Jamis Bicycle Owner's Manual - page 23
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Appendix A
Intended use of your bicycle
WARNING: Understand your bike and its intended use. Choosing the wrong bicycle for your purpose can be hazardous. Using
your bike the wrong way is dangerous.
No one type of bicycle is suited for all purposes. Your retailer can help you pick the “right tool for the job” and help you understand its
limitations. There are many types of bicycles and many variations within each type. There are many types of mountain, road, racing, hybrid,
touring, cyclocross and tandem bicycles.
There are also bicycles that mix features. For example, there are road/racing bikes with triple cranks. These bikes have the low gearing of a
touring bike, the quick handling of a racing bike, but are not well suited for carrying heavy loads on a tour. For that purpose you want a touring
bike.
Within each of type of bicycle, one can optimize for certain purposes. Visit your bicycle shop and find someone with expertise in the area that
interests you. Do your own homework. Seemingly small changes such as the choice of tires can improve or diminish the performance of a
bicycle for a certain purpose.
On the following pages, we generally outline the intended uses of various types of bikes.
WARNING: Like any mechanical device, a bicycle and its components are subject to wear and stress. Different materials and
mechanisms wear or fatigue from stress at different rates and have different life cycles. If a component’s life cycle is exceeded,
the component can suddenly and catastrophically fail, causing serious injury or death to the rider. Scratches, cracks, fraying and
discoloration are signs of stress-caused fatigue and indicate that a part is at the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced. While
the materials and workmanship of your bicycle or of individual components may be covered by a warranty for a specified period of
time by the manufacturer, this is no guarantee that the product will last the term of the warranty. Product life is often related to the
kind of riding you do and to the treatment to which you submit the bicycle. The bicycle’s warranty is not meant to suggest that the
bicycle cannot be broken or will last forever. It only means that the bicycle is covered subject to the terms of the warranty. Please be
sure to read Appendix A, Intended Use of your bicycle and Appendix B, The lifespan of your bike and its components, starting on page
43.
5. As required: If either brake lever fails the Mechanical Safety Check (Section 1.C), don’t ride the bike. Have your dealer check the brakes.
If the chain won’t shift smoothly and quietly from gear to gear, the derailleur is out of adjustment. See your dealer.
6. Every 25 (hard off-road) to 50 (on-road) hours of riding: Take your bike to your dealer for a complete checkup.
B. If your bicycle sustains an impact:
First, check yourself for injuries, and take care of them as best you can. Seek medical help if necessary.
Next, check your bike for damage.
After any crash, take your bike to your dealer for a thorough check. Carbon composite components, including fames, wheels, handlebars,
stems, cranksets, brakes, etc. which have sustained an impact must not be ridden until they have been disassembled and thoroughly inspected
by a qualified mechanic.
See also Appendix B, Lifespan of your bike and its components.
WARNING: A crash or other impact can put extraordinary stress on bicycle components, causing them to fatigue prematurely.
Components suffering from stress fatigue can fail suddenly and catastrophically, causing loss of control, serious injury or death.