Brake Performance Tech Tips

Brake Performance Tech Tips

Excessive Lever Throw:

If your levers have excessive brake lever throw, it may be the result of the caliper pistons advancing only minimally as the pads wear, sometimes from light use, such as dragging the brakes frequently or not braking hard enough to advance the pistons. You can advance the pistons by performing the following steps: 

1. Adjust the lever reach all the way out. Count the number of clicks or note the reach measurement beforehand. 

2. Pull hard on the lever 5 times. You may use two fingers if needed, but you do not need to pull the lever all the way to the handlebar. 

3. Adjust the reach to the starting position measured in step 1. 

NOTE: If this doesn't resolve the excessive lever throw it could indicate the system needs to be bled or the brake pads need to be replaced.


Brake Bed-in Process:

The bed-in process requires you to perform heavy braking. You must be familiar with the power and operation of disc brakes. Braking heavily when not familiar with the power and operation of disc brakes could cause you to crash, which could lead to serious injury and/ or death. If you are unfamiliar with the power and operation of disc brakes, you should have the bed-in process performed by a qualified bicycle mechanic. To safely achieve optimal results, remain seated on the bike during the entire bed-in procedure. Do not lock up the wheels at any point during the bed-in procedure. 

1. Accelerate the bike to a moderate speed, then firmly apply the brakes until you are at walking speed. Repeat approximately twenty times. 

2. Accelerate the bike to a faster speed, then very firmly apply the brakes until you are at walking speed. Repeat approximately ten times. 

3. Allow the brakes to cool prior to any additional riding. 

4. After bed-in the caliper may need to be re-centered. Consult the Caliper Centering and Torque Section. 

To watch a video of the bed-in procedure, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUV2Eo9ERSk&t=20s

References: SRAM

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Taco Ride Routes

Image
  Route Short L out of shop onto Foothill Blvd. R – Mountain Ave L – Wildrose Ave continues into Bradbury Ave L – Royal Oaks Dr R – Encanto Pkwy Beg. Ride Turnaround Encanto Park L – Encanto Pkwy L – Royal Oaks Dr R – Royal Oaks Dr N**This is 2mi. from Encanto Park R – Winston Ave L – Lemon Ave R – Bradbury Ave continues into Wildrose Ave R – Mountain Ave L – Foothill Blvd. Or Extra Credit Route – Continue straight on Mountain to N. Mountain L – E Greystone Ave R – Myrtle Ave L – Hillcrest Blvd L – 5 th Ave.                                                                                                    Route All the Way L out of shop onto Foothill Blvd. R – Mountain Ave L – Wildrose Av...
Read more

Intricacies of Bicycle Gear Range and Ratio

Image
Designing the Optimum Drivetrain on Your Bicycle What's the lowest available gear? What's the highest available gear? How much of a difference is there between each available gear? Is the bike geared correctly for the specific rider, environment, etc? We usually don't describe bikes as "24 speed" anymore. We would typically say what kind of front and rear gearing the bike has. For example, a "24 speed" bike could be a 3x8 (fairly old technology) or a 2x12 (extremely modern technology.) The highest and lowest definitely effect how fast the bike goes. If you need lower gearing than you have available, it can be hard and slow to climb hills. Worst case, you might not even make it up the hill. The highest gear you have won't usually affect your speed on flat ground, but can limit how fast you go down hills. Though there are some cases like a 3 speed internal gear hub bike, where the top gear might be a limit even on level pavement. Gear shift ratios are ...
Read more

Hot Wax Your Bicycle Chain

Image
The best hot or immersive chain waxes will produce some of the lowest chain wear rates and will increase the number of miles you can cover for a single application. As well as provide excellent drivetrain efficiency and a pretty much spotless drivetrain.  Lubricating a chain using hot melt wax is the benefits can be excellent. Waxing a chain ensures each metal surface of a chain such as the link plates, rollers, bushings and pins are covered in a layer of hard wax. This means there is minimal or no metal-to-metal contact and abrasion which is what wears chains out, accelerated by contamination such as dirt and dust.  Though plenty of people wax their chains already. We often hear that it is too much hassle, or a little excessive, or over the top. Changing your cleaning regime and switching to waxing may require some initial investment and effort to learn a new process, but it's something you should at least consider if you want to achieve some of the best drivetrain performan...
Read more