79
e
f
g
h
This being accomplished you will need to make your
child familiar with the functioning of the brakes and
gears before you let him/her sit on his/her MERIDA bike.
Find a place away from the road, ideally a backyard or
park, where you can practice braking and shifting gears
with your child under your supervision.
Once your child has progressed to a point where he/
she can ride in traffic
(e+f)
, teach him/her how to cross
kerbs and railway tracks, i.e. to cross these obstacles, if
possible, at right angle. Your child should also learn to
look ahead and back for any danger before taking this
kind of obstacle.
Set a good example when it comes to wearing a cycling
helmet and to riding on cycle lanes. It is also advisable
to let your child take part in road safety lessons offered
at schools or by local clubs and associations.
G
It is important to tell children when they
practice braking
(g)
that in wet conditions the
braking effect is less effective and the tire grip
reduced and that they should therefore ride more slow-
ly and brake more carefully.
G
Take care your child is wearing the helmet
only for cycling. For example, wearing the
helmet at a park or playground can be haz-
ardous; the helmet could get caught on features or ob-
stacles and result in strangulation by the helmet straps.
G
Children should not ride near precipices,
staircases or swimming pools as well as on
paths used by automotive mobiles.
A
Make sure the child always wears a proper-
ly fitting cycling helmet and well visible, i.e.
bright, clothing. It is also advisable to wear
reflector stripes to increase visibility.
A
Make sure the cycling helmet complies with
the DIN EN 1078 standards.
A
Children can be vain. Therefore, buy a cy-
cling helmet that the child feels happy with
(h)
. Take your child with you to make sure
you buy one which is comfortable and fits correctly.
This will increase the chances that the helmet is actual-
ly worn, which one day might be a life-saver. Make sure
the helmet is always fastened!
A
When you buy the helmet, have it explained
to you how to adjust the straps of the helmet
to the head. Only a properly fitted helmet can
provide full protection in case of an accident!
Summary of Contents for City Bikes
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