Operation Manual

9
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 gradually than you
would under normal, dry conditions. See also Section 4.C.
E. Night Riding
Riding a bicycle at night is much more dangerous than riding during the day. A
bicyclist is very difcult for motorists and pedestrians to see. Therefore, children
should never ride at dawn, at dusk or at night. Adults who chose to accept the
greatly increased risk of riding at dawn, at dusk or at night need to take extra
care both riding and choosing specialized equipment which helps reduce that
risk. Consult your dealer about night riding safety equipment.
WARNING:Reectors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reectorsis
dangerous and may result in serious injury or death.
Bicycle reectors are designed to pick up and reect car lights and street lights
in a way that may help you to be seen and recognized as a moving bicyclist.
CAUTION:Checkreectorsandtheirmountingbracketsregularlyto
make sure that they are clean, straight, unbroken and securely
mounted.Haveyourdealerreplacedamagedreectorsand
straighten or tighten any that are bent or loose.
The mounting brackets of front and rear reectors are often designed as brake
straddle cable safety catches which prevent the straddle cable from catching on
the tire tread if the cable jumps out of its yoke or breaks.
WARNING:Donotremovethefrontorrearreectorsorreector
brackets from your bicycle. They are an integral part of the bicycle’s
safety system.
 Removingthereectorsreducesyourvisibilitytoothersusingthe
roadway. Being struck by other vehicles may result in serious injury or
death.
 Thereectorbracketsmayprotectyoufromabrakestraddlecable
catching on the tire in the event of brake cable failure. If a brake straddle
cable catches on the tire, it can cause the wheel to stop suddenly, causing
you to loose control and fall.
If you choose to 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:
• Purchase and install battery or generator powered head and tail lights
which meet all regulatory requirements for where you live and provide adequate
visibility.