Cable disc brakes. I kept putting it off but it was riding like shit and didn’t feel safe, brake levers nearly contacting the handlebar. I had it in my head that the adjustment was like a 30 minute job. Grabbed Allen wrenches, a couple third hands, screwdrivers. 5 minutes and two Allen bolts later, all done. Topped off the tires with air, quick test ride, meat’s back on the menu. No real point to this post, but maybe you’ve made a quick adjustment or repair that made you happy?
I loosen my brakes so I go faster.
Don’t forget the four most important goals of any activity.
- Looking good
- Feeling good
- Looking good
- Safety
I’d put “going fast” before safety
Nice. I’m glad you feel confident enough to run over raccoons for your dinner again.
Me and RFK, gotta make sure the brain worms have lots of company
Had to replace a gear shifter on my road bike recently, not being aware that I’d have to replace the whole cable to do so and then calibrate tension for the derailleur, but similarly to your experience, the whole thing was easier than expected! Folks should definitely try such repairs and maintenance at home to get to know their bikes better, and it’s not like it’ll cost more to get a pro to do it after you’ve tried (carefully), if it turns out you can’t get the job done yourself.
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This whole thread is encouraging. I have acquired a used bicycle
in a game of chanceand I have been procrastinating on the rehab because I was anticipating it becoming some months long project.It can be a months long project or it can be a days long project. But it’s a worthwhile project and the best way to make it quicker is to start it sooner
Its good that you took the time and just did the work
Nicely done! Did you wind in the barrel adjusters at the same time? I find barrel adjusters let me really maximize my procrastination ;)
Yes and yes, they were all the way out, now all the way in
I fixed the creaky sound in the bottom bracket of my commuter. Pulled off the cranks and bearings, wiped everything clean, then reinstalled with fresh grease. Also cleaned the accumulated dirt off of that area of the frame, and wiped off the chainrings, while I was at it.
It’s good when it’s easier than I thought it would be.
I had to read “a couple third hands” about four times before I could work out wtf you meant
I just use a couple wood clamps but having some kind of third hand makes such a huge difference when you’re in the middle of an adjustment and there’s something that just won’t stay where you want it.
A couple *of wood clamps
“A couple wood clamps” is something that married people get up to in private if they’re into that kinky stuff
I’m assuming there was still material on the pads?
When the travel starts to bottom out on my hydraulic disk brakes, that typically means it’s time for new brake pads.
I know that might not be the case with wire brakes because they don’t adjust the caliper piston positions as the pad wears down, but just making sure.
If the pads no longer have material, simply tightening the brakes can end up ruining the calipers.
As for the post, I enjoy the same adjustment. That ride with new pads and reset pistons always feels super nice. They perform in such a satisfying manner compared to when they’re almost worn out.
Pads are brand new, I had a pro replace them a couple months ago (lazy). It’s just this bike positively eats brake cable for breakfast. (Weird, this got mis-threaded in the reply, trying again)
Good! Have fun riding.
I’m assuming rim brakes from the text, those usually have enough brake pads for several years or even a decade until the rubber just hardens to unusable. The cables stretch and hose shrinks also over time
No.
OP specifies that they are cable disk brakes, first three words in the post body. There are many possible reasons for why the brakes could be loose, but the first step should be making sure it isn’t because the pads are done.
If they are and you adjust them back to tight, you’ll end up wearing through the pads and start wearing away your caliper pistons.
OP may not be aware of the pad wear, as checking how much material is remaining usually means taking the pads (or wheels) out to inspect them, as the they can be fairly obscured by the caliper.
I’m not talking out my ass here, I’ve worked on both hydraulic and cable disk brakes.
Depending on the quality of the pads and how much you ride, they can wear out very quickly, or last many years.
It’s likely that the pads are fine, but I don’t know if OP has worked on their brakes before, and whether being aware of how worn the pads are is a detail they know about.
You will KNOW when your pads are worn down to nothing. The metal on metal grinding, and horrendously long stopping distances should be a dead giveaway.
It still happens.
It’s crazy to me how out of sync folks can be with their equipment. The feel of the brakes, the sound of a slightly under lubricated chain, the click of a loose spoke. I don’t know if I am over sensitive to things, but when something isn’t right with my bike, I know instantly.
Yeah, I can feel how clean and lubed my chain and sprockets are based on how smooth pedaling feels.
But that’s not how most people work, if performance drops over time, if how something sounds or feels only changes gradually, they probably won’t notice and investigate closer until something almost completely stops working.
I make no assumptions when working on other people’s bikes, I check every possibility.
When the travel starts to bottom out on my hydraulic disk brakes, that typically means it’s time for new brake pads.
Just replaced the brake pads (front an back) on my parters MTB (hydraulic) after we’d finished (she did most of tje work while i mansplained ) I told her to test ride and be careful jamming the brakes on as you’ll notice a difference. She came back “jesus fcukibg christ they nearly sent me over the bar!”. She’d been used to pulling them on further as the pads were well worn.
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Oil/siliconed various gears and moving parts. Bike feels brand new.
Took less than 5 minutes. I really should do that more often.
