375 miles need new brake pads!

[Deleted member 4366]

Just disconnect the one you want to replace. You only need a cut-off on the back brake.

So they can put front hydraulic on and still have the front brake lever cutting out the motor? I'm getting confused!

Both brakes have switches, right?
Change the front brake to whatever you want, and you still have a switch on the back one, so the motor cuts when you apply the back brake, but not the front one. You never use the front on its own, so it's not a problem.

 

[Nealh]

So breifly you were happy with the adjusted breaks crE ?
It perhaps sounds like one of the caliper pistons isn't releasing and is causing the rubbing.
The last 3 or 4 posts have told you what to do all you need now is to get on and upgrade, do it yourself for free and forget the dealer who siad no.

 

[trex]

use a torch to check if the rotor is centralised inside the caliper.

 

[crE]

I would do. But if I can't align disc brakes myself what chance do I have to fit and align new brakes?

 

[trex]

there is a little knack to it. The gap between the two pads is usually about 3mm wide, the rotor is about 1mm thick, you only have 1mm each side. If the rotor is warped more than 1mm, it will rub against one of the two pads. Move the wheel slowly so you can see where the rotor comes closest to one of the pads. Then roll the wheel back a bit so you can put your thumb where the rotor is warped the most, push it until it flexes about 3-4mm away from the pad, when you release the pressure, the rotor will spring back but would have deformed just a little, that will keep it away from the pad. Repeat until the rotor is well flat. I often keep the rotor a bit nearer to the fixed pad. As when you brake, the actuator will push the moving pad (the outside pad) against the rotor until the rotor is against the fixed pad, with the rotor nearer to the fixed pad, the piston deforms the rotor a bit less. If after a few brakings your rotor rubs against the fixed pad, make sure that the caliper is well bolted to the forks before centralising the rotor again. This is where hydraulic brakes beat cable operated brakes, hydraulic brakes have twin pistons, the rotor is not pushed sidedways and remains true during braking.
Persevere - once you've cracked it, you can do this in a couple of minutes.

 

[crE]

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

After some pretty rubbish service from a couple if bike shops I took it into wardys bikes in darlaston and he was very helpful. Fitted new better disc brakes and checked and realigned my rear Vs, and fixed the wobble in the back tire. 60 quid all in. Very happy with the service. He also recommended that if I ever need new front brakes to go with V brakes as they are better than mechanical discs.

 

[Jimod]

He also recommended that if I ever need new front brakes to go with V brakes as they are better than mechanical discs.

I prefer the V brakes on my tourer to the cable disks on my typhoon. They've both been setup by the same shop and I think the V brakes are better.

 

[crE]

Scientifically it makes sense. It's easier to stop the motion of the wheel on the rim than the centre of it

 

[Alan Quay]

V brakes are fine in the dry, and I prefer them. Where mechanical disks win is in the wet/mud.

 

[jackhandy]

I've found it's worth fitting decent blocks in rim brakes

 

[crE]

Done 300 or so miles on my big bear. Normal commuting. Sort of hilly. The back v pads are shot. They look very worn (unfortunately can't provide a photo now) no braking power. Is this normal? If not. Is there anything in terms of the way they're setup that could be causing excess wear?

 

[Nealh]

Brake rubber compound soft ?

 

[crE]

I will check

 

[trex]

these will last a bit longer:
£3.50 for a pair

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clarks-Gold-72mm-Bike-Cycle-MTB-V-Brake-Block-Triple-Contour-Design-Brake-Pads-/131316170323

 

[crE]

Here they are. Dead!

 

[JamesW]

look like mine. I wear through a pair of pads a month and they get much worse than that!!!

 

[crE]

Wow jamesw. Maybe we are regular brakers!

 

[JamesW]

Wow jamesw. Maybe we are regular brakers!

20kg bike + 10kg luggage + 95kg rider.
min distance/ ride is 2 1/2 miles
4x /day (5 days/week min)
Hills both ends
trying to keep speeds up at 15mph+
and then you come to the traffic lights!
just lots of braking from high speeds under heavy loads every day.
Try to cycle the full 20miles occasionally but make sure that brake pads are in good nick for that.
I always carry a spare brake block with me so I can change at least 1 on the train if they are getting worn!

 

[crE]

Good idea.

I do 20 miles a day, 5 times a week. With a backpack with various bits in it. 11st 3 lbs.

Looks like I'll be asking for a bag of brake pads for Christmas! Am going to get some V brakes fitted to the front too. So even more pads will be needed. I just don't get on with mechanical discs

 

[trex]

these pads are soft rubber to protect the rims - braking erodes the contact area, it's cheaper to replace the shoes than the rim. (the central groove acts as rim wear indicator, when the groove goes, the rim needs replacing).
what seems to have happened here is that you kept the pads at the same place all the time, the central groove on the rim forms ridges in the middle of the block. There is still a bit of rubber left but the pads are a mess.
You should replace them now for simplicity but next time, adjust the blocks once a month and vary the place where the pads make contact with the rim and also a little up/down to spread out the wear more evenly, prolonging the life of the pads.