10
Riding the bike cont.
Your bike features an 8 speed Shimano rapid-fire shifter located on the right side of the handlebars.
To move up through the gears, PULL the upper lever/trigger with your index finger. To move down the
gears, PRESS the lower lever on the underside with your thumb.
The stiffness/travel of the forks can be adjusted to suit your weight (major reason), and/or riding style
(minor reason). The bigger the preload, the stiffer the spring, a higher preload is best for heavier riders
and/or for people who prefer a stiffer ride. Lighter riders should use less preload. Less preload will give
you a smoother ride, but the bike will dive more under braking. Turn the preload clockwise to stiffen, or
anti-clockwise to soften
Trigger/index finger
Thumb
You can also lock the front suspension, which is generally better for flat roads and hill climbing, and also
wastes less energy, whereas it’s better not to lock the suspension for rougher terrain and poorly main-
tained roads etc.
To lock the suspension, press down on the stanchion lever shown below-left, to unlock the suspension
once again, press the upper lever to unlock/release as shown below-right.
