Rubbing front disc when riding

[simon.r]

...the rear nestling between chainstay and seatstay.

This is why the only thing I don't like about my Enigma is the cowled rear dropouts, that prevent the closed QR nestling as it should

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I'll bite. How does one tighten a QR?

 

[kiriyama]

Don't know if it's related but the front brake is very fierce; either seems to be on or off so engages with a heavy 'clunk'.

Can you slacken off the breaks bit? Sounds like they are a bit tight. Should be a bit of modulation in the breaking before they fully engage. They might seem well aligned on a work stand but when your weight is on the bike and your forks flex a bit they could rub.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Can you slacken off the breaks bit? Sounds like they are a bit tight. Should be a bit of modulation in the breaking before they fully engage. They might seem well aligned on a work stand but when your weight is on the bike and your forks flex a bit they could rub.

Slackening them off will simply bring the "on switch" effect to a different position, not change the modulation. This goes for hydraulic or mechanical.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

That is what I said right?

No.

 

[kiriyama]

Slackening them off will simply bring the "on switch" effect to a different position, not change the modulation. This goes for hydraulic or mechanical.

true. I didn't word that we'll. i didnt mean just slacken off the cable, but could he not adjust the inboard pad to move it slightly further from the disc? Then the outboard pad would need to push the disc further to hit the inboard pad? So the breaking is not so instant? I have had success doing this.

 

[roger06]

I'll have a play with adjusting the QR. I've had the bike 5 months and it's only started rubbing in the last week. If the forks are flexing then I reckon I'm taking it back to Evans..

 

[roger06]

Hi guys

Now I've inverted the bike and had a closer inspection I think my ears have been playing tricks on me and that the sound is actually coming from the rear, not the front, brake. The rear brake is clearly rubbing when I'm not on it so at least I should be able to adjust it.

A couple of weeks ago I put the bike in the car and when I got it out the back brake lever pulled all the way to the bars and was barely effective. After I tightened the cable at the back the slack was removed from the lever but I guess that's caused the pads to rub. However, when I loosen the cable the lever goes slack!

I need help!

thanks

 

[Tom B]

Loose spoke!

I was convinced I had a rubbing disk, even replaced the disk... Turned out to be a loose spoke. Even more believable on a newish bike.

 

[Tim Hall]

Hi guys

Now I've inverted the bike and had a closer inspection I think my ears have been playing tricks on me and that the sound is actually coming from the rear, not the front, brake. The rear brake is clearly rubbing when I'm not on it so at least I should be able to adjust it.

A couple of weeks ago I put the bike in the car and when I got it out the back brake lever pulled all the way to the bars and was barely effective. After I tightened the cable at the back the slack was removed from the lever but I guess that's caused the pads to rub. However, when I loosen the cable the lever goes slack!

I need help!

thanks

It sounds like the rear brake needs adjusting, although how it got out of adjustment by putting in the car is a mystery. You need to adjust the brake pads so they run closer to the disc. On a cable disc you generally have one fixed pad and one floating. Pulling the brake lever pulls the cable which in turn causes the floating pad to move towards the disc. This then gets pressed against the fixed pad. You should have adjustment screws which move the pads closer to the disc, to compensate for pad wear. Find them, find the make of brake, look up a how to video on Youtube and get tweaking. Test carefully before taking it out on the road.

 

[Globalti]

By way of a footnote, the rear brake, rim of disc, will sometimes rub if you put pressure on the pedals, which distorts the rear triangle.

 

[roger06]

Thanks. I guess I stretched a cable. I put my son's bike in the car as well and, despite doing it carefully, possibly hooked a pedal or handlebar around a cable or something moved to do this in transit.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[roger06]

Bizarrely, this problem seems to have sorted itself out!