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7.4 Adjusting V brakes
How V-Brakes work
V brakes have two pivot points, each attached to the fork. They use a single cable coming in from the
side. V brakes typically have a very high mechanical advantage, meaning that you need to pull a lot of
cable to get the brake pads to move just a little bit. This means that on a perfectly adjusted bike, V brakes
are incredibly powerful.
A brake lever allows you to control a brake. The position of the lever should allow you to use the brake
with a minimum amount of movement. When you pull the brake lever, the force is transferred down the
cable and into the brake arms, moving the brake arms and applying the brake pad onto the rim. The pads
clamp onto the rim, stopping the wheel from spinning.
Brakes need adjusting every now and again, because brake cable stretches and brake pads wear down or
need replacing.
WARNING:
A brake system that has damage or is not adjusted correctly could decrease your control and
cause you to fall. Make a full inspection of the brakes before each ride. If your brakes do not operate
correctly, do not ride your handcycle. Adjust the brakes or take your handcycle to your dealer for service.
Each month check all the brake bolts, and check the brake pads for worn areas.
Alignment
To get the maximum braking effectiveness and to make the brake pads last longer it is
important that the brake pads touch the rims in the right place when the brake is applied.
The brake pads should be at the centre of your rim. Not partially or wholly above the rim where you risk
them rubbing against the tyre, or hanging below the rim. The pads should be parallel to the rim not
pointing downwards or upwards.
Adjust the position of the Brake Pads
The brake pads are secured to the brake arms with a bolt that requires an allen key.
1. Loosen the nut holding the brake pad in place.
2. With brake applied (it helps to get a second person to hold on the brake while you are
adjusting), ensure the brake pads are in the correct place.
3. Hold the brake pad firmly in place and tighten the nut in a series of short movements, rather
than a long one, this makes it easier to keep the brake pad in position.
Centering Brakes
Ideally there should be an equal amount of space between the brake pad and the rim on each
side of the wheel. This way the wheel should spin freely without the brake pads rubbing on
one side. You can check this by looking down on the brake pads from above.
V-Brakes have a spring tension adjuster screw which you can turn using a crosshead screw drive.
Tightening this screw increases the tension on the spring inside the brake arm, moving the brake pad
away from the rim. Loosening the centering screw, decreases the tension on the spring, and moves the
brake pad closer to the rim.
This can sometimes be a little bit difficult to set up although it sounds simple. This is because both sides of
the brake have these adjusters, so doing one thing to one side will have the opposite effect on the other
side. For instance, if you tighten one side to pull the pads away from the rim, then it will pull the opposite
pad towards the rim.
Adjust the screw on each brake, turning it slowly and carefully until you have an equal gap between the
rim and the brake pad on each side. Ideally you will want enough tension on the brakes to make the lever
return back after it’s been pulled in.
