Barrel adjuster woes

[Holdsworth]

Typical! I just have to sit and tinker with the components on my new bike and I end up breaking it somehow!

Haven't even had my EBC Country Traveller 24 hours and I have done something that makes it unrideable. The problem is with either the cross-top lever for the front brake or the barrel adjuster that locates into it. What I was doing was trying to adjust the yoke cable so I could get the brakes unhitched a little easier for when I would need to remove the wheel. I then backed off the barrel too far and it must've come off the thread. Me not knowing I kept the brakes hooked up and therefore the cable was taught and I tried to thread the barrel and screw back on. No lukck and it just jammed. Wouldn't budge either way then so I had to use some pliers to back it off again!!! Bad I know but I didn't think at the time. Then I remembered to unhook the cable for easier maintenance and tried again. But again nothing, it just threads in a few turns then stops, did repeatedly for around an hour to try and get it in but it wasn't having it.

Result is that the front brake is inoperable so I cannot even use the bike now!

So I think that either barrel adjuster is knackered or the thread has been stripped from the brake lever. Either way I am seriously not happy for me to have done this to my brand new bike

Need some help on what to do asap.

 

[the snail]

If you can get to it you might be able to clean up the thread on the lever by putting a bolt through from the other end, and use a needle file to clean up the adjuster thread. Might be best to take it to LBS if you haven't got time to spare.

 

[Holdsworth]

If you can get to it you might be able to clean up the thread on the lever by putting a bolt through from the other end, and use a needle file to clean up the adjuster thread. Might be best to take it to LBS if you haven't got time to spare.

That does mean I would have to remove the cable that passes through the hollow barrel adjuster. Not sure how easy that would be as there is a length of cable tubing between the adjuster and the actual brakes. The other end isn't exactly accessible either as the cable runs under the bar tape to the STI shifters.

Any way I have phoned up EBC to see what they can do, they are looking for a replacement adjust as we speak. If that doesn't do the trick they said they can send out a new brake lever in case the thread in that has gone. That'll probably set me back a few bob as it was my fault and wasn't a manufacturing flaw. Not to self, don't tinker with anything ever again!