Giant Revive manual Off Road Safety, Wet Weather Riding

C. Off Road Safety

1. The variable conditions and hazards of off-road riding require close attention and specific skills. Start slowly on easier terrain and build up your skills. If your bike has suspension, the increased speed you may develop also increases your risk of losing control and falling. Get to know how to handle your bike safely before trying increased speed or more difficult terrain.

2.Wear safety gear appropriate to the kind of riding you plan to do.

3.Don’t ride alone in remote areas. Even when riding with others, make sure that someone knows where you’re going and when you expect to be back.

4.Don’t do stunts, wheelies or jumps. They can cause you injury and damage your bike.

5.Learn and obey the local laws regulating where and how you can ride off-road, and respect private property.

6.You are sharing the trail with others; hikers, equestrians, other cyclists. Respect their rights.

7.Yield right of way to pedestrians and animals. Ride in a way that does not frighten or endanger them, and stay far enough away so that their unexpected moves don’t endanger you.

8.Stay on the designated trail. Don’t contribute to erosion by riding in mud or with unnecessary sliding. Don’t disturb the ecosystem by cutting your own trail or shortcut through vegetation or streams. It is your responsibility to minimize your impact on the environment. Leave things as you found them; and always take out everything you brought in.

9.Be prepared. If something goes wrong while you’re riding off-road, help may not be close.

D. Wet Weather Riding

WARNING: Wet weather impairs traction, braking and visibility, both for the bicyclist and for other vehicles sharing the road. The risk of an accident is dramatically increased in wet conditions.

Under wet conditions, the stopping power of your brakes (as well as the brakes of other vehicles sharing the road) is dramatically reduced and your tires don’t grip nearly as well. This makes it harder to control speed and easier to lose control. To make sure that you can slow down and stop safely in wet conditions, ride more slowly and apply your brakes earlier and more gradually than you would under normal, dry conditions. See also Section 4.C.

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