- So following on from our video of TLC for disc brakes,
we had loads of requests for TLC for rim brakes.
And who am I to let you down?
So here are seven tips for you so that your brakes
slow you down and don't let you down.
(upbeat music)
So checking out your pads will help you
before it's too late.
Brake pads can actually wear out
at an alarmingly fast rate, particularly in bad weather.
So firstly, let's actually check to see how much life
you've got left in them.
Now some brake pads, they're really great
because they have little indicators on them
that tell you when to replace them.
However, some don't.
And a little rule of thumb is anything less
than one and a half millimetres of brake compound remaining
and it's time to replace them.
So have a look at the actual brake pad itself
and check how they're wearing.
If they're flat and even, then that's fine.
If there's a groove, then they may well need to be
filed down and then realigned to match the braking surface.
So the problem with misaligned brake pads
is that you're not actually gonna be stopping
to your full potential.
So you're gonna be braking either on the sidewall
of the tyre, or actually somewhere else on the rim
where that hardened braking surface isn't.
Basically, it's dangerous
and you're just not gonna get the performance that you need.
Now importantly, when aligning the brake pads,
is that the front of the pad actually touches
the rim, half a millimetre prior to the rear.
Yeah, it's a small amount I know,
and if you can't get that level of detail spot on,
then don't worry, just make sure that the whole pad
connects at the same time.
However, the big thing to avoid
is that the rear touches first.
So check the actual rate of wear of your pads.
So have a look and see if one of them is wearing out
faster than the other.
Just make sure that that brake is aligned centrally.
So you may need to release the actual mounting bolt here
and just line that up,
or adjust the centering screw here,
just to make sure that both sides are touching the rim
at the same time.
So let's actually take a close look now
at the brake pads themselves.
If you've got grooves or channels in there,
really look closely and see if there's any debris or stones.
If there are, pick them out
because they're gonna reduce your braking performance.
Now these sometimes go unnoticed,
tiny little shards of metal become embedded
into the compound of the brake.
Again, that can reduce braking performance
as well as premature rim wear.
So just pick those out and make sure they're all gone.
Now sometimes, your brake pads can actually become shiny,
and when they're shiny, they're not working
to their full effectiveness.
So what I advise, either use a file.
Now if you're using a file, make sure you've not used it
on metal, otherwise you're gonna reverse
that previous step we just covered.
So you're gonna be putting metal back into the pad.
Not what we want to do here.
So use either a file just for rubber, or some sandpaper,
and just take off a very, very thin layer
of that shine off of the surface.
That way, your braking pads are actually gonna stick better
onto the rim, slowing you down faster.
So now a quick check of the inner cable.
Make sure it's clamped here, that it's not frayed
or strained at all, and then if possible,
have a look inside of the lever,
and make sure where that little barrel is
that there's no strands of wires there
that have actually come loose.
If there is, then don't ride the bike,
just replace that cable as soon as possible.
At the actual outer cable, make sure that that's fine
and that that protective outer casing is not split at all,
and there's no corrosion there.
Again, if there is, replace that.
Now maybe your brakes are feeling a little bit gritty,
and a temporary solution, because there is no better feeling
than putting on new cables,
is actually put a few drops of oil
in here and letting it work its magic, but how?
Well, you're gonna have to turn your bike upside down
to do that, not something I normally approve of,
but yeah, just simply put a few drops of oil in there,
Teflon-based preferably, and let gravity work its magic
and it will coat that cable.
However, most modern cables are already coated in Teflon,
so both the inner as well as the inside liner
of the outer cable, so if that's the case with you,
simply bite the bullet and put some new cables on.
Well I hope these little bits of love for rim brakes
have helped you out.
And also I want to know how you love your rim brakes
down there in the comments.
And also remember to like and share this video
with your friends.
And if you're still using rim brakes
after all of this, click down here
to see how to look after disc brakes.
Maybe you'll make the change.