BACCHETTA BICYCLESO W N E R S M A N U A L 2 . 0

CONTENTS

A FEW WORDS ABOUT SAFETYHelmetsMirrorsLightsClothingKnow your bikeYour first ride

HOW YOUR BIKE WORKSThe drivetrainWheels and tiresBrakesFrame sizes and proper fitSeat positionSeat reclineSeat assemblySeat removalSeat meshHandlebar positionGlide FlexIdler wheel assemblyChain lineBacchetta Brakes

NOTE: This manual is not intended for use as a service,maintenance, or repair manual. Please see your Bacchetta dealerfor questions regarding these items.

WELCOME TO BACCHETTABacchetta Bicycles are only available through authorized dealers throughout the United States andCanada. Independent bicycle dealers, in our opinion, are the best source for proper assembly, riderset up, and service after the purchase.

We know you’re anxious to begin riding your new Bacchetta, but first please take a few minutesto read the information in this manual. The following pages include information on safety andinstructions for your bike’s fit and function.. If you have any questions, please contact yourBacchetta dealer.

We hope you enjoy your new Bacchetta Bicycle and hope to see you out there….riding of course!

Bacchetta

A FEW WORDS ABOUT SAFETY

As with any sport, bicycling involves risk of injuryand damage. By riding a bicycle, you are assumingthe responsibility for that risk. It is for this reason,that it is important to know and practice the rulesof safety, responsible riding, and proper use andmaintenance. Because it is impossible to anticipateevery situation or riding condition, this Manualmakes no representation about the safe use of thebicycle under all conditions. There are risksassociated with the use of any bicycle which cannotbe predicted or avoided and are the soleresponsibility of the rider.

In most places in the U.S., bicycles are like motorvehicles: they enjoy most of the same rights, andmust follow most of the same rules. Do not takethis privilege lightly. The way you ride your bikeon a public roadway is critical to not only yoursafety, but also shapes the attitudes and biases thatmotorists have about cyclists in general. In short,obey the rules of the road and cycling grows,disobey the rules and all cyclists suffer.

HelmetsNo matter how sweaty your head may get it doesnot begin to approach the inconvenience ofspending the rest of your life in a wheelchair.Make your own choice, but the fact is that a helmetcan save your life. Depending on your area, bicyclehelmets may be required by law. Check your city,county, and/or state laws. We recommend thatyou ride with an approved cycling helmet. Fit iskey: It has to be snug or it won’t properly protectyour head. Snap your head forward and back, andside-to-side; your helmet shouldn’t move. Andplease don’t just wear it on the back of your headto keep your hair pretty; put it on so the front isjust above your eyebrows.

MirrorsMirrors are essential safety equipment for cyclists.Knowing what’s behind you is as important asknowing what’s ahead of you. If you don’t want

a mirror on your bike, consider one that mountsto your sunglasses

LightsIf you plan to ride at night, the laws of bothcommon sense and your community require thatyou meet certain standards of visibility. In thefront, $20 headlights help motorists see you, butthey may not be sufficient to adequately revealwhat lies ahead; more powerful (and moreexpensive) systems are better if your night ridingtakes you where, for instance, there are nostreetlights. On the back, flashing LED-type lightsare a good choice; some are visible for a half-mileor more.

ClothingWhen motorists can see you they are less likelyto run over you. Even in the summertime considerthe safety advantage of a yellow nylon vest. If it’sjust too warm for that, a bright-colored jersey issmart. Gloves will protect your hands if you fall.

And since we’re speaking of clothing anyway:Many recumbent cyclists like to wear traditionalbike clothing, even though the benefits aren’t ascompelling as for upright cyclists: Padded shorts(and unpadded recumbent versions) prevent chafingfrom the up/down motion of your legs, and helpmanage moisture, regardless of the kind of bikeyou ride. Avoid wearing anything under them—this defeats their overall purpose of keeping youdry and comfortable. Cycling jerseys and polyesterT-shirts are designed to wick moisture away fromyour skin and while great for everyday comfort,avoiding cotton fabrics, especially on longer rideswil l improve your r iding experience.

KNOW YOUR BIKE

Bike-handling skills contribute a lot to safety; asyou get more competent with your bike and itscontrols, you’ll become a better, safer cyclist, moreobservant and able to react in subtle ways tosituations you encounter. This is a strong argument

for spending a lot of time on your bike…. If you’renot an experienced cyclist, pick routes with lesstraffic and avoid other hazards until your skillsand confidence improve. Get to know your bikeand the way it works so you’ll be able to controlit properly in different conditions. And, of course,keep your bike in good working order: Tiresproperly inflated, brakes and drive train adjusted,wheels true. Be sure important bolts and fastenersare tight, use a good lubricant on the chain andhave your bike serviced regularly. While never asubstitute for a good mechanic, a bike maintenanceclass can help you identify a possible problem,before it happens.

YOUR FIRST RIDE

If you’re new to recumbents, you might find ittakes a bit of practice before you feel as competentas you do on an upright bike. When going from atraditional road bike to a recumbent bike, you willnotice some handling differences. Most of theseare due to the fact that you are sitting down withyour feet in front of you, causing a dramatic changein the way you are used to displacing the weightof your body. You may even be a bit wobbly atfirst as you get familiar with this new ridingposition. Our best advice is simply to r-e-l-a-x—release that death grip on the handlebar, look wellbeyond the tips of your toes, unclench your jaw,and pedal smoothly and slowly in a lower gear.When following these steps, most individuals findthat riding a recumbent is no different than ridinga traditional bike.

Find the biggest, emptiest parking lot where youcan do easy laps without fear of traffic. Try tonotice the subtleties of your new Bacchetta—theway it handles, how it responds to your input. Itmay be easier to start with the seat fairly upright;you can recline it gradually as you get moreexperience.

*CAUTION*Something else to be aware of is “front wheel

interference” or “heel strike”. This is when yourfoot makes contact the front wheel as you pedalthrough a turn. This normally happens only whenyou make a sharp turn at very low speed. Justkeep the cranks horizontal during such turns andyou’ll be fine. “Heel strike” is a characteristic ofmost Short Wheel Base recumbents.

Climbing hills on your recumbent will be slightlydifferent than a standard road bike. While anupright cyclist can ‘stand’ or ride out of the saddle,a technique that allows the rider of an upright biketo pedal with greater force, in a higher gear, youwill sit and spin the pedals in a comfortable gearto climb a hill on a recumbent. While you couldpush your back against the seat and grind away ina high gear, the cost of the damage on your kneesfar outweighs the benefits. How fast recumbentsclimb compared to other bikes depends a lot onthe rider. What’s most important to climbingperformance is the engine… that’s right, you!Improve your strength and conditioning and you’llfind climbing gets much easier. The bottom lineon climbing; relax, develop your technique andover time your climbing capabilities will improve.

HOW YOUR BIKE WORKS

Your new Bacchetta has three major mechanicalsystems: The drive train, wheels and the brakes.Here’s a little information about how each systemworks. The proprietary systems on your Bacchettabicycle are discussed in the next chapter!

The drive train includes all parts that interact topropel the bike forward except the wheels: Theshifters; derailers, chainrings (the gears in front);cassette (the cluster of gears in the back;individually they’re called cogs); bottom bracket(a metal cartridge with bearings, grease, and anaxle; it is pretty much hidden inside the frame);and the crank and pedals. We could spend hourstalking about the drive train but we’d rather youget out and ride, so here’s what’s important:

The derailers function is to push the chain sidewaysfrom one chainring or cog to the next. Derailersare connected to the shifters by cables. The shifterpulls the moving part of the derailer sideways; aspring pulls it back when the shifter is turned theother way.

At the front derailer, the small chainrings are thelowest gears (easiest to pedal). At the rear derailer,the opposite is true: The smaller cogs provide thehighest gears (hardest to pedal). An easy way toremember this: The gears closest to the frame ofthe bike are the low gears, regardless of their size;the gears farthest out from the frame are the highgears.

The lowest gear of all is the combination of“small/big” (the chain on the smallest chainringup front, and the biggest cog in back—the closestgears to the frame). Your highest gear will be the“big/small” combination (chain on the biggestchainring up front, smallest cog in back—the gearswhich are farthest from the frame).

As you practice shifting, pay attention to whichchainring and which cog the chain is on. It doesn’tmean much to just look at the numbers on theshifter and say, “Oh, I’m in fifth gear,” if you don’tknow whether “fifth” is a low gear or a high gear,or where the chain is when the shifter says you’rein fifth.

*CAUTION*It is not recommended to ride in the “big/big” or“little/little” combinations (chain on the bigchainring and big cog, or on the little chainringand little cog). Such combinations force the chainto a sharp angle, which can wreak havoc with yourrear derailer. If you should accidentally shift toone of these combinations don’t worry… yourbike is set up so it can shift to these extreme gearssafely but we do recommend that you try to avoidthem.

Avoid pedaling backward while shifting, or shifting

without first pedaling briefly forward. The chaincould derail and cause damage to the bike and toyou if the drive train suddenly locks up and youcrash.

Tires, Tubes and WheelsIt’s quite possible you’ll spend more time attendingto issues concerning tires and wheels than theother mechanical systems of your Bacchetta.Following is some information that will help youkeep these items running smooth.

TiresKeep tires properly inflated to the recommendedpressure shown on the tire’s sidewall. Don’t besurprised if you must top them off almost everytime you ride; a little air always escapes from evena tube in good condition. Also, be sure and checkyour tires on a regular basis for wear and tear,many a good ride has been wasted to lack ofattention to this detail.

TubesThere are two types of valves on bicycle tubes inthe U.S.: Schrader valves, which are like those oncar tires, and Presta valves, which are skinnier andhave a valve at the end that must be opened beforeyou attach your pump and inflate the tire. Thisnut must also be closed once the tire has beeninflated. Presta valves are often are easier to useand allow you to better regulate air pressure in thetire. You will find Presta valves on most Bacchettamodels. Schrader tubes have their strong pointsas well; they can be filled with the machine at agas station if necessary and may also be the onlyreplacement tube you’ll find if you’re in need ofa quick replacement.

WheelsThe quick-release lever keeps the wheel in theframe so it must be tightly closed. A wheel shouldalways be installed with the quick-release leveron the left side of the bike. You should begin toget resistance when the lever is about half-closed;from that point, if the tension is correct you’ll

need to press the lever hard with the heel of yourhand to close it all the way.

When you remove a wheel you must first releasethe brake arms so the tire has enough clearance topass between them. If you are uncertain how todo this, ask your dealer for a demonstration. Whenyou reinstall the wheel, don’t forget to reattachthe brake cable, too. Make sure the wheel isproperly seated and centered in the dropouts beforeyou close the quick-release lever.

Depending on your Bacchetta model, you haveeither two wheels of the same size, or a front wheelthat’s smaller than the rear. While the smaller frontwheel is sometimes called a “20-inch,” it’s muchbetter to define it by its metric size—406mm—when you’re shopping for a replacement tire. That’sbecause not all “20-inch” tires and rims are thesame size, or even 20 inches in diameter. The rearwheel on the Giro and both wheels on the Strada,are “26-inch,” or 559mm, which is the standardmountain bike size. The Strada will also accept650C or 571mm wheels, which have a slightlylarger diameter and are usually found on triathalonbikes. Consult your dealer for more informationon wheels and sizing.

BrakesIn general, you should inspect your brakes regularlyand replace brake pads when they are worn. Visityour dealer if your brakes get noisy or in need ofadjustment

If you’re new to recumbents you should take thetime to get a feel for the brake set up on your bikebefore you get into an emergency situation. Findan open parking lot and test the brakes at differentspeeds to see how the bike reacts. The front brakeis the most important because it does most of theactual stopping, except in situations where youshouldn’t use it at all, like when the pavement isvery slippery or bumpy.

FRAME SIZES AND PROPER FIT

Your Bacchetta dealer is well qualified to assessand adjust the fit of your new bike, starting withthe proper frame size. Choosing the correct framesize can be the single most important element inguaranteeing the proper fit and ride of your newbike. The different frame sizes allow you to choosea frame that best allows you to properly distributeyour body weight over the frame.Before your bike leaves the store the dealer willhelp you set the seat-to-pedal distance, the seatrecline, and the handlebar positions toaccommodate your physical dimensions, ridingstyle, and personal preferences. But it’s possibleyou’ll want to fine-tune these settings later.

Seat positionSeat-to-pedal distance is the best place to startwhen getting fitted to a bike; incorrect seat positioncan hurt your knees and keep you from pedalingefficiently. Proper seat adjustment will greatlyimprove your riding experience. The best positionproduces a slight knee bend at the longest part ofyour pedal stroke. The quickest way to find thisposition is to adjust your seat so your leg iscompletely straight when the pedal at its fullestextension with the heel of your foot on that pedal.When this distance is determined you will thenmove your foot down so the ball of your foot isin contact with the pedal, it is at this point thatyour leg will produce a slight bend. Remember,this is just a starting point and minor adjustmentsshould still be made to really dial in your position.

To adjust the position of the seat, get off the bike,open the quick-release lever on the seat clamp,and slide the seat base forward or back. Do notopen the seat clamp or make any seat adjustmentswhile sitting on the bike; the seat could slidebackward on the frame, taking you for a briefunpleasant ride, and possibly damaging the finishon your bike. Be sure to close the quick releaselever on the seat clamp tightly when you’re donemaking an adjustment.

The recline of the seat is determined by the positionof the pins in the telescoping seat support tubes;these are located on the back of the seat. To adjustthe recline of the seat, simply pull the pins, adjustup or down, and replace the pins. Remember tobe sure each pin is pushed in completely aftermaking any adjustment.

How much to recline the seat is largely a matterof personal preference. New riders may benefitfrom the balance and greater visibility providedby a more upright seat, while experienced ridersmay prefer the aerodynamics and comfort of areclined position. Your Bacchetta dealer will helpwith your initial set up and we encourage you toexperiment with the recline of the seat to find themost comfortable position for yourself.

AERO SEAT ADJUSTMENTS

Note that seat adjustment procedures vary for ourtitanium frames, the Aero and Aero Basso. Theseat on the Aero series has seat adjustments in thefollowing areas: Seat bottom fore and aft; andSeat back recline

(1) Aero Seat Bottom Fore and Aft: The seat bottomfore and aft positioning will allow you to properlyadjust your leg length on the bike (this is whereyou use the X-Seam measurement).

In order to adjust the seat bottom, you will needto first remove the seat foam to allow access tothe 3mm allen head bolts, used to attach the seatbottom to the seat interface plate (the seat interfaceplate is attached to the frame and has pre-drilledadjustment holes). Illustration of seat interfaceplate

To properly remove the seat foam, place your handin between the Velcro that holds the foam to theseat and slowly use your hand to separate the foamfrom the seat. Do not simply pull the foam off ofthe seat, you may damage the seat foam and the

Velcro attachment on the seat!

Once the seat foam is removed, use the 3mm allenwrench to loosen the 3mm bolts used to attach theseat bottom, you will need to hold onto the wingnuts on the bottom side of the seat plate whileloosening the 3mm bolts.

Once the wing nuts are removed, you can then liftup the seat bottom and move it forward orbackward depending on your X-Seammeasurement. You may find moving the seatbottom forward and backward easier, by firstremoving the seat pins from the back of the seat,these seat pins allow for adjustment of the seatback recline.

(2) Aero Seat Back Recline: The seat back reclinewill allow you to properly dial in the comfort,aerodynamics and weight displacement on yourAero.

In order to adjust the recline in your seat back youwill need to remove the pull pins from the seatstays (these hold your seat up, they are mountedat the rear dropout and extend up to the back ofthe seat). You are then free to recline the seat asmuch or as little as desired.

When adjusting the recline of your seat, keep inmind that the idea is to take the weight of yourbody from bearing directly on your glutes.Reclining the seat will help distribute your bodyweight more evenly over your glutes and back,providing a more comfortable riding position.

While it is not necessary to be in a completereclined position, it is also not recommended tobe in a position that is too upright. We recommendstarting with a position that is fairly neutral andthen making small adjustments (one hole at a time)until you find the best fit for your body.

*CAUTION* When finished, it is important that you replace

the seat pins through the holes of the upper andlower seat stay, failure to do so may result in aserious accident.

STEEL FRAME MODELS SEAT ASSEMBLY

First a word about the Delrin seat clamp on yourBacchetta bicycle. Delrin is a self-lubricating PVCmaterial that displays all the properties to makeadjusting your seat as easy as one on any diamondframe bike. When under pressure Delrin stickslike glue and when that pressure is released itslides like it’s greased, making seat adjustmentsa snap. But here are a few things to always keepin mind. As great as Delrin is, it is not self-cleaning!To prevent damaging the finish on your bike youshould take care to clean off any dirt on the maintube before adjusting the seat. Delrin is also verystrong but it’s not indestructible. Over tighteningthe seat clamp could cause damage to it. Thecorrect pressure for tightening the clamp is verymuch like that of a quick release skewer on awheel. You should see a slight impression of thequick release skewer in the palm of your handafter tightening.

The seat is attached to the bike by two bolts at thetop of the Delrin seat clamp. We call them“Frankenstein” bolts. These bolts should be well

lubed to prevent them from binding and shouldbe checked before installing the seat. After lubing,if needed, the bolts should be threaded completelyinto the block and then backed out far enough toallow the “L” brackets on the seat base to slidedown over the bolts. Now, this fitting is very tightand may require some patience on your part thefirst time the seat is put on. After the “L” bracketsare pushed down over the bolts they can betightened. Take care to make sure that the boltheads are seated in the recessed holes of the “L”brackets and securely tightened to prevent the seatfrom disengaging from the seat clamp.

The key for easy seat installation is making surethat the pressure is released on the Quick Release(QR). Backing off the QR a few turns and thensqueezing the top of the clamp together as muchas you can should allow the seat to slip over theblock.

Seat removalTaking the seat off your bike is really very easybut there are a few things you’ll need to know tomake the job go smoothly. To remove the seat,you should first turn the bike over so it is standingon the handle bar and the top of the seat. Turningthe bike over is not completely necessary but itmakes seeing what you’re doing a lot easier andthat makes the whole job go much quicker.

1. Release the Quick Release (QR) and back it outa couple of turns. This will release some of thepressure at the top of the clamp as well and makesbacking the “Frankenstein” bolts out much easier.

2. Using a 5 mm allen wrench, back the two“Frankenstein” bolts out (remember Left is looseand Right is tight) until they clear the recessedarea of the “L” bracket. A 5mm allen wrench isprovided with your bike specifically for this task.If you did not receive one with your bike, pleaseask your dealer about it.

3. With the bolts clear of the “L” bracket you can

turn the bike upright and give the seat a solid pullto lift it off the seat clamp.

4. To complete the job, remove the pull pins fromthe seat support tubes and pull the seat straight upand off. This job gets faster and easier with a littlepractice.

Handlebar positionTo place the handlebars in the recommendedposition you should start by installing the riserpushed all the way down on the GlideFlex (installedon our steel frames) or the Bacchetta Fine Tune(BFT) device (installed on our titanium frames),with the B on the riser top loader facing forwardand outward. This allows for the most open cockpitand aerodynamic position available. Note: Whentightening the bolts on the top load, be sure totighten the bolts evenly. Failure to do so can resultin a stripped bolt hole! The correct riser heightwill be accomplished when your arm is running

parallel with the ground when viewed from oneside. Once the riser is secured by the riser clamplocated on the bottom of the riser, you will needto adjust the handle bars to the correct angle.

Install the bars so the grip zone is approximatelyat a 45° angle to the ground. This will put yourhands and arms in a relaxed and well-supportedposition. Remember, this is just a starting pointfor the handlebar fit process. Dialing in the perfectposition takes a little time and patience. Whenproperly set up, your shins and knees will bebehind the bars and not under them. We designedthe handlebars to be both aerodynamically andergonomically efficient. The riding position ofthe Bacchetta handle bar and riser is very similar

to that of a road bike, only rotated to a seatedposition. This makes the transition from atraditional road bike to a recumbent very smooth.

Here is another angle of the above setup. As youcan see, with the riser at its lowest position, thereis still plenty of clearance in front of the leg. Youneed no more than 1” maximum clearance betweenyour shins and the handlebar.For more clearance on our steel frame models andAero Basso model, simply move the riser up orforward. We recommend moving the riser up inhalf-inch increments until you feel comfortable inthe cockpit. Most people tend to lower the riserback down as they become more accustomed toriding in this hands forward position. If you haveto raise the bars more then an inch or so to clear

your legs on these models, you are probably onthe wrong size frame and should consult with yourdealer.

*For our Aero model, your dealer can add headsetspacers, to slightly raise the bars and allowclearance if you require more clearance in thisarea. Remember again that you need no morethan 1” maximum clearance between your shinsand the handlebar.

Glide FlexSteel frame models and Aero Basso model:There are three adjustment points that controlhandlebar position: (1) A limit screw on the insideface of the Glide Flex determines how close youcan pull the riser and handlebar toward you.Turning the limit screw in (clockwise) lets theriser and handlebar to come closer; turning it backout (counterclockwise) keeps them farther away.

(2) You can extend the riser several inches byloosening the two bolts near its bottom end, thenpulling the riser up. Caution: DO NOT pull theriser past the limit mark scribed on the inner stem.When finished, be sure the riser is aligned withthe direction of the front wheel, and tightenedsecurely. If there isn’t enough slack in your cablesto extend the riser as much as you want, the cables

and housings will have to be replaced first.(3) Once you have adjusted the riser and handlebarsfor proper clearance, you will then want to adjustfor wrist and arm positioning. Your handpositioning on the grips can be modified byloosening the bolts on the top load riser (see photo)and rotating the handlebar up or down. We highlyrecommend a neutral wrist position, similar to thatof a comfortable handshake position when grippingthe bar. Be sure to fully tighten the top loaderbolts, using even pressure, after the correct handposition is attained. When set up properly, youshould have a slight bend in your elbow and astraight wrist. This is recommended for maximumcomfort; by having only a slight bend in yourelbow and a straight wrist, you reduce the load onthe joints in these areas, thus reducing fatigue.

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1

2

1

*CAUTION*If the handlebar or riser loosens while you are riding,you could experience a complete loss of control andinevitably crash."

BFT (Bacchetta Fine Tune)Aero model: Proper headset load must be appliedusing the Bacchetta Fine Tune (BFT). Loosen thesetscrew on the bottom of the BFT. While holdingon to the bottom of the BFT with a crescent wrench,use a 32mm headset wrench to rotate the topsidecounter clock-wise. This will cause the BFT toexpand, placing a load on the headset. When properload is applied and there is no movement in theheadset, tighten the 3mm set screw on the bottomof the BFT. This will lock the BFT into its currentposition and eliminate the BFT from coming loose.

Chain LineThe drive side of the chain, which runs over thetop of the chain rings at both the front and rear ofthe bike, runs under the idler wheel in the insidechannel (closest to the frame). The return side ofthe chain, coming off the bottom of the front chainrings running to the rear derailleur, runs over theidler wheel in the outside channel (furthest fromthe frame).

Headset

Bacchetta Fine Tune (BFT)

top of riser clamp zone

steer tube

riser

BFT 3 mm set screw

riser clamp

250

mm

15mm O.D.

12mm O.D.8.4mm O.D.

Bacchetta BrakesOur Giro and Aero models use standard brake set-ups. By this we mean they use a matched set ofbrakes in both the front and rear and that you oryour dealer should have no trouble setting themup and adjusting them correctly. The Aero uses aset of custom made, dual pivot, road brake caliperswhile the Giro uses a pair of linear pull calipersor, what is more commonly referred to as, V-brakes.

Our Strada and Corsa models, on the other hand,use a somewhat unconventional set-up. With adual pivot road brake on the front and a V-brakeon the rear that leaves plenty of room in the rearend of the bike for fatter tires and a fender. Inorder to make this set-up work with road leverswe’ve added a cable pull enhancer to the rearbrake that allows a road brake lever to pull morecable. Getting the enhancer set up correctly iscritical to how the brake works and feels. Theeccentric wheel of the enhancer should be set sothe high side is turned toward the brake caliper,allowing it pull the most cable when it’s engaged.

Idler wheel assemblyThe drawings (right) show the “old” and “new”spacer set-ups for the idler wheel assembly. Whenset up properly, your drive train should run quietand shift smoothly. Please contact your dealer ifyou are experiencing any problems with your idlerassembly. You should also inspect the idler wheelperiodically to check for excessive wear and tomake sure it is spinning freely.

New spacer set-up

Old spacer set-up

If you have any questions, please see your Bacchetta dealer. 

Bacchetta Bicycles, Inc.201A Travelers Way NorthSt. Petersburg, FL 33710

(877) 853-9691