Hey, I had my bike on top of my car, and while parking, at extreme low speed, my fork and cockpit stumbled on a couple of branches. Heard the noise, but there’s no noticeable damage at all. It’s the kind of roof racks that holds the bike without the front wheel, by the axel.
Now when I am trying to install the front wheel, it won’t fit the disc between the pads. Can somehow happened on the breaks handle that made the pads close up?!
It’s a GRX, if that’s worth knowing…
Thanks!
by LileMindel
5 Comments
Yes, the branches pulled on the brakes. Gently pry the pads back open again, squeezing a soft tool in between, such as a tyre lever.
The right piston is still sticking out a little.
Update: wheel is back in place, pads are more open and the wheel turns fine, just a bit of rubbing but not enough to put too much pressure on the disk. Break and release works and pads goes back to its original position. Rubbing persists a bit…
You’ve already gotten good advice about prying the pads apart.
This happened because the brake lever got squeezed with only air between the pads. To prevent this in the future, put a spacer between the pads anytime that the wheel is out.
The spacers are the little red plastic things that should’ve come with your bike, but you can use practically anything as long as it won’t contaminate the pads. I often use a folded-up piece of paper or cardboard in a pinch.
You have no doubt figured out the problem with the help of others on here. They make a plastic spacer that fits in between the brake pads to use when the wheel is removed. They prevent the pistons from closing together when the brake lever is squeezed accidentally. It may be a good idea to get some.
Don’t sweat it too much, has happened to many cyclists. Enjoy your new ride and keep the supple side down. 🙂