Jamis Bicycle Owner's Manual - page 7
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C. Off Road Safety
We recommend that children not ride on rough terrain unless they are accompanied by an adult.
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. Always take along some kind of identification, so that people know who you are in case of an accident; and take along some cash for food,
a cool drink or an emergency phone call.
5. Yield right of way to pedestrians and animals. Ride in a way that does not frighten or endanger them, and give them enough room so that
their unexpected moves don’t endanger you.
6. Be prepared. If something goes wrong while you’re riding off-road, help may not be close.
7. Before you attempt to jump, do stunt riding or race with your bike, read and understand Section 2.F.
Off Road respect
Obey the local laws regulating where and how you can ride off-road, and respect private property. You may be sharing the trail with others
— hikers, equestrians, other cyclists. Respect their rights. 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.
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.
B. Riding Safety
1. Obey all Rules of the Road and all local traffic laws.
2. You are sharing the road or the path with others — motorists, pedestrians and other cyclists. Respect their rights.
3. Ride defensively. Always assume that others do not see you.
4. Look ahead, and be ready to avoid:
•Vehiclesslowingorturning,enteringtheroadoryourlaneaheadofyou,orcomingupbehindyou.
•Parkedcardoorsopening.
•Pedestrianssteppingout.
•Childrenorpetsplayingneartheroad.
•Potholes,sewergrating,railroadtracks,expansionjoints,roadorsidewalkconstruction,debrisandotherobstructionsthatcouldcause
you to swerve into traffic, catch your wheel or cause you to have an accident.
•Themanyotherhazardsanddistractionswhichcanoccuronabicycleride.
5. Ride in designated bike lanes, on designated bike paths or as close to the edge of the road as possible, in the direction of traffic flow or as
directed by local governing laws.
6. Stop at stop signs and traffic lights; slow down and look both ways at street intersections. Remember that a bicycle always loses in a
collision with a motor vehicle, so be prepared to yield even if you have the right of way.
7. Use approved hand signals for turning and stopping.
8. Never ride with headphones. They mask traffic sounds and emergency vehicle sirens, distract you from concentrating on what’s going on
around you, and their wires can tangle in the moving parts of the bicycle, causing you to lose control.
9. Never carry a passenger, unless it is a small child wearing an approved helmet and secured in a correctly mounted child carrier or a child-
carrying trailer.
10. Never carry anything which obstructs your vision or your complete control of the bicycle, or which could become entangled in the moving
parts of the bicycle.
11. Never hitch a ride by holding on to another vehicle.
12. Don’t do stunts, wheelies or jumps. If you intend to do stunts, wheelies, jumps or go racing with your bike despite our advice not to, read
Section 2.F, Downhill, Stunt or Competition Biking, now. Think carefully about your skills before deciding to take the large risks that go
with this kind of riding.
13. Don’t weave through traffic or make any moves that may surprise people with whom you are sharing the road.
14. Observe and yield the right of way.
15. Never ride your bicycle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
16. If possible, avoid riding in bad weather, when visibility is obscured, at dawn, dusk or in the dark, or when extremely tired.
Each of these conditions increases the risk of accident.