SECTION: II Safety
9
D. Wet Weather Riding
WARNING:
Wet weather impairs traction, braking and visibility, both for the
bicyclist and for other vehicles sharing the road. The risk of an accident is
dramatically increased in wet conditions.
Under wet conditions, the stopping power of your brakes (as well as the brakes
of other vehicles sharing the road) is dramatically reduced and your tires don’t
grip nearly as well. This makes it harder to control speed and easier to lose
control. To make sure that you can slow down and stop safely in wet
conditions, ride more slowly and apply your brakes earlier and more gradu-
ally than you would under normal, dry conditions. See also Section IV. C.
E. Night Riding
Riding a bicycle at night is many times more dangerous than riding during
the day. A bicyclist is very difficult for motorists and pedestrians to see.
Therefore, children should
never
ride at dawn, at dusk or at night. Adults
should not ride at dawn, at dusk or at night unless it is
absolutely necessary
.
WARNING:
Reflectors are not a substitute for required lights. Riding at
dawn, at dusk, at night or at other times of poor visibility without an adequate
bicycle lighting system and without reflectors is dangerous and may result
in serious injury or death.
Bicycle reflectors are designed to pick up and reflect street lights and car lights
in a way that may help you to be seen and recognized as a moving bicyclist.
CAUTION:
Check reflectors and their mounting brackets regularly to make
sure that they are clean, straight, unbroken and securely mounted. Have
your dealer replace damaged reflectors and straighten or tighten any that are
bent or loose.
WARNING:
Do not remove the front or rear reflectors or reflector brackets
from your bicycle. They are an integral part of the bicycle’s safety system.
Removing the reflectors may reduce your visibility to others using the
roadway. Being struck by other vehicles may result in serious injury or death.
If you
must
ride under conditions of poor visibility, check and be sure you
comply with all local laws about night riding, and take the following
strongly recommended additional precautions:
1.
Make sure that your bicycle is equipped with correctly positioned
and securely mounted reflectors (see Section III.B.2).
2.
Purchase and install battery or generator powered head and tail
lights which meet all regulatory requirements and provide adequate
visibility.
3.
Wear light colored, reflective clothing and accessories, such as a
reflective vest, reflective arm and leg bands, reflective stripes on
your helmet, flashing lights ... any reflective device or light source
24
SECTION: IV Tech
shifting where there are no obstacles, hazards or other traffic,
until you’ve built up your confidence. If you have difficulties
with shifting, the problem could be mechanical adjustment.
See your dealer for help.
WARNING:
Never shift a derailleur onto the largest or the smallest sprocket
if the derailleur is not shifting smoothly. The derailleur may be out of
adjustment and the chain could jam, causing you to lose control and fall.
2. How an internal gear hub drivetrain works
If your bicycle has an internal gear hub drivetrain, the gear
changing mechanism will consist of:
• a 3, 5, 7 or possibly 12 speed internal gear hub
• one, or sometimes two shifters
• one or two control cables
• one front sprocket called a chainring
• a drive chain
a. Shifting internal gear hub gears
Shifting with an internal gear hub drivetrain is simply a matter
of moving the shifter to the indicated position for the desired
gear. After you have moved the shifter to the gear position of
your choice, ease the pressure on the pedals for an instant to
allow the hub to complete the shift.
b. Which gear should I be in?
The numerically lowest gear (1) is for the steepest hills. The
numerically largest gear (3, 5, 7 or 12, depending on the
number of speeds of your hub) is for the greatest speed.
Shifting from an easier, “slower” gear (like 1) to a harder,
“faster” gear (like 2 or 3) is called an upshift. Shifting from a
harder, “faster” gear to an easier, “slower” gear is called a
downshift. It is not necessary to shift gears in sequence.
Instead, find the “starting gear” for the conditions — a gear
which is hard enough for quick acceleration but easy enough
to let you start from a stop without wobbling — and experi-
ment with upshifting and downshifting to get a feel for the
different gears. At first, practice shifting where there are no
obstacles, hazards or other traffic, until you’ve built up your
confidence. If you have difficulties with shifting, the problem
could be mechanical adjustment. See your dealer for help.
E. Pedals
1.
Toe Overlap is when your toe can touch the front wheel when you turn
the handlebars to steer while a pedal is in the forwardmost position.
This is common on small-framed bicycles, and is avoided by keeping
the inside pedal up and the outside pedal down when turning.
WARNING:
Toe Overlap could cause you to lose control and fall. If you
have toe overlap, exercise extra care when turning.
