User Guide

12
13CHAPTER ONE Guide to Safe On-and-Off Road Operation
Use special care when off-road riding.
• Ride only on the trails.
• Avoid rocks, branches, or depressions.
• Never ride a road or touring bike on unpaved roads, trails, or
off-road.
• Wear protective clothing including helmet, eye protection, and
gloves.
• When approaching a descent, reduce your speed, keep your weight
back and low, and use the rear brake more than the front.
Avoid undue stress to your bicycle.
Bicycles are not indestructible: as with anything mechanical,
every part of a bicycle has a limited useful life due to wear,
stress, and fatigue. Fatigue refers to a low-stress force that,
when repeated over a large number of cycles, can cause a
material to fail or break. The length of the life of a part varies
according to its design, materials, use, and maintenance.
Although lighter frames or parts may, in some cases, have a
longer life than heavier ones, it should be expected that light
weight, high performance bicycles and parts require better care
and more frequent inspections.
Regularly inspect your entire bicycle for signs of fatigue stress:
• Dents
• Cracks
• Scratches
• Deformation
• Discoloration
Fatigue can be accelerated by large forces from unsafe riding
practices:
• Jumping your bicycle
• Performing bicycle stunts
• Severe off-road riding
• Downhill riding
• Any abnormal bike riding
Carefully inspect your frame and components for signs of
fatigue before and after each ride.
Even if you perform regular inspections, if you exceed the
limit of strength of your bicycle or a given part, it will fail.