Guide To Using Your Bicycle; Before Your First Ride; Before Each Ride: Check Your Bike; Check That The Wheels Are Trued - Orbea ALMA Instruction And Maintenance Manual

GUIDE TO USING YOUR BICYCLE

IMPORTANT!
READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL BEFORE USING YOUR BICYCLE
A bicycle is small means of transport that is less powerful than other vehicles; therefore, your
safety cannot be stressed enough. This chapter contains recommendations that will help you
ride as safely as possible.
CONDITIONS FOR USE
Not using your bicycle in line with the specified conditions for use would imply restrictions to
your warranty.
Bicycles are designed to resist the weight of a person up to 100 kg and 10 kg of cargo.
Mountain bikes. For use on an asphalt, gravel surfaces or rough trails, and any type of terrain
in which the tires could momentarily lose contact with the ground.
Road bikes. For use on asphalt surfaces where the tires are always in contact with the ground.
Recreation bikes. For use on asphalt and gravel surfaces or rough terrain where the tires are
always in contact with the ground.

1. BEFORE YOUR FIRST RIDE

Your authorized dealer should provide you a bicycle that fits you correctly. In a standing position
on your bike, make sure there is adequate space between your groin and the top tube:
For MTB bikes, this distance should be between 50-75mm.
For all other bikes, this distance should be 25mm.
Practice at slow speeds
Before riding at high speeds or under adverse conditions, you need to learn the functions and
characteristics of all of your bike's mechanisms by riding on flat roads without traffic. That way,
you can get to know all of the features of your bicycle.
If you want any operational features other than those that come standard to your bicycle (for
example: a brake force modulator), consult your authorized dealer.
Avoid excessive vibrations or imbalances on the front wheel
Heavier cyclists with large bikes sometimes experience "excessive vibration," "harmonic oscilla-
tion" or "frame vibration" at certain speeds. If you experience this, reduce your speed and take
your bike to an authorized dealer for inspection and repair.
WARNING Excessive vibration can cause you to lose control and fall. If you feel excessive vibration,
immediately reduce your speed and take your bicycle to your authorized dealer.
Make sure your accessories are compatible and safe:
To personalize your bike, various components can be changed and different accessories can be
added. Not all accessories are compatible or safe. If you are not sure if a component is adequa-
te or safe, talk to your authorized dealer.
CAUTION Inappropriate components or assemblies on your bicycle could exert unknown tension
on your bike. This stress could cause a failure that makes you lose control and fall. Before adding or
changing any element on your bicycle, talk to your authorized dealer.

2. BEFORE EACH RIDE: CHECK YOUR BIKE

Before each ride, check your bike and its components using the following checklist. This list
provides some guidelines, but is not to be considered a complete inspection. Remember that
if you detect any problems with your bike, and you are not able to repair them, you must take
your bike to your authorized dealer.

Check that the wheels are trued

Spin each wheel and check for brake pad and frame clearance. If the wheel spin is not uniform,
take your bike to an authorized dealer.

Check tire pressure

Inflate your tires to the pressure indicated on the side of the tire. You should also take your
own weight into consideration. High pressure yields better performance on hard surfaces like
asphalt, while lower pressures are best for off-road rides.
CAUTION Air hoses at gas stations inflate wheels too quickly and indicate inaccurate pressures.
Always use hand pumps to inflate your tires.

Check your brakes

The brake lever on right side of the handlebar activates the rear brake and the lever on the left
activates the front brake, unless local legislation indicates otherwise.
Check that the front and rear brakes are working properly. Orbea uses different types of brakes:
- Rim brakes: the brake levers are connected to brake shoes that squeeze the wheel rim.
- Disc brakes: the brake levers are connected to brake pads that squeeze the brake disc.
- Drum brakes: the brake levers are connected to the hub of the wheel by a cable, and a mini-
mum of 15mm is needed to stop the bike.
38