RCB RK15 Originalbetriebsanleitung Seite 55

BRAKE CONTROLS AND FUNCTIONS
It is very important for your safety that you realise which brake lever on your bike controls which
brake.
Traditionally, the right brake lever controls the rear brake and the left brake lever controls the front
brake. To make sure that the brakes on your bike are actually set in this way, press one brake lever
and see which brake is actuated, front or rear. Do the same with the other brake lever.
Make sure that your hands can easily reach and operate the brake levers. If your hands are too small
to operate the levers comfortably, contact your dealer before you ride the bike. It may be possible to
adjust the lever range, otherwise you may need a different brake lever design. Most disc brakes have
some form of quick release mechanism to allow the brake pads to release the tyre when a wheel is
removed or refitted. If the brake quick release is in the open position, the brakes will be inoperative.
Consult your dealer to ensure that you understand how the quick release works on your bike and
check the function each time before riding to ensure that both brakes are working correctly.
HOW BRAKES WORK
The braking performance of a bicycle is a function of the friction between the braking surfaces.
To ensure that maximum friction is always available, keep your rims and brake pads or disc rotor and
caliper clean and free of dirt, lubricants, waxes or polishes.
Brakes should control your speed, not just stop the bike. The maximum braking force for each wheel
occurs just before the moment the wheel 'locks up' (stops turning) and begins to slip. Once the tyre
slips, you actually lose most of your braking power and all directional control. You need to practise
braking and stopping without locking a wheel. This technique is called progressive braking modula-
tion.
Instead of pulling the brake lever to the position where you expect to generate adequate braking force,
apply the lever to progressively increase the braking force. If you feel that the wheel is starting to lock
up, release the pressure slightly so that the wheel continues to turn only just before the locking limit. It
is important to develop a feel for the brake lever pressure required for each wheel at different speeds
and on different surfaces. To better understand this, try experimenting a little with the bike and apply
different pressure to each brake lever until the wheel locks up.
When you apply one or both brakes, the bike will start to slow down. If you now continue to lean your
body forwards as if you were riding at the previous speed, this can cause your weight to shift onto the
front wheel (or around the front wheel hub under heavy braking, which could send you flying over the
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