Quintana Roo bicycle Owner's Manual - page 7
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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.
4. Look ahead, and be ready to avoid:
• Vehicles slowing or turning, entering the road or your lane ahead of you,
or coming up behind you.
• Parked car doors opening.
• Pedestrians stepping out.
• Children or pets playing near the road.
• Pot holes, sewer grating, railroad tracks, expansion joints, road or
sidewalk construction, debris and other obstructions that could cause you
to swerve into traffic, catch your wheel or cause you to have an accident.
• The many other hazards and distractions which can occur on a bicycle
ride.
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.
Chapter 2: Safety
A. The Basics
WARNING: The area in which you ride may require specific safety
devices. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the laws
of the area where you ride and to comply with all applicable laws,
including properly equipping yourself and your bike as the law
requires.
Observe all local bicycle laws and regulations. Observe regulations
about bicycle lighting, licensing of bicycles, riding on sidewalks,
laws regulating bike path and trail use, helmet laws, child carrier
laws, special bicycle traffic laws. It’s your responsibility to know and
obey the laws.
1. Always wear a cycling helmet which meets the latest
certification standards and is appropriate for the type of
riding you do. Always follow the helmet manufacturer’s
instructions for fit, use and care of your helmet. Most
serious bicycle injuries involve head injuries which
might have been avoided if the rider had worn an
appropriate helmet.
WARNING: Failure to wear a helmet when riding may result in
serious injury or death.
2. Always do the Mechanical Safety Check (Section 1.C) before you get
on a bike.
3. Be thoroughly familiar with the controls of your bicycle: brakes
(Section 4.C.); pedals (Section 4.E.); shifting (Section 4.D.)
4. Be careful to keep body parts and other objects away from the sharp
teeth of chainrings, the moving chain, the turning pedals and cranks, and
the spinning wheels of your bicycle.
5. Always wear:
• Shoes that will stay on your feet and will grip the pedals. Make sure that
shoe laces cannot get into moving parts, and never ride barefoot or in
sandals.
• Bright, visible clothing that is not so loose that it can be tangled in the
bicycle or snagged by objects at the side of the road or trail.
• Protective eyewear, to protect against airborne dirt, dust and bugs —
tinted when the sun is bright, clear when it’s not.
6. Don’t jump with your bike. Jumping a bike, particularly a BMX or
mountain bike, can be fun; but it can put huge and unpredictable stress on
the bicycle and its components. Riders who insist on jumping their bikes
risk serious damage, to their bicycles as well as to themselves. Before you
attempt to jump, do stunt riding or race with your bike, read and understand
Section 2.F.
7. Ride at a speed appropriate for conditions. Higher speed means higher
risk.
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.