Bicycle Handbook
A short manual with advice on how to use your bike
The bikes available for your bike tour are modern MTB or trekking bikes with front suspension, 21 or 24 gears and hand brakes for both wheels.
This manual has been written to help you to achieve the most comfort and safety when riding the bike.
Brakes
The bike is equipped with hand –brakes for front (left lever) and rear (right lever) wheels.
NOTE: For most efficient braking use both brakes and apply them simultaneously.
WARNING! Sudden or excessive application of the front brake may pitch the rider forward over the handlebars, causing serious injury.
Make sure that your hands can reach and squeeze the brakes levers comfortably. The brakes are powerful. Applying brakes too hard or too suddenly can lock up a wheel, which could cause you to lose control and fall.
Recommended technique for safety braking: Squeeze the lever progressively increasing the braking force. If you feel the wheels begin to lock up, release pressure just a little bit to allow the wheel to continue rotating.
Shifting – Changing Gear
Each bike is equipped with a multi-gear system (front and rear derailleur). The function of both derailleurs is to move the drive chain from one gear or chain-ring to another.
Up and down-shifters on the right part of handlebars operate the rear derailleur and a rear sprocket cluster called a free wheel cassette (usually 6, 7, 8 or 9 gear discs) shifting the rear derailleur. Moving the chain from a smaller sprocket to a larger one results in a downshift (EASIER). Moving the chain from a larger sprocket to a smaller one results in an up-shift (HARDER).
Up and down-shifters on the left part of handlebars operate the front derailleur and a front sprocket cluster called chain-rings (usually 2 or 3 gear discs), shifting the front derailleur. Shifting the chain onto a smaller chain-ring results in a down-shift (EASIER). Shifting to a larger chain-rings results in an up-shift (HARDER).
Examples of “speeds” (chain position: chain-rings x freewheel cassette) The numerically lowest gear (1) is for the steepest hills.
| 2x6 | Flat route profile, low force pedalling while riding at a high speed |
| 2x3 | Mild hills |
| 1x3 | Steep ascent |
| 1x1 | Mt. Everest in front of you |
| 3x7/8 | The hardest position you force on the pedals allows you to go at the highest speed |
Whether up-shifting or down-shifting, the bicycle derailleur system design requires that the drive chain be moving under at least some tension. That means a derailleur will shift only if pedalling forward.
CAUTION: Never move the shifter while pedalling backwards. This could jam the chain causing you to lose control, fall and damage the bicycle and yourself.
Computer
(not guaranteed)
The computer on your bike has seven display modes:
Actual speed is always displayed and with the largest figures.
Other modes are displayed when side buttons are pressed.
| MXS | Maximum speed from last reset |
| ODO | Total distance from last complete reset |
| DST | Distance of the trip from last reset |
| TM | The duration of the trip from last reset (when cycling) |
| AVS | Average speed from last reset (when cycling) |
Buttons:
| S/S | Pressed together with M for 3 seconds – daily reset |
| M | Pressing M will move from one field on the screen to the next one. |
