Disc Brakes Not Working

[magicmerve]

Hi everyone,

I have recently, infact today, brought a new bike. Its just a bog standard full suspension, 18 gear jobby from Halfords. It also has front and back disc brakes (cable not hydrolic). I had the guys at my local store set it up etc, but when i got home to ride, I found that the brakes barely worked. I am not sure if they need to be worn in like car brakes or whether the guy at the store just didn't tighten them enough. I was under the impression that they would stop almost instantly, well at least skid. It cost £200 so thought the brakes would be half decent. Have I just been mislead? Any help would be grateful, but i'm guessing most people will just say tighten them up.

Cheers Murray

 

[Norm]

Umm... tighten them up. The pads should be pretty well touching the discs when not applied. I reset mine just last night, after 600 miles, the levers were coming back too far. A couple of clicks on the adjusters and Robert is your father's brother.

 

[spence]

Pads do need bedding in (a number of continuous hard stops to generate some heat) but should still function pretty well beforehand.
Are you saying £200 for the brakes or the whole bike? If it's the latter then I'd be very vary of them, as cheap(ish) hydros are that a pair, cables half that on their own.
If you're not happy take it back until you are.

 

[jethro10]

It would be nice to know the model of the bike.
Also where the problem lies.

Do the brakes 'bite' early enough on the pull, just not powerful enough.
OR
Do you have to pull the levers a long way before they first bite (just need cable adjusted then).

And as stated, a bit of hard use, will bed them in a little, but they should work fairly well from the off.

Jeff

 

[bonj2]

Pads do need bedding in (a number of continuous hard stops to generate some heat) but should still function pretty well beforehand.
Are you saying £200 for the brakes or the whole bike? If it's the latter then I'd be very vary of them, as cheap(ish) hydros are that a pair, cables half that on their own.
If you're not happy take it back until you are.

that's not a bad price for some half decent brakes

 

[02GF74]

Hi everyone,

It cost £200 so thought the brakes would be half decent.

not wanting to be a bike snob but I have brakes alone that cost more than your complete bike!! hence I cannot agree that the brakes are half decent. I am guessng it is full suspension?

I am not convinced that brakes need bedding it - they should be more or less at full efficiency when new and will improve a teensy bit.

It should be possible for you to lock up the back wheel as well as go arse over tit when applying the front brake on full.

sounds like the set up is not quite right.

 

[upsidedown]

As they are cable discs and not hydraulic they should be very easy to adjust. Just loosen the nut that holds the ends of the brake cable and squeeze the calipers together until the pads are almost touching the disc, then re-tighten. Even the cheapest cable disc brakes should work pretty well.

 

[summerdays]

If they don't work - take them back to the shop - after all if you have just bought it then they ought to offer a 6 week check for cable stretch. And if that doesn't sort it then return it as unfit for sale.

 

[Manonabike]

not wanting to be a bike snob but I have brakes alone that cost more than your complete bike!! hence I cannot agree that the brakes are half decent. I am guessng it is full suspension?

I am not convinced that brakes need bedding it - they should be more or less at full efficiency when new and will improve a teensy bit.

It should be possible for you to lock up the back wheel as well as go arse over tit when applying the front brake on full.

sounds like the set up is not quite right.

But you definitely sound like one

 

[02GF74]

But you definitely sound like one

how can you tell?

 

[magicmerve]

Thanks guys. At just to clarify its the whole bike that cost £200. I only wanted a cheap thing to ride about on for a bit. The main problem is that when i'm on it the brakes just feel like they are sliding and not gripping when they are applied. The lever itself feels unresponsive as well. It only seems to kick in at about half way then won't go any further. I'm not a major bike fan, but just like riding hence the cheap bike. I am aware that a decent bike with decent brakes will cost a fair bob, just thought £200 for a bike would buy me dics that are better than V brakes.

 

[bad boy]

Thanks guys. At just to clarify its the whole bike that cost £200. I only wanted a cheap thing to ride about on for a bit. The main problem is that when i'm on it the brakes just feel like they are sliding and not gripping when they are applied. The lever itself feels unresponsive as well. It only seems to kick in at about half way then won't go any further. I'm not a major bike fan, but just like riding hence the cheap bike. I am aware that a decent bike with decent brakes will cost a fair bob, just thought £200 for a bike would buy me dics that are better than V brakes.

Hi magicmerve,

I have mechanical disks on my bike and have had to play around with them a fair bit to get the right feel.

If they are engaging at half pull then you may either have to tighten the piston which pushes the pad (im assuming its a single piston disk calliper you have) against the other inside pad facing the wheel.

With these callipers the rotor as you look down on it should be as close without touching to the inside pad as possible and then you need to tighten (probably allen key fitting or could be a dial) the outside pad (one facing away from the wheel) until its as close to the rotor as possible.

You may need to loosen the calliper and re position it to achieve the above.

if this already the case you may have slack in the cable i.e. its stretched and you can try tightening it by turning the barrel adjuster for the appropriate brake anti clockwise which should take up the slack and hence require less pull on the leaver to operate the brakes.

Ultimately you should have at least 1" of air between the end of the lever and handle bar when the brakes are on full lock.

Regards

 

[summerdays]

But if the bike is new and under warranty then he should return it to the shop for them to fix if it hasn't worked properly at all.

 

[bad boy]

But if the bike is new and under warranty then he should return it to the shop for them to fix if it hasn't worked properly at all.

Yes true and I would be taking it back to the shop but your going to need to do this yourself at some point arnt you !?.


The OP was a question regarding brake performance on a new bike I just thought that apart from recommending the bike be returned a post detailing a possible solution might be worth while also or am I wrong

 

[jpembroke]

Sounds like you've been sold something that's not fit for purpose. Well functioning brakes are essential after all. Take it back to Halfords and get them to sort it. And next time you want to buy a cheap bike for riding around on just get a normal bike (i.e. rigid frame) with caliper brakes. Good full suspension bikes with disk brakes will set you back at least £1000.