inflating, use a standard bicycle floor pump. If
you must use a high-volume compressor like
those found at automotive service stations,
add air in small amounts as these
compressors are designed to fill auto tyres
which have much larger volumes than bicycle
tyres. A surge of pressure could cause the
innertube to explode, which can cause severe
damage to the tyre and serious injury.
Spin each wheel slowly and look for cuts in
the tyre’s tread and sidewall. Replace
damaged tyres before riding the bike.
Spin each wheel and check for brake
clearance and side-to-side wobble of the rim. If
a wheel wobbles side to side or contacts the
brake shoes (front brake only), take the bike to
a qualified dealer to have the wheel aligned.
CAUTION: Wheels must be “true” (aligned)
for the brakes to work effectively. Wheel truing
is a skill which requires special tools and
experience. Do not attempt to true a wheel
unless you have the knowledge and tools
needed to do the job correctly.
4.3.4 Brakes
Lafree offers models with rim brakes (Fig 4E,
4F) and with disc brakes. Visually inspect for
proper cable routing.
Squeeze the brake levers. Brake levers
should engage hoes/rear roller brake at
approximately half way through their arc, or
within about 2,5 centimetres of handlebar grip.
To check proper brake lever travel, encircle
the hand grip with your thumb and forefinger,
then squeeze the brake lever with the
remaining three fingers of each hand. If you
can squeeze the levers so that they touch
your forefinger, you should have a qualified
service centre adjust your brakes.
Make sure that the front brake’s brake shoes
are contacting the rim’s braking surface fully
(Fig. 4H). Also check that the shoes are not
coming into contact with the tyre’s sidewall
whilst applying the brake. Riding the bike with
brake shoes contacting the sidewall can
cause the tyre to be damaged and the
innertube to puncture, which may cause you
to lose control and fall. Do not ride the bike
until the brakes are properly adjusted. See
Section 7.9 for details.
WARNING: Riding with improperly
adjusted brakes or worn brake shoes is
dangerous and can result in serious
injury.
Please see the attached owners manual for
information on disc brakes.
11
FIGURE 4E
FIGURE 4F
0288 Opm Binnenwerk 11-02-2000 10:46 Pagina 11
