Brakes are important. They will save your life. You should know how to adjust them at home and on a ride. Your brakes need attention when you notice one or more of the following:
- a) they make an awful squealing noise
- b) when you apply your brakes nothing happens
- c) you have a pad rubbing constantly on the rim
- d) your brake pads are in contact with your tire (instead of the rim).
Most mountain bikes today have cantilever brakes and the techniques outlined below are written assuming this is your brake design. If you have U-brakes or rollercam brakes, consult your local bike shop for details on repair or adjustment.
Even if your brakes are not causing any of the problems mentioned above, they still need to be adjusted on occasion. First look at where your brake pads come in contact with the rim. The brake pad should be centered on the rim without rubbing the tire. If it is not centered, take an alien wrench (5 or 6 mm) and insert it in the bolt that holds the pad stud. Now, take a 10 mm open-end wrench and loosen the nut on the opposite side of the bolt. This will allow you to maneuver the pad until it lines up with the rim correctly. While performing this adjustment, you want to make sure that the front of the pad (the side that is towards the front of the bike) contacts the rim before the back of the pad does. This should be approximately 1/16" to 1/8" from the rim. This prevents the brakes from squealing.
To tighten the brakes, you want to remove the slack from your brake cables. Before you do this, you must turn the adjusting barrel on your brake lever. Turn the barrel clockwise until you have approximately 4 mm of threads showing. This will enable you to fine-tune the brakes once the cable is tightened.
Now, compress the brake pads tightly to the rim (with the help of a friend or by tying the pads in place). Then loosen the cable binder bolt located at the end of the cable. Pull the cable firmly down with a pair of pliers. Tighten the binder bolt while holding the cable in place.
Now give the brake lever a couple of good solid squeezes and then spin the wheel to be sure that the pads are centered and not rubbing on the rim. If they are too close, turn the adjusting barrel on the brake lever clockwise until you have enough clearance on the rim. If the pads are rubbing on one side or the other, slide your cable carrier to the left or right. Squeeze the lever again and recheck your adjustment. In a pinch, you can use the adjusting barrel to tighten your brakes. But, don't rely on this adjustment exclusively. It is best to tighten the cable, and use the barrel for fine-tuning.
Return to
Top
from Away.com
Powered by Trip.com
