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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