a few pedal strokes. Your bicycle needs
speed to stabilise.
Look ahead in the direction where you want
to ride, not on the handlebar, at your feet, or
the front wheel.
In order to stop brake carefully with both
brakes until the bicycle has come to a com-
plete stop. Only then do put a foot on the
ground and keep the balance.
Danger!
Never touch the ground
with your feet while the bicycle is still
moving. The feet could be caught on the
ground and be pulled backwards which
could lead to a serious injury. See also in-
formation about clipless pedals on page 15.
Danger!
With a compact recumbent
like this it is possible that a foot of the rid-
er contacts the front wheel when riding
sharp corners with a pedal in a low posi-
tion. You will have to avoid this situation at
all times since in extreme situations it may
lead to a fall and injuries.
To control the bicycle you will have to apply
the following cornering technique: when you
ride a curve, stretch the leg on the inside of
the curve, stop pedalling, only then start
steering into the curve. Only when you ride
straight ahead again should you resume pedal-
ling. Small riders should shorten the front
mudguard to get more clearance.
Riding a recumbent bicycle