10
Brakes
Front V-Brake
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To adjust the brakes, loosen the clamp that holds
the brake cable with an Allen key.
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Hold each arm in towards the rim of the wheel and
pull the loose brake cable through the clamp.
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Once you have pulled the cable tight, use an Allen
key to tighten the clamp. This will hold the cable in
place. Make sure that the bolt is tightly holding the
brake cable before you ride!
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The side to side movement of the brake arms can also be ajusted by tightening or releasing
the spring tension centring screw.
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If you notice that the braking efficiency diminishes it might be that your brake pads are worn
down. If there are no groves left on the pad, it needs to be replaced.
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Rim brakes can also cause wear of the rims. This effect is speeded up by sand or street dirt,
for instance.
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Bear in mind that V-brake type rim brakes have a very powerful braking action. Therefore,
never use the front brake only. Always use the front as well as the rear brake!
Rear drum Brake
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Over time, drum brakes also wear. You will notice this by the fact that the brake levers will
almost be able to touch the handlebar. Usually, readjusting the brakes suffices, but if there is
excessive travel undo the nut on the rear brake
and pull through any slack.
●
With the cable-operated drum brake, turn the
adjusting nut until the brake lining just touches
the drum barrel. If when spun, the wheel stops
quickly, then the brake is over tightened. In this
case you should unscrew the nut one or two
turns until the wheel keeps spinning without
interruptions.
Fault
Solution
the wheels do not
spin freely
Check that the brakes are adjusted correctly and are not draging.
My brakes squeak
when I use them
The brakes could be worn down and may need replacement, or
there could be contaminants on the braking surface.