About Freeriding & Downhill - Cannondale PROPHET Owner's Manual Supplement

about freeriding & downhill
WARNING
FREERIDING AND OTHER FORMS OF "EXTREME RIDING" ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
YOU CAN BE SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.
Freeriding, jumping, hucking, dirt jumping, mountaincross, downhill, slalom, slopestyle,
urban or street riding or other evolving forms of extreme or hard core mountain biking
are inherently dangerous and can lead to serious accidents. Wear all safety gear and be
sure your bike is in excellent condition. Follow all the instructions and warnings below.
These steps will reduce, but not eliminate, the inherent risks. Even with state of the art
protective safety gear you could be seriously injured, paralyzed or killed. If you do not
want to take these risks, do not engage in this type of riding.
Fundamental Risk
Freeriding, jumping, hucking, dirt jumping, mountaincross, downhill, slalom, slope-
style, urban or street riding. It seems that everywhere you look, from Mountain Dew®
commercials to the X-Games® to the Red Bull®Rampage, riders are grabbing big air and
sticking sick drops. And it sure looks fun.
But what the videos and bike magazines and ads don't always tell you is that extreme
riding takes an amazing amount of skill. Some of the riders you see are well-paid pros
who have gradually built up their skills through endless hours of practice, and who have
also had their share of stitches, concussions and busted bones (and bikes). Others are
daredevils who have chosen to accept or ignore the risks. Would you allow anyone to
say that you are so weak in the head, and have such poor judgment that you copy those
you see in the media without thought of the serious risks?
The stakes are high if you screw up. Realize too late that you aren't up to the challenge,
and you run the risk of major injury or even – say it aloud – death, paralysis. In short,
extreme riding carries a high degree of fundamental risk, and you bear the ultimate
responsibility for how you ride and what you attempt to pull off. Do you want to avoid
these significant risks? Then do not ride this way.
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