Cannondale Bicycles manual Brakes, How brakes work

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fig. 16A

C. BRAKES

NOTE: For most effective braking, use both brakes and apply them simultaneously.

!WARNING: Sudden or excessive application of the front brake may pitch the rider over the handlebars, causing serious injury or death.

1. How brakes work

It's important to your safety that you instinctively know which brake lever controls which brake on your bike. In the U.S., bikes are required to be set up with the right brake lever controlling the rear brake, and the left lever controlling the front brake.

The braking action of a bicycle is a function of the friction between the brake surfaces -- usually the brake shoes and the wheel rim. To make sure that you have maximum friction available, keep your wheel rims and brake shoes clean and free of lubricants, waxes or polishes.

Make sure that your hands can reach and squeeze the brake levers com- fortably. If your hands are too small to operate the levers comfortably,

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Contents Cannondale For MULTI-SPEED Bicycles Contents Complete your Cannondale Warranty Registration Card Cannondale Thank YOU for Purchasing a Cannondale Repair and Maintenance Your Local Authorized Cannondale RetailerWHY YOU should Read this Manual About this ManualWhen all else fails . . . it’s too late to read the manual Special Note for ParentsWhat IT’S Called Adjusting barrel Reflectors What Kind of a Bike is IT? Mountain Bike Cross Bike FIT and Safety FITPage Close Open Standard Binder QR Binder Min insert Mark Page To do this yourself, as it requires special knowledge Min insert mark Stem binder Handlebar binder May result in serious injury or death Safety Equipment Wearing a HelmetPage Page Mechanical Safety Check Page Page OK now buckle on your helmet and enjoy your ride Basics Rules of the Road Page Page Rules of the Trail Downhill Mountain Biking Page WET Weather Riding Night RidingSerious injury or death When riding at dusk or at night HOW Things Work Wheel Quick ReleaseQuick Release Cam Open position Adjusting the quick release mechanism see , opposite Your bike Removing a Quick Release Front WheelInstalling a Quick Release Front Wheel QR Closed Position OpenPage Installing a Quick Release Rear Wheel Removing a Quick Release Rear WheelWheel in Rear Dropouts Push the rear derailleur back into position Removing a Bolt-On Front WheelInstalling a Bolt-On Front Wheel Removing a Bolt-On Rear WheelInstalling a Bolt-On Rear Wheel Adjusting the quick release mechanism Seatpost Quick ReleasePage Brakes How brakes workOpen Push Page Adjusting your brakes Why all those gears? ShiftingShifting a derailleur drivetrain Shifting GearsI f t W n s h i f t S h i f t Shifting the Rear Derailleur Shifting the Front Derailleur Which gear should I be in?Shifting an internal gear hub drivetrain Shifting internal gear hub gearsToeclips & Straps Clipless STEP-IN Pedals Tires and Tubes TiresPage Page Tire Valves Schraeder ValveBicycle Suspension Page Page Service and Maintenance Service & Maintenance Schedule About 10 to 15 hours of on-road or more casual off-road use Page As required Page Getting Home When Something Breaks Cut from pinching the inner tube If you break a spoke If your bicycle sustains an impact Seek medical help if necessary Comfort and Convenience Accessories Upgrading Your Bike and Your EquipmentPage Ity and resolve compatibility conflicts Page Page Adealerbout Your CANNONDALE-SPECIFIC Information Periodically Checked by AN Authorized Cannondale Retailer Fig. a Downhill riding When Riding with Children Mountain Bike Usage Page Page Other Proper USE of Bicycle Repair Stands PRE-RIDE Checklist Become entangled in the bicycle TOE Clip Overlap Reading Warranties Terms of Warranty 100 101 Authorized European Distributors102 Authorized International Distributors103 104 Your Purchase Record PRE-RIDE Checklist