Before The First Ride - IDEAL Bikes Trekking Series Original Instruction Manual

Before the first ride

Please also consult the additional operating man-
uals of the individual component manufacturers,
which were supplied with your bicycle or avail-
able online.
Gear system
Your specialist bicycle retailer will be happy
to answer any further questions you have after
reading this manual.
Please ensure that your bicycle is ready for
use and is adjusted to fit your body.
These include:
• Setting the position and fixture of the seat and
handlebars
• Checking the assembly and settings of the
brakes
• Securing the wheels into the frame and fork
To ensure that you enjoy a safe and comfortable
riding position, please allow your specialist deal-
er to set up your handlebars and stem.
Adjust the seat to a safe and comfortable posi-
tion for you (see page 13).
Allow your specialist retailer to set up the
brakes so that the brake levers are always with-
in easy reach. Ensure that you know which lever
operates which brake (right/left)!
For bikes with two brake levers, it is a general
rule for the left brake lever to brake the front tire
and right brake lever to brake the back tire. De-
spite this, however, you should still check if the
same rule applies to your bike's levers before rid-
ing it for the first time, as this can sometimes vary.
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IDEAL MANUAL 2016_eng.indd 4
Modern braking systems might be
more powerful or have a different
functionality than those that you are
used to. Please get to know the brakes on a
safe piece of land before setting off on your
first ride with the bicycle!
If you use a bicycle with carbon fibre rims,
please note that this material provides a sig-
nificantly weaker braking effect in combina-
tion with rim brakes than aluminium rims do!
Also remember that the effectiveness of
brakes can be different, often worse, than you
are used to in wet conditions or on slippery
surfaces. Please take the possibility of longer
braking distances and slippery surfaces into
account when riding!
If you are riding a single speed or a "fixie",
please familiarise yourself with its behaviour
under braking before your first ride! Single
speed wheels with just one brake are not per-
mitted on public roads. Fixie bicycles cannot
freewheel, which means that the pedals AL-
WAYS turn with bicycle's wheels.
Get familiar with the grip of your bicy-
cle pedals when they have a rubber
or plastic cage. Rubber and plastic
pedals become very slippery under wet con-
ditions!
Ensure that the wheels are securely fastened in
the frame and fork. Check that all quick release
skewers, through axles and all important nuts
and bolts are secure (see page 10 and 37).
Lift your bicycle up slightly and drop it onto the
ground from about 10 cm in the air. If it rattles or
makes another unusual noise, ask a specialist re-
tailer to identify and fix the problem before you ride.
Push the wheels forwards with the brakes ap-
plied. The back brake should completely prevent
the back wheel from moving, while the front brake
should lift the back wheel off the ground with its
braking effect. Please take an initial test ride in
a safe place where you can familiarise yourself
with the new brakes! Modern brakes can behave
completely differently under braking than those
that you are perhaps used to. The bicycle's steer-
ing should not rattle under braking or exhibit any
play.
Check the air pressure in the tyres. You will find
instructions as to the correct tyre pressures on
the sides of the tyres. Please adhere to the re-
quired minimum and maximum pressure! If you
cannot find any recommended pressures, 2.5
bar/36 psi is a suitable pressure for most tyres.
If the wheels are thinner than 30 mm or 11/8'',
the tyre pressure should be filled to 4 bar/58 psi.
As a general rule of thumb when you are out
on a ride, you can check the tyre pressure by
doing the following: If you place your thumb on
a pumped up tyre, you should not be able to sig-
nificantly change its shape by applying pressure.
Check the tyres and rims. Scan them for any
damage, cracks or deformations, as well as em-
bedded particles, e.g shards of glass or sharp
stones.
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