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4.3.3. Brakes 

Squeeze the brake levers. Are the brake quick releases closed? Is 
the straddle cable securely engaged? Are the brake shoes 
contacting the wheel rim within an inch of brake lever movement? 
Can you apply full braking force at the levers without having them 
touch the handlebar? If not, your brakes need adjustment. Do not 
ride the bike until the brakes are properly adjusted. See Sections 
6.3.1 and 6.3.2 for details. 

WARNING:

  Riding with improperly adjusted brakes or worn brake 

shoes is dangerous and can result in serious injury or death. 

 
4.3.4. Chain 

For single speed/fixed gear bicycles, does the chain have enough 
tension?  To check, push up on the bottom of the chain.  There 
should be ¼ to ½ inch (6-12mm) vertical chain movement. 

WARNING:  Riding with too little chain tension can cause the chain 
to come off of the chain ring or sprocket, which can cause damage to 
the bicycle and cause you to lose control and fall.   

4.3.5. Quick Releases

 

Are the front wheel, rear wheel and seat post quick releases properly 
adjusted and in the locked position? See Section 6.1  and 6.2  for 
details. 

 

WARNING:

  Riding with an improperly adjusted wheel quick release 

can cause the wheel to wobble or disengage from the bicycle, which 
can cause damage to the bicycle and serious injury or death. 
 

4.3.6. Handlebar and saddle alignment

 

Are the saddle and handlebar stem correctly parallel to the bike's top 
tube and tight enough so that you can't twist them out of alignment? 
If not, tighten the stem, handlebar, seatpost and saddle bolts and 
quick release.  

4.3.7. Handlebar ends/extensions 

Are the handlebar grips secure and in good condition? If not, replace 
them. Are the handlebar ends and extensions plugged? If not, plug 
them before you ride. Are the bar ends or extensions tight enough 
that you cannot twist them? If not, tighten them. 

WARNING:

  Loose or damaged handlebar grips or extensions can 

cause you to lose control and fall. Unplugged handlebars or 
extensions can cut your body and can cause serious injury in  an 
otherwise minor accident. 

WARNING:

  Handling and braking control can be adversely affected 

by using handlebar ends or extensions, which can cause you to lose 
control and fall. Take extreme care when using handlebar 
ends/extensions.  

OK:

 now buckle on your helmet (see page 15) and enjoy your ride. 

Summary of Contents for Bicycle

Page 1: ...USE AND MAINTENANCE BOOKLET OF YOUR RIDLEY BICYCLE ...

Page 2: ...Your Authorized Ridley Dealer has also taken the time to properly fit your new bicycle to you specifically to assure it s of the proper size This three part team You your Authorized Ridley Dealer and us here at Race Productions N V will assure you of your enjoyment and satisfaction of your new bike Your Authorized Ridley Dealer is a resource you should call on and visit frequently Your Authorized ...

Page 3: ...th whenever the risk of falling is mentioned When all else fails it s never too late to read the manual Even if you ve been riding a bike all your life you probably need an update on your bicycling habits knowledge and assumptions Why Because bicycles are going through some pretty dramatic changes in the technology that affect function handling comfort performance and safety A SPECIAL NOTE FOR PAR...

Page 4: ... 2 top tube 3 down tube 4 seat tube 5 chain stay 6 seat stay 7 head tube 8 fork 9 wheel 10 tire 11 tread 12 sidewall 13 valve stem 14 tube 15 rim 16 spokes 17 hub 18 quick release 19 bottom bracket 20 crank 21 chainrings 22 chain ...

Page 5: ...l 30 cassette 31 headset 32 stem 33 handlebar 34 adjusting barrel 35 seatpost 36 saddle 37 seat binder 38 brake lever 39 brake 40 brake shoe 41 brake cable 42 reflectors NOTE The image represented in this page and the other illustrations included in this handbook could be slightly different according to each model ...

Page 6: ...times equipped with aero bar extensions are designed to give the rider good leverage for climbing and sprinting and to position the rider in an aerodynamic tuck for speed Its high pressure narrow tires reduce rolling resistance to a minimum But The ride tends to be too stiff for comfort on rougher surfaces The frame and components may be too light to take the pounding of off road excursions The ha...

Page 7: ...roads It s not as fast on pavement as a Road Bike nor is it designed for hard off road use on single track or rocky rutted rugged terrain like a Mountain Bike By changing tires handlebars and shifting and braking controls your dealer can alter a Cross Bike s performance range to favor either paved road performance or dirt road performance to suit your intended use WEIGHT LIMIT Cross Bikes 120kg 3 ...

Page 8: ...straddling the bike by standing half way between the saddle and the handlebar stem To check for safe standover height straddle the bike while wearing the kind of shoes in which you ll be riding and bounce vigorously on your heels If your crotch touches the frame the bike is too big for you Don t even ride the bike around the block A bike that you ride only on paved surfaces and never ever take off...

Page 9: ... Section 6 2 on Seat Post Quick Releases and move the seat post up or down as required Then make sure that the saddle is parallel to the top tube of the bike and retighten the seat binder bolt tight enough so that you cannot twist the saddle out of alignment Check the adjustment as described above Your seat post will be marked with a scribed or engraved line marked minimum insertion or maximum ext...

Page 10: ...addle but some riders prefer to have the saddle nose tilted up just a little and others prefer it to be tilted down just a little You can adjust saddle tilt by loosening the saddle clamping mechanism and tilting the saddle to the desired position After making these adjustments the saddle clamping mechanism should be retightened until secure One method for testing whether you have tightened the sad...

Page 11: ...f you can twist the stem in relation to the front wheel turn the handlebars in relation to he stem or turn the bar end extensions in relation to the handlebar tighten the bolts Control position adjustments The brake and shifting controls on your bike are positioned where they work best for most people The angle of the controls and their position on the handlebars can be changed Ask your dealer to ...

Page 12: ...others using the road Being struck by other vehicles often results in serious injury or death Remember reflectors are not a substitute for lights Always equip your bicycle with lights 4 2 3 Lights If you ride your bike after dusk your bicycle must be equipped with lights so that you can see the road and avoid road hazards and so that others can see you Vehicle laws treat bicycles like any other ve...

Page 13: ...ries If so secure them If you re not sure consult your Authorized Dealer for assistance 4 3 2 Tires Wheels Tires correctly inflated Check by putting one hand on the saddle one on the intersection of the handlebars and stem then bouncing your weight on the bike while looking at tire deflection Compare what you see with how it looks when you know the tires are correctly inflated and adjust if necess...

Page 14: ...position See Section 6 1 and 6 2 for details WARNING Riding with an improperly adjusted wheel quick release can cause the wheel to wobble or disengage from the bicycle which can cause damage to the bicycle and serious injury or death 4 3 6 Handlebar and saddle alignment Are the saddle and handlebar stem correctly parallel to the bike s top tube and tight enough so that you can t twist them out of ...

Page 15: ...ut it puts incredible stress on everything from your spokes to your pedals Perhaps most vulnerable to jumping related damage is your front fork Riders who insist on jumping their bikes risk serious damage to their bicycles as well as to themselves 8 Think about your speed and keep your speed at a level that is consistent with conditions and your own riding ability Always keep in mind that there is...

Page 16: ...le always loses in a collision with a motor vehicle so be prepared to yield even if you have the right of way 7 Use hand signals for turning and stopping Learn the local vehicle code for the correct signals 8 Never ride with headphones They mask traffic sounds and emergency vehicle sirens distract you from concentrating on what s going on around you and their wires can tangle in the moving parts o...

Page 17: ...ugh vegetation or streams 8 It is your responsibility to minimize your impact on the environment Ride accordingly Leave things as you found them and always take out everything you brought in 5 4 Downhill Mountain Biking To ride downhill at speed or in competition is to voluntarily assume an increased risk of injury or death When riding downhill you can reach speeds seen on motorcycles and therefor...

Page 18: ...excellent night vision many of the people with whom you re sharing the road don t A cyclist is very difficult for motorists and pedestrians to see at dusk at night or at other times of poor visibility If you must ride under these conditions check and be sure you comply with all local laws about night riding follow the Rules of the Road and of the Trail even more carefully and you must take the fol...

Page 19: ...se has become standard equipment on most recreational sports and competition bicycles While it looks like a long bolt with a lever on one end and a nut on the other the wheel quick release uses a cam action to clamp the bike s wheel in place see fig 11 Because of its adjustable nature it is critical that you understand how it works and how to use it properly CAUTION The full force of the cam actio...

Page 20: ...r dealer to explain the particular secondary retention device on your bike WARNING Removing or disabling the secondary retention device is extremely dangerous and may lead to serious injury or death It also may void the warranty 6 1 3 Removing or Installing Quick Release Wheels 6 1 3 a Removing a Quick Release Front Wheel 1 Open up the brake shoes 2 Rotate the wheel s quick release lever from the ...

Page 21: ...nut clockwise a quarter turn then try again 5 If the lever cannot be pushed all the way to a position parallel to the fork blade return the lever to the OPEN position Then turn the tension adjusting nut counterclockwise one quarter turn and try tightening the lever again 6 Close the brake shoes then spin the wheel to make sure that it is centered in the frame and clears the brake shoes WARNING Sec...

Page 22: ...y tightening again 7 Push the rear derailleur back into position 8 Close the brake shoes then spin the wheel to make sure that it is centered in the frame and clears the brake shoes 6 1 4 Removing and Installing Bolt On Wheels 6 1 4 a Removing a Bolt On Front Wheel 1 Open up the brake 2 With a 15mm box wrench or a six inch adjustable wrench loosen the two axle nuts 3 If your front fork has a clip ...

Page 23: ...ustable wrench loosen the two axle nuts 4 Lift the rear wheel off the ground a few inches and with the derailleur still pulled back push the wheel forward and down until it comes out of the rear dropouts 6 1 4 d Installing a Bolt On Rear Wheel 1 Shift the rear derailleur to its outermost position and pull the derailleur body back with your right hand 2 Put the chain on to the smallest sprocket The...

Page 24: ...nut can make the difference between safe clamping force and unsafe clamping force CAUTION The full force of the cam action is needed to clamp the seatpost securely Holding the nut with one hand and turning the lever like a wing nut with the other hand until everything is as tight as you can get it will not clamp the seatpost safely CAUTION If you can fully close the quick release without wrapping ...

Page 25: ...of lockup It s important to develop a feel for the amount of brake lever pressure required for each wheel of different speeds and on different surfaces to better understand this experiment a little by walking your bike and applying different amounts of pressure to each brake lever until the wheel locks WARNING Some bicycle brakes such as linear pull and disc brakes are extremely powerful You shoul...

Page 26: ...ness benefit produce the greatest sustained power and have the greatest endurance if you learn to spin the pedals at high revolutions per minute called cadence against low resistance You will get the least fitness benefit and have the least endurance by pushing hard on the pedals against heavy resistance The purpose of having multiple gears on a bicycle is to let you chose the gear that allows you...

Page 27: ...alled a downshift looks like an upshift The way to keep things straight is to remember that shifting the chain in towards the centerline of the bike is for accelerating and climbing and is called a downshift Moving the chain out or away from the centerline of the bike is for speed and is called an upshift Whether upshifting or downshifting the bicycle derailleur system design requires that the dri...

Page 28: ...Instead find the starting gear which is right for your level of ability a gear which is hard enough for quick acceleration but easy enough to let you start from a stop without wobbling and experiment with upshifting and downshifting to get a feel for the different gear combinations At first practice shifting where there are no obstacles hazards or other traffic until you ve built up your confidenc...

Page 29: ...ps work WARNING Getting into and out of pedals with toeclips and straps requires skill which can only be acquired with practice Until it becomes a reflex action the technique requires concentration that can distract the rider s attention causing you to lose control and fall Practice the use of toeclips and straps where there are no obstacles hazards or traffic Keep the straps loose and don t tight...

Page 30: ...ing a gas station air hose put air into your tire in short spaced bursts Tire pressure is given either as maximum pressure or as a pressure range How a tire performs under different terrain or weather conditions depends largely on tire pressure Inflating the tire to near its maximum recommended pressure gives the lowest rolling resistance but also produces the harshest ride High pressures work bes...

Page 31: ... the valve Then push the pump head on to the valve and inflate To inflate a Presta valve with a gas station air hose you ll need a Presta adapter available at your bike shop which screws onto the valve stem once you ve freed up the valve The adapter fits the end of the air hose fitting To let air out of a Presta valve open up the valve stem lock nut and depress the valve stem 6 7 2 c Gluing Tubula...

Page 32: ...eat tube of the frame Tighten each bolt to maximum 4Nm Some cylco cross bikes may not come with bottle cage mounts and may not be compatible with water bottle cages 7 SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE NOTE Technological advances have made bicycles and bicycle components more complex than ever before and the pace of innovation is increasing This on going evolution makes it impossible for this manual to provi...

Page 33: ...ied by the manufacturer 7 1 1 Break in Period Your bike will last longer and work better if you break it in before riding it hard Control cables and wheel spokes may stretch or seat when a new bike is first used and may require readjustment by your dealer Your Mechanical Safety Check Section 4 3 will help you identify some things that need readjustment But even if everything seems fine to you it s...

Page 34: ...r thumb and index finger Do they all feel about the same If any feel loose have your dealer check the wheel for tension and trueness Check the frame particularly in the area around all tube joints the handlebars the stem and the seatpost for any deep scratches cracks or discoloration These are signs of stress caused fatigue and indicate that a part is at the end of its useful life and needs to be ...

Page 35: ... grease Chain Derailleur and Brake Cables Derailleur Pivot Points Brake and Brake Lever Pivot Points All Bolts mounting bolts such as your stem seatpost etc Bearings headset bottom bracket wheel hub bearings and Frame Pivot Points for full suspension mountain bicycles Re greasing bearings requires special tools and training and should only be done by your Authorized Dealer 7 1 4 Every 25 hard off ...

Page 36: ...e riding position Tighten the handlebar clamp bolts on the stem to 8Nm 7 1 5 b Rear derailleur These parts have to be installed according to that manufacturer s instructions 7 1 5 c Wheels Unscrew and remove the bolt and 1 spring from the quick release and Insert the quick release skewer through the hub with the lever on the left side of the bicycle Place the spring onto the skewer and lightly thr...

Page 37: ...he outside and inside of the tire for the cause of the puncture and remove the cause if it is still there If the tire is cut line the inside of the tire in the area of the cut with something handy tape a spare patch a piece of inner tube a candy wrapper whatever will keep the cut from pinching the inner tube Either patch the tube follow the instructions in your patch kit or use a new one WARNING P...

Page 38: ...aturely Component s suffering from stress fatigue can fail suddenly and catastrophically causing loss of control serious injury or death First check yourself for injuries and take care of them as best you can Seek medical help if necessary Next check your bike for damage and fix what you can Then when you get home carefully perform the checks described in Section 7 1 4 and check for any other dama...

Page 39: ... the undergarment s bunching up and chafing Also available are undergarments designed to reduce chafing when worn with regular street clothes The jerseys have pockets in the back so that the things you carry don t bang around when you ride Many are made of special materials with properties that improve riding comfort and performance It s important to drink plenty of liquids before and during exerc...

Page 40: ...wever were not designed for the stresses that a rear disc brake can put on the seatstay or chainstay Before attempting to install a rear disc brake ask your dealer to check with the bike s manufacturer or check with the manufacturer s technical support staff yourself to make sure that the frame can absorb the localized stresses at the disc brake s mounting points WARNING Rear disc brakes put stres...

Page 41: ...e original owner of this new Ridley bicycle or frameset purchased from an authorized Ridley dealer and it shall remain in force only as long as the original owner retains ownership of the Ridley bicycle This Limited Warranty is not transferable In order to exercise your rights under this limited warranty the bicycle or frameset must be presented to an authorized Ridley dealer together with a recei...

Page 42: ... INCLUDING ITS AUTHORIZED DEALERS TO EXTEND ANY OTHER WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED FOR RACE PRODUCTIONS N V NO OTHER REPRESENTATION AND NO STATEMENT OF ANYONE BUT RACE PRODUCTIONS N V INCLUDING A DEMONSTRATION OF ANY KIND BY ANYONE SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY REGARDING THIS BICYCLE OR FRAMESET ALL OF THE REMEDIES AVAILABLE TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER ARE STATED HEREIN IT IS AGREED THAT RACE PRODUCTIONS N...

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