Brake Issues

Brakes are pretty important, so it’s a bit of a concern when they’re acting up.

Here are a few common issues we find our customers having:

My brakes aren’t working at all

There can be quite a few reasons why your brakes aren’t operating as they should. The most common reason we come across is a broken, slipped or stuck brake cable. Your brake cables transfer power from your hands to the brake pads, which clamp onto your rim or rotor and stop your wheel.

If the cable doesn’t work it’s pretty safe to say that the brakes don’t work. We can replace brake cables, no stress.

One thing to keep an eye out for, however, is a cable line that has come loose from its cable boss. This is also pretty common, and it’s an easy fix. Here’s a quick demo:

My brakes kinda work, but not very well

You might still have a cable issue, but it could also be time for new brake pads. A small amount of brake pad gets worn away every time you apply your brakes, so over time you’ll find that your brakes become less effective/feel ‘looser’.

We can diagnose this when you come in, and recommend new brake pads if they’re needed.

My brakes work fine, but it feels like the wheel rubs against them every now and then

This could be one of two things. The simplest of the two is that your wheel might not be sitting correctly in your frame. Have you taken the wheel off your bike recently, perhaps to put it in the car or change a flat tyre? You might have reattached the wheel on an angle, and now the pad is rubbing against the rim.

Loosen the quick release, centre the wheel, and then retighten the quick release. Spin the wheel and check to see if the rubbing still happens: if that fixed it, great

The second thing is a bit more complicated. You might have a broken spoke, or a bent rim. These can be caused by accidents and tumbles, but can also be caused by potholes, dropping off a curb, or can simply happen randomly. Run your fingers across the spokes on your wheel and see if any of them are loose, detached or missing.

We can replace spokes and straighten most wheels, but if you have more than two spokes missing or if your rim is damaged beyond repair, it might be time for a new wheel. We can source the correct wheel for your bike when you bring it in.

If it’s none of these, the problem is probably a little more complicated. Book your bike in for a service and we can sort the issue for you.