Five minute rim brake tune up

Check to make sure that your inner cable doesn’t have any slack in it. This is especially important with the rear cable because there are often a couple of different cable stops where it could become stuck, e.g. where it enters or exits the frame. Make sure the cable is nice and tight throughout its length, otherwise you could find yourself grabbing a brake to find that very little happens.

If you have ferrules on the ends of your outer cable, make sure that the outer cable is pushed all the way inside of them. If they aren’t fully inserted, the outer cable may move instead of the inner cable when pulling the lever, resulting in poor braking.

If you don’t have ferrules on the end of your cables, check that the outer cable is cut dead- straight, then push it all the way into the housing of either the brake calliper or the brake lever.

The distance of your brake pads from the rim is mostly personal preference. Some riders like them super-close for ultra-responsive braking, whereas others like to almost touch the bar before the brakes fully engage.

A good place to start is to hold the pads against the rim, then pull the cable through the clamp on the calliper and tighten it up, then use the barrel adjuster to fine-tune your brake lever pull to how you want it.

To ensure your brake callipers are aligned centrally, release the brake mounting bolt either behind the forks or behind the seat stay bridge, then get the callipers as central as possible and retighten the bolt.

Most brakes have a screw or Allen key head on the brake calliper that allows you to fine-tune their pull. Adjust it so that both brake pads touch the rim at the same time when you pull on the lever.

Check that your brake pads are in the centre of the braking surface. Too low and your braking will be poor. Too high and you’re going to run the risk of your brake pads going through the sidewall of your tyre.

If you need to adjust them, use an Allen key to loosen the pad, then line it up and retighten it. Before you do it right up though, hold the pad firmly in your hands to make sure it doesn’t move, then fully tighten it up.

Check the angle of your brake pads as they touch the rim. You want the front part of both brake pads to touch the braking surface before the back third. This will give better braking and reduce noise.

If they do not look toed-in properly, grab an old business card, or a bit of card from a cereal packet, and place it in between the brake pad and the rim covering the rear third of the pad.

Now pull on your brake level and while keeping it firmly on, loosen then retighten the brake pad’s mounting bolt. Repeat this process on the opposite side and you will have a perfectly toed-in brake.