BikeE E2 Technical

BikeE E2 Center Stand. Not Kickstand! Submitted by David Browder

The E2 Center Stand is designed to accommodate the weight of both riders and to allow them to ride off of the kickstand without the need to first retract it. To safely use the Center Stand make sure the front wheel is pointed straight forward and on a flat surface. The captain should steady the bike while the stoker gets situated on the seat and peddles. Once the Stoker is situated, the captain may get positioned and ride off.

The kickstand needs to be broken in for about 15-20 ride-offs with both riders on the bike before it will fully retract.

Do not try adjusting seat position without one rider supporting the bike. While the Center Stand is designed to support the weight of both riders, it is not designed to keep the bike balanced against the lateral forces inflicted by the weight of a moving rider.

Avid Ball-Bearing Mechanical Disc Brakes Submitted by David Browder

For maximum braking performance your BikeE E2 comes equipped with disc brakes. It is important that you take the time and care to properly maintain your disc brake system for optimal performance. Failure to comply with the following procedures can compromise the ability of the brake system to function properly and can result in a failure of the brake.

With twice as many riders as other bikes, a tandem will weigh twice as much as a single rider bike. With this in mind it is important to remember that you will generate more speed, more quickly, when riding downhill and it will consequently require more time and energy to slow and stop. The extra energy required to slow and stop your tandem translates into increased heat at the braking surfaces. If left unchecked, it can result in brake fade and eventually complete brake failure. To prevent this, do not engage the brake permanently, known as "dragging", on extended descents. The best method of controlling your speed is to lightly pump your brakes on and off. Pick a speed that you are comfortable with and alternately accelerate a little and then slow a little, using both brakes together. By not running your brakes continuously it will give them the opportunity to cool and prevent over heating. Even though this will help prevent your brakes from overheating they will still be very hot immediately after use. Do not touch the caliper or rotor immediately after use. Wait for the brake to cool down before making any adjustments.

The disc brake system is NOT intended to be used as a drag brake. Use of this nature can result in brake failure.

For maximum performance & safety it is important that you pay attention to the condition of your brakes. Check them and adjust accordingly on a regular basis. Never ride more than 100 miles without checking the pad adjustment.

Adjusting Cable Slack—Use the barrel adjuster on the brake lever to remove any cable slack from your disc brake. Turn the adjuster out until there is no free play in the lever. Do NOT use your barrel adjuster to compensate for pad wear.

Adjusting for Pad Wear—As with any brake, you will need to compensate for brake pad wear over time. Adjust the inboard pad, by turning the red adjuster knob, 1 or 2 clicks until it rubs the rotor and then back off one click. Squeeze the lever in-between adjustments to be sure the pad is set properly. Once the inboard pad is set, you should adjust the outboard pad to personal feel at the brake lever. You should NOT use your barrel adjuster to compensate for pad wear.

Pad Replacement—Replace worn disc brake pads by simply lifting the pad away from the piston (i.e. toward the other pad) . Remove only one pad at a time.

Care and Cleaning—Extreme care must be taken when cleaning both your bicycle and it's new disc brakes. Under normal use., it is not necessary to clean the caliper rotor or pads. If necessary, use only water and dish detergent to wash the caliper and rotor—being sure to thoroughly rinse all soap residue from the rotor. Dry clean with a clean paper towel. Disc brakes are oil sensitive! Do not spray any solvents or lubricants in the vicinity of the rotors or brake pads. Never touch the pad surface or rotor surface with your bare fingers. Doing so will significantly degrade braking performance.

BikeE engineers conducted extensive testing when evaluating and selecting the brake system on your BikeE E2. Due to the unique stresses and loads placed on a tandem, it is important that you do not make any modifications to your bikes brake system. This is especially important when it comes to your disc rotors. DO NOT install a smaller rotor on either the front or rear wheels. Doing so will result in a lack of power, insufficient brake cooling and possible brake failure.