What Have You Fettled Today?

[MonsterEnergy]

I'm sure there'll be someone who does, but with so many different varities of brakes, cables and levers, you'll make it easier if you can post some photos on here so people know what you've got. Photos of the brake levers, how they connect to the cable that runs all the way to the brakes themselves, and a photo of the brake arrangements on the wheel ? That'd be helpful.

 

[MonsterEnergy]

 

[MonsterEnergy]

sry, they are not very good pictures, but im sure you can see them

 

[Reynard]

Does anyone know how to loosen the brakes, as mine are very tight, and you can only pull them a little?

I think it's just a matter of slackening the tension in the brake cables. (Assuming there's no crud inside the outer cable that's making things stick.)

Look at where the wire cable feeds into the brake calliper. There should be an allen key bolt that holds down a small metal plate which keeps the cable in place on the calliper. Loosen the bolt a fraction, feed the wire back into the outer cable - say 5 mm to start (I don't know how tight your brakes are) and re-tighten the bolt. Squeeze your brake lever a few times to get the feel of things.

N.B. You don't want to have things too slack.

 

[Bad Machine]

I think it's just a matter of slackening the tension in the brake cables. (Assuming there's no crud inside the outer cable that's making things stick.)

Look at where the wire cable feeds into the brake calliper. There should be an allen key bolt that holds down a small metal plate which keeps the cable in place on the calliper. Loosen the bolt a fraction, feed the wire back into the outer cable - say 5 mm to start (I don't know how tight your brakes are) and re-tighten the bolt. Squeeze your brake lever a few times to get the feel of things.

N.B. You don't want to have things too slack.

Having had a quick visual check on the 'net, I think we're talking Clarks Skeletal SX hydraulic brakes, rather than cable. That's where I'll stand back and read what others may recommend - interesting !

 

[Reynard]

Having had a quick visual check on the 'net, I think we're talking Clarks Skeletal SX hydraulic brakes, rather than cable. That's where I'll stand back and read what others may recommend - interesting !

Eh, I'd forgotten about hydraulics - the discs on my hybrid are mechanical.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

View attachment 507762 View attachment 507764 View attachment 507765

As others have said those appear to be hydraulics which are generally self adjusting once correctly bled and set up. Can you explain a bit more about what the issue is?

 

[mjr]

Removed the top nuts from a headset so I can get a new lower nut tomorrow from the nuts and bolts shop. Hopefully.

Also reset the road bike tyres to lowest possible pressures for today's grass tracking.

 

[MonsterEnergy]

As others have said those appear to be hydraulics which are generally self adjusting once correctly bled and set up. Can you explain a bit more about what the issue is?

thanks.Now, its just when i took my bike in to get slime put in my tyres, and a new inner tube, halfords told me that the brakes were quite hard, and would need to be looked at.

 

[MonsterEnergy]

I think it's just a matter of slackening the tension in the brake cables. (Assuming there's no crud inside the outer cable that's making things stick.)

Look at where the wire cable feeds into the brake calliper. There should be an allen key bolt that holds down a small metal plate which keeps the cable in place on the calliper. Loosen the bolt a fraction, feed the wire back into the outer cable - say 5 mm to start (I don't know how tight your brakes are) and re-tighten the bolt. Squeeze your brake lever a few times to get the feel of things.

N.B. You don't want to have things too slack.

thanks for your help. Could you please indicate where the brake calliper is. Is it the thing right next to the handlebar?
Sry im rather thick

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

thanks.Now, its just when i took my bike in to get slime put in my tyres, and a new inner tube, halfords told me that the brakes were quite hard, and would need to be looked at.

Them saying that the brakes were quite hard doesn't really help on this occasion. Do they mean something has seized, do they mean the pads are contaminated so that they don't slow the bike even when pulled hard or was the guy just not used to the feel of a hydraulic brake compared to a V-brake?

What problem have you noticed yourself?

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

thanks for your help. Could you please indicate where the brake calliper is. Is it the thing right next to the handlebar?
Sry im rather thick

By the way, the caliper is the part that squeezes the brake pads onto the disc. @Reynard was describing a cable operated caliper which is very different to yours. Do not start undoing anything.

Edit to correct myself as Reynard is talking cable discs.

 

[Reynard]

thanks for your help. Could you please indicate where the brake calliper is. Is it the thing right next to the handlebar?
Sry im rather thick

By the way, the caliper is the part that squeezes the brake pads onto the disc. @Reynard was describing a cable operated caliper which is very different to yours. Do not start undoing anything.

Edit to correct myself as Reynard is talking cable discs.

Scrub everything I've said then. I'm talking through my a**e when it comes to hydraulics on bikes...

As @Rickshaw Phil says, the caliper is the bit that straddles the brake disk. When you pull the lever (that's the bit on the handlebar) the brake pads get pushed against the disk by a piston, and this is what slows you down. On my bike, the piston is mechanically actuated, on yours, the system is filled with a fluid that serves the same purpose.

 

[Tom B]

Weekend fettling.

Changed the brake pads again - Carryingthe little lad around eats pads.

Had mooch around to try and find a clunky rattle that sounds familiar but can't remember what it was last time. I'm going to blame freehub / mudguards.

One of my SPD pedals has been very increasingly loose recently so found some cleats and decided to swap them over to eliminate cleat wear.

I had slackened and re nipped the bolts a few weeks earlier to ensure they'd come out.

First shoe, no problem.

Second shoe (affected pedal) first screw no problem. Second seemed a bit tight so broke out the plusgas and the proper T-bar key. Lots of swearing still no movement. Then with a flash or of sparks the head of the screw split!

More swearing.

Drilled out the top of the screw with a lh drillbit and released the cleat. Despit several attempts was unable to get much leverage on the remaining bolt. So drilled out as much as I could which wasn't easy as the plate kept wanting to disappear into the shoe.

Left with a bit of a nub but thought I'd just use the other pair of holes in the plate. Fitted cleat to these holes but it appears the cleat just touches the remaining bit of bolt preventing it from sitting flush and mating with the pedal.

I think I'm going to have to break out the dremmelalike and grind some off.

Anyone know if you replace the bolt plates?

A pound to a penny it'll be the pedals that are worn

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Scrub everything I've said then. I'm talking through my a**e when it comes to hydraulics on bikes...
................

Says the doctor of engineering.

Sorry if I came across badly. I just didn't want @MonsterEnergy to start wielding tools and ending up in an oily mess until we have an idea of what's actually wrong.

For what it's worth a google search found these videos and tech sheets for installation and maintenance of the Clarks Skeletal range: http://www.clarkscyclesystems.com/the-bike-bench/how-to-videos/exo-skeletal-brake-system.html