New mtn bike

[srj10]

Bought a 2nd hand carrera kraken 2010 model with 50 miles on the clock allegedly.Took it for a spin round a forest track and it felt good but on my 2nd outing the gears jumped and the brakes squealed and felt as though they were rubbing against the pads.Not knowing much about bikes I searched online and managed to adjust the gears but couldn't find any info on the brakes apart from advice that they need time to bed in.Any ideas,don't want to ride and risk damage to the bike.Thanks

 

[simon.r]

What make and model are the brakes?

If they're discs you should be able to adjust them somehow to avoid rubbing, but we really need to know what they are to offer advice. A generic tip to stop squealing is a thin smear of copper grease on the back of the pads.

 

[srj10]

Tektro auriga hydraulic,I think.A colleague at work advised me to loosen the two allen bolts at the brake discs,squeeze the levers and re tighten the bolts,will give it a try.

 

[Cubist]

Tektro auriga hydraulic,I think.A colleague at work advised me to loosen the two allen bolts at the brake discs,squeeze the levers and re tighten the bolts,will give it a try.

That will centre the brakes and may well stop them rubbing if they are off centre. Have you had a look at the pads themselves? Make sure there is at least 1mm of pad material. Another source of squealing is rotor dirt/contamination, and if it was a wet or muddy ride then that too will cause squealing. Be very careful putting coppaslip on the back of bike brake pads. It's all too easy for excess to migrate to where it won't do any good.

Your gears are slipping because your cables have stretched. Use the barrel adjusters on the shifters to take up any stretch. Plenty of tutorials online.

 

[srj10]

Thanks,brakes stopped rubbing after centreing them,I noticed very light scoring on the discs, does this mean their damaged and will it affect their performance.Gears seem to be fine now but will test it out properly at the weekend.

 

[Cubist]

Thanks,brakes stopped rubbing after centreing them,I noticed very light scoring on the discs, does this mean their damaged and will it affect their performance.Gears seem to be fine now but will test it out properly at the weekend.

Light scoring is commonplace, and won't affect performance. Have you checked how much pad material is left?