DIAMONDBACK SINGLE-SPEED OWNER’S MANUAL
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Owner’s Manual for BMX and other single-speed bicycles 3rd Edition, 2003 This manual contains important safety, performance and service information. Read it before you take the first ride on your new bicycle, and keep it for reference. AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO PARENTS: This Manual contains important safety information. For your child's safety, it is your responsibility to review this information with your child and make sure that your child understands all warnings, cautions, instructions and safety topics.
GENERAL WARNING: A special note for parents: Like any sport, bicycling involves risk of injury and damage. By choosing to ride a bicycle, you assume the responsibility for that risk, so you need to know — and to practice — the rules of safe and responsible riding and of proper use and maintenance. Proper use and maintenance of your bicycle reduces risk of injury.
Contents GENERAL WARNING A special note for parents p. 2 p. 2 1. First A. Bike Fit B. Safety First C. Mechanical Safety Check D. First Ride p. p. p. p. 4 4 4 5 p. p. p. p. p. p. p. 6 6 7 8 7 9 9 2. Safety A. The Basics B. Riding Safety C. Off Road Safety D. Wet Weather Riding E. Night Riding F. Bicycling in Traffic G. Downhill, Stunt or Competition Biking H. Changing Components or Adding Accessories 3. Fit A. Standover Height B. Saddle Position C. Handlebar Height And Angle D.
1. First and care of your helmet. 2. Do you have all the other required and recommended safety equipment? See Section 2. It’s your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the laws of the areas where you ride, and to comply with all applicable laws. 3. If your bike has wheel quick releases, do you know how to correctly operate them? Check Section Appendix B to make sure.
Tires & Wheels: Make sure tires are correctly inflated (see Section 4.G.1). 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 look ing at tire deflection. Compare what you see with how it looks when you know the tires are correctly inflated; and adjust if necessary. Tires in good shape? Spin each wheel slowly and look for cuts in the tread and sidewall. Replace damaged tires before riding the bike.
the suspension responds to brake application and rider weight shifts. See paragraph B.5 above and Section 4.F. Check out the handling and response of the bike; and check the comfort. If you have any questions, or if you feel anything about the bike is not as it should be, take the bike back to your dealer for advice. which might have been avoided if the rider had worn an appropriate helmet. ! WARNING: Failure to wear a helmet when riding may result in serious injury or death. 2.
know and obey the laws. 2. You are sharing the road or the path with others — motorists, pedestrians and other cyclists. Respect their rights. 3. Ride defensively. Always assume that others do not see you. 4. Look ahead, and be ready to avoid: • Vehicles slowing or turning, entering the road or your lane ahead of you, or coming up behind you. • Parked car doors opening. • Pedestrians stepping out. • Children or pets playing near the road.
3. Don’t ride alone in remote areas. Even when riding with others, make sure that someone knows where you’re going and when you expect to be back. 4. Learn and obey the local laws regulating where and how you can ride off-road, and respect private property. 5. You may be sharing the trail with others — hikers, equestrians, other cyclists. Respect their rights. 6. Yield right of way to pedestrians and animals.
F. Bicycling in Traffic • Be predictable. Ride so that drivers can see you and predict your movements. • Be alert. Ride defensively and expect the unexpected. • Read Appendix B and learn the rules for riding in traffic which are illustrated there. ! 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.
We recommend against this type of riding because of the increased risks; but if you ignore this recommendation, at least: • Take lessons from a competent instructor first • Do stunts, racing or fast downhill riding only in areas designated for this type of riding • Start with easy learning exercises and slowly develop your skills before trying more dangerous riding • Wear a full face helmet, safety pads, and other safety gear • Make sure by checking with your dealer that your bike is suitable for the kind o
! WARNING: If your bicycle does not fit properly, you may lose control and fall. If your new bike doesn’t fit, ask your dealer to exchange it before you ride it. B. Saddle position Correct saddle adjustment is an important factor in getting the most performance and comfort from your bicycle. If the saddle position is not comfortable for you, see your dealer, who has the tools and skill to change it. The saddle can be adjusted in three directions: 1. Up and down 2. Forward and back 3.
NOTE: If your bicycle is equipped with a suspension seat post, periodically ask your dealer to check it. be able to change handlebar height by moving height adjustment spacers from below the stem to above the stem, or vice versa. Otherwise, you’ll have to get a stem of different length or rise. Consult your dealer. Do not attempt to do this yourself, as it requires special knowledge. If your bike has a “quill” stem, you can ask your dealer to adjust the handlebar height a bit by adjusting stem height.
your legs and attempt to twist the handlebar/stem assembly. If you can twist the stem in relation to the front wheel, turn the handlebars in relation to the stem, or turn the bar end extensions in relation to the handlebar, the bolts are insufficiently tightened. D. Control position adjustments The angle of the controls and their position on the handlebars can be changed. Ask your dealer to make the adjustments for you. something in this section of the Manual, talk to your dealer. A.
1. Coaster Brake lever controlling the front brake. NOTE: If your bicycle is equipped with both front and rear brakes, most effective braking is achieved by using both brakes and apply them simultaneously. (See also par. 3. Braking technique, below). a. How the coaster brake works The coaster brake is a sealed mechanism which is a part of the bicycle’s rear wheel hub. The brake is activated by reversing the rotation of the pedal cranks (see fig. 5).
released position, the brakes are inoperative. Ask your dealer whether you have a quick release on your brakes; and if you do, make sure that you understand the way the brake quick release works, and check each time to make sure both brakes work correctly before you get on the bike. ! CAUTION: Some bi cy cles are equipped with a device called a Brake Rotor, which allows the steering mechanism to turn a full 360 degrees. Adjusting brakes equipped with a Brake Rotor requires special knowledge and skill.
When you apply the brake(s), the bike begins to slow, but your body wants to continue at the speed at which it was going. This causes a transfer of weight to the front wheel (or, under heavy braking with hand brakes, around the front wheel hub, which could send you flying over the handlebars). A wheel with more weight on it will accept greater brake pressure before lockup; a wheel with less weight will lock up with less brake pressure.
adjustable wrench, loosen the two axle nuts. c. If your front fork has a clip-on type secondary retention device, disengage it and go to step (4). If your front fork has an integral or a washer type secondary re ten tion device, loosen the axle nuts enough to allow removal of the wheel; then go to step (4). d. Raise the front wheel a few inches off the ground and tap the top of the wheel with the palm of your hand to knock the wheel out of the fork ends. 3. Installing a Bolt-On Front Wheel a.
6. Removing a Bolt-On Rear Wheel with Coaster Brake a. Disengage the coaster brake arm from its frame bracket (see fig. 15). b. With a correctly sized socket, box, open end or ad just able wrench, loosen the two axle nuts. c. Push the wheel forward to slacken the chain, and remove the chain from the chainring and wheel sprocket. d. Pull the wheel out of the frame. bicycles, and is avoided by keeping the inside pedal up and the outside pedal down when turning.
which may cause you to lose control and fall. becomes a reflex action, but always make sure that there is sufficient tension to prevent un in tend ed release of your foot from the pedal. If your bike has suspension, the increased speed you may develop also increases your risk of injury. For example, when braking, the front of a suspended bike dips. You could lose control and fall if you do not have experience with this system. Learn to handle your suspension system safely. See also Section 4.A.
E. Tires and Tubes 1. Tires Bi cy cle tires are available in many de signs and specifications, ranging from general-purpose designs to tires designed to perform best under very specific weather or terrain conditions. If, once you’ve gained experience with your new bike, you feel that a different tire might better suit your riding needs, your dealer can help you select the most appropriate design.
5. Service ! WARNING: Technological advances have made bicycles 2. Tire Valves There are primarily two kinds of bicycle tube valves: The Schraeder Valve and the Presta Valve. The bicycle pump you use must have the fitting appropriate to the valve stems on your bicycle. The Schraeder valve (fig. 17) is like the valve on a car tire. To inflate a Schraeder valve tube, remove the valve cap and clamp the pump head onto the end of the valve stem.
first time you work on something and before you ride the bike, just to make sure that you did everything correctly. Since that will require the time of a mechanic, there may be a modest charge for this service. recommended lubrication frequency for your area. 4. After every long or hard ride or after every 10 to 20 hours of riding: • Squeeze the front brake (if you have one) and rock the bike forward and back.
! ! WARNING: Like any mechanical device, a bicycle and its components are subject to wear and stress. Different materials and mechanisms wear or fatigue from stress at different rates and have different life cycles. If a component’s life cycle is exceeded, the component can suddenly and catastrophically fail, causing serious injury or death to the rider.
Appendix A your car in front of the driveway, if local ordinance permits. This way, your child can’t use the driveway as a launching pad. But the most important thing you can do is teach your child about driveway safety. Take your child outside to the driveway and have him/her practice the following steps: 1) Stop before entering the street. 2) Look left, right and left again for traffic. 3) If there’s no traffic, proceed into the roadway.
e. Following the Leader There is increased risk of car/bike collision if children are following each other, because if the first one does something dangerous, those following may do it too. What can you do? Teach your child to always assess the traffic situation for him/herself. When a group is riding around, each cyclist should stop for stop signs; each cyclist should look to the rear before making left turns; and so on.
Appendix B Bicycling in Traffic 26
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Appendix C it properly, and how much force you need to apply to secure the wheel. Wheel and Seat Post Quick Release Mechanisms ! WARNING: The full force of the cam action is needed to clamp the wheel 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 wheel safely in the dropouts. A. Quick Release Wheels 1. How a Wheel Quick Release Works a.
a matching hole in the front fork dropout (fig. 12c). Ask your dealer to explain the particular secondary retention device on your bike. ! CAUTION: If your bike is equipped with disk brakes, be careful not to damage the disk, caliper or brake pads when re-inserting the disk into the caliper. Never activate a disk brake’s control lever unless the disk is correctly inserted in the caliper. See also Section 4.A.
the disk into the caliper. Never activate a disk brake’s control lever unless the disk is correctly inserted in the caliper. (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 onequarter turn and try tightening the lever again.
to make sure that it is centered in the frame and clears the brake pads; then squeeze the brake lever and make sure that the brakes are operating correctly. ! WARNING: 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. B. Seatpost Quick Release Some bikes are equipped with a quick-release seat post binder.
DIAMONDBACK bicycles are distributed by Raleigh America, Inc. Raleigh America, Inc. Bicycle Limited Warranty It is the owner’s responsibility to thoroughly read and understand the owner’s manual and regularly examine the product to determine the need for professional, authorized service or replacement. Please consult an authorized Raleigh America, Inc. bicycle dealership with any questions on use and maintenance. Regardless of the length of the warranty, Raleigh America, Inc.
FREE LOST & FOUND SERVICE Protect your new bike with a FREE 6-month National Bike Registry membership! • Loss Prevention. If your bike is lost or stolen, the National Bike Registry (NBR®) could help you get it back. • Simple Activation. Your NBR label is already attached to your bike. To activate your FREE 6-month registration, register online at www.nationalbikeregistry.com. • Easy Return. If your bike is lost or stolen, then recovered, it can be identified by your NBR label and returned to you.
your bike’s * What ismodel year? Date of Purchase: Month Day Year * What model bike do you have? Della Cruz Impression Mini Impression Mr. Lucky 24 RM 16 Skin Dog Della Cruz 1.0 Joker Mini Viper Nitrus RM 20 Venom Della Cruz 24 Jr Viper Miz Della Cruz Orion Session Viper Grind Lil’ Della Cruz Mr. Lucky RM 12 Sherman Viper X Other (specify) Please Register Your Bike Online At www.diamondback.
Fold Here If you have access to a computer, please register your bike online at www.diamondback.com. If you do not have computer access, please complete registration card on back, fold and insert into envelope and mail to: Fold Here MARKETING SERVICES 6004 S.
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