I’m in the process of setting up my first pair of v brakes, but I can’t seem to get them good. Whatever I seem to do the levers pull all the way in with no “bite” and the brakes rub regardless. I’ve tried centering them as well as reconfiguring washers to compensate for possibly wide brake posts, but haven’t had success. What’s should I do?
by HaydenWhips
1 Comment
Measure the distance I’ve marked: https://imgur.com/a/vYagvMe
If that distance is 1″ or less, you’ve got road (short pull) levers and need to switch them to MTB (long pull) levers in order to pair them with V-Brakes.
Things to check:
Is your rim true?
Is your rim centered in the fork, or is it off to one side?
Are both brakes in the same hole on the fork?
V-Brakes should be set up so that there is 1mm of space between the pad and rim on each side when the lever is not being pulled.
As an aside: that type of v-brake is incredibly low quality. They usually have several plastic parts that break if you look at them wrong. To me it looks like one of those Amazon kits that comes with brakes, levers, some crappy tools, and some cables and housing all for like $20.
Quality levers for a good price: https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=76920
Quality V-Brake calipers: https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=72042