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Always Ride Safe!Always Ride Safe!
Always Ride Safe!Always Ride Safe!
Always Ride Safe!
Wear gloves — with its low center of gravity, you don't fall
very far on a recumbent, but you will touch down with your hand
first! A set of bicycling gloves will protect your skin.
Wear eye protection — Riding down the road at speed is no
time to get a bug or dirt stuck in your eye! Goggles, glasses or
both will save your sight and protect against a crash.
Practice riding your VISION — before you mix it up with
traffic, spend enough time on your recumbent on a parking lot,
driveway or other open area to get used to its unique riding
position. We also recommend that a new Captain ride the
VISION Tandem solo for a while before adding the Stoker.
Chapter 3 has some important information about riding your
VISION.
Never ride at night without a front and rear light!
Experiment with different seat positions, seat angles, and
boom lengths during your practice period --Your VISION
recumbent has many adjustments and special features that fit the
bike to you. Try them all!
Be careful when riding in wet conditions — All brakes,
whatever their design, loose effectiveness in wet weather.
Stopping distances and brake lever pressures all will increase.
Practice!
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the bike, we’ve found a favorite technique. The captain holds the
bike and allows the stoker to mount.
Once the stoker is comfortable, they support the bike and allow
the captain to mount and clip into the pedals. Once the captain is
ready, they signal their intention to ride, and start pedaling away.
The stoker then lefts their legs and clips into the pedals. At
stops, the captain signals the stoker to “prepare to stop” and the
stoker releases their feet from the pedals and gets ready to drop
their feet. When the captain brings the bike to a halt, the stoker
drops their feet and supports the bike, allowing the captain to
remain in the pedals, ready to accelerate away.
If the stoker is much lighter than the captain, you might be better
off reversing this procedure, but it is so easy to support the
Double Vision from the stoker’s position that this method is
usually the most comfortable. If your bike is equipped with the
I.P.S., then it is even easier to start and stop; the stoker’s and
captain’s cranks are independent of each other, so one won’t be
spinning madly with the other.
It’s important for the captain and the stoker to understand their
own responsibilities to the other. The captain should always
advise their stoker of starting and stopping intentions, warn of
potholes or bumps, and in general keep their stoker informed of
their plans. The stoker should acknowledge all communications
with the captain, and try to sit still without a lot of moving about.
It’s OK to turn your head and look at the scenery, just try to not
shift your upper body about, and keep all your movements
Chapter 3: Riding your VISIONChapter 3: Riding your VISION
Chapter 3: Riding your VISIONChapter 3: Riding your VISION
Chapter 3: Riding your VISION
