Electra Bicycle - Manual (Page 20)

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B. If your bicycle sustains an impact:
First, check yourself for injuries, and take care of them as best you can. Seek
medical help if necessary.
Next, check your bike for damage.
After any crash, take your bike to your dealer for a thorough check. Carbon
composite components, including fames, wheels, handlebars, stems, cranksets,
brakes, etc. which have sustained an impact must not be ridden until they have
been disassembled and thoroughly inspected by a qualified mechanic.
See also Appendix B, Lifespan of your bike and its components.
WARNING: A crash or other impact can put extraordinary stress on
bicycle components, causing them to fatigue prematurely.
Components suffering from stress fatigue can fail suddenly and
catastrophically, causing loss of control, serious injury or death.
Appendix A
Intended use of your bicycle
WARNING: Understand your bike and its intended use. Choosing the
wrong bicycle for your purpose can be hazardous. Using your bike
the wrong way is dangerous.
No one type of bicycle is suited for all purposes. Your retailer can help you pick
the “right tool for the job” and help you understand its limitations. There are many
types of bicycles and many variations within each type. There are many types of
mountain, road, racing, hybrid, touring, cyclocross and tandem bicycles.
There are also bicycles that mix features. For example, there are road/racing
bikes with triple cranks. These bikes have the low gearing of a touring bike, the
quick handling of a racing bike, but are not well suited for carrying heavy loads
on a tour. For that purpose you want a touring bike.
Within each of type of bicycle, one can optimize for certain purposes. Visit your
bicycle shop and find someone with expertise in the area that interests you. Do
your own homework. Seemingly small changes such as the choice of tires can
improve or diminish the performance of a bicycle for a certain purpose.
On the following pages, we generally outline the intended uses of various
types of bikes.
Industry usage conditions are generalized and evolving. Consult your
dealer about how you intend to use your bike.
• Grab one pedal and rock it toward and away from the centerline of the bike;
then do the same with the other pedal. Anything feel loose? If so, have your
dealer check it.
• Take a look at the brake pads. Starting to look worn or not hitting the wheel
rim squarely? Time to have the dealer adjust or replace them.
• Carefully check the control cables and cable housings. Any rust? Kinks?
Fraying? If so, have your dealer replace them.
• Squeeze each adjoining pair of spokes on either side of each wheel between
your thumb and index finger. Do they all feel about the same? If any feel loose,
have your dealer check the wheel for tension and trueness.
• Check the tires for excess wear, cuts or bruises. Have your dealer replace
them if necessary.
• check the wheel rims for excess wear, dings, dents and scratches. Consult
your dealer if you see any rim damage.
• Check to make sure that all parts and accessories are still secure, and
tighten any which are not.
• Check the frame, particularly in the area around all tube joints; the
handlebars; the stem; and the seatpost for any deep scratches, cracks or
discoloration. These are signs of stress-caused fatigue and indicate that a part is
at the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced. See also Appendix B.
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. Scratches, cracks, fraying and discoloration are signs of stress-
caused fatigue and indicate that a part is at the end of its useful life and
needs to be replaced. While the materials and workmanship of your bicycle
or of individual components may be covered by a warranty for a specified
period of time by the manufacturer, this is no guarantee that the product
will last the term of the warranty. Product life is often related to the kind of
riding you do and to the treatment to which you submit the bicycle. The
bicycle’s warranty is not meant to suggest that the bicycle cannot be
broken or will last forever. It only means that the bicycle is covered subject
to the terms of the warranty. Please be sure to read Appendix A, Intended
Use of your bicycle and Appendix B, The lifespan of your bike and its
components, starting on page 43.
5. As required: If either brake lever fails the Mechanical Safety Check (Section
1.C), don’t ride the bike. Have your dealer check the brakes.
If the chain won’t shift smoothly and quietly from gear to gear, the derailleur is
out of adjustment. See your dealer.
6. Every 25 (hard off-road) to 50 (on-road) hours of riding: Take your bike to
your dealer for a complete checkup.