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Fig. 19
Parallel steering! Danger:
A serious accident or fall could be the result of the two
riders on the tandem not agreeing on the direction in
which to steer. We strongly recommend deactivating
this function and leaving the steering to one person
only - the pilot!
In exceptional cases, your tandem may have been
designed for piloting from the front position only. In
that case, all operating elements will have been moved
to the front position.
Caution:
This version will not be equipped with an idling mode,
which would allow pedal pauses. Every pedal motion
done by the person in front will have to be seconded
by the person in the back!
The rider in front should inform his co-rider of all
route characteristics and actions well in advance, e.g.
uneven ground, inclines or curves, as well as braking
or gear changes, as the person in back may not always
be able to see ahead.
2.18.2 The rst meters
Remember that you will need more space to get
around obstacles as with a regular trike or bicycle (be-
cause of the special length and width of the tandem)!
Also your turning radius will be signi cantly larger!
We therefore strongly recommend to do a little test
run on your own, before going on your rst two-per-
son trip, so as to familiarise yourself with the peculiari-
ties of your tandem in terms of its behaviour in curves
or while braking. You will soon feel safe and com-
fortable to use your new vehicle.
Make sure to try your rst two-person run on a route
with little traf c (without inclines if possible) and no
obstacles (e.g. parked cars). Talk to your co-pilot and
inform him in good time of any braking or gear
change manoevers, as this will build trust and ensure
safety.
Before you take your trike on the road
Children under 16 years of age should not steer the
tandem. Kids are usually not yet able to judge driving
situations accurately, and often do not yet have the
necessary physical power to safely steer and operate
a tandem.
2.18.3 Special driving characteristics
The co-pilot must continue pedaling as long as the
pilot is doing so. That is why both riders should agree
on pedaling brakes in advance to prevent premature
fatigue and exhaustion.
As pilot, you must ensure that the pedals are left in
horizontal position during pedaling brakes to prevent
the co-pilot having to stop in mid-motion and maybe
losing his balance. If the tandem is equipped with front
idling, the co-pilot will be able to pedal and/or stop
pedaling at any time for a pedal break. This will prevent
premature exhaustion particularly in children and will
prolong driving fun.
Note:
Check the seat position for children/ adolescents
periodically - but at least every 6 months.
3.0 Care & maintenance
Proper care means less costs!
A well cared-for vehicle has a longer lifespan and is
also much more fun to drive. We have put together a
couple of pointers for you, which you should consider
for the care and mainenance of your trike:
3.1 Cleaning
Clean you vehicle each time it has accumulated
dirt. Even the best quality vehicle will suffer if left
encrusted with dirt and grime over extended periods
of time. You should, however, refrain from hosing it
down. Use a wet sponge instead, and dry with a soft
cloth. If you then polish it up with a lightly oiled wool
cloth, your trike will look like new every time. Please
be careful with polishing products, because what may
be good for clean metal parts, may not be so good for
painted ones.
Never use a power hose for cleaning. A steam or
water jet would be to hard, and could dissolve the
lubricant needed for some parts.
3.2 Checks
Schedule your regular checks depending on the fre-
quency of use - but perform all checks at least every
500 km or annually. Check for damage and make
sure to tighten all screws and nuts.
53
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