Hello,
I fell off my bike and the cable came out of the adjuster and slowly but surely I’ve lost the tension on my brakes.
How can I fix this without bringing it to the shop!?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
by SpicySeedCo
Hello,
I fell off my bike and the cable came out of the adjuster and slowly but surely I’ve lost the tension on my brakes.
How can I fix this without bringing it to the shop!?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
by SpicySeedCo
8 Comments
You need new cable housing, or you might be able to get by with trimming out that frayed portion and reseating the cable into the barrel adjuster. This should be a really quick and inexpensive fix at a bike shop.
You could try to pull the cable from that part of the housing, trim of 1/2″ or so of the damaged housing and reinstall the cable. You might need to replace the housing, hard to tell how much damage there actually is from this photo
So this isn’t a 5 minute fix I’m guessing?
Thank you for telling me that. I was hoping it was just a quick fix.
If you release the tension at the caliper, it should allow you to pull the housing out of the adjuster and get it seated properly.
You might be able to get things working again, assuming nothing is broken by doing the following:
1. Release the brake cable at the caliper (loosen the clamping bolt)
2.pull the barrel adjuster (thing labeled “jagwire”) and then re-seat the housing in to the socket of the barrel adjuster.
3. Back at the brake caliper, pull the cable taut, get it kind of seated back under the clamping bolt (usually there is a plate with a notch that helps keep everything in place), and if this is a rim break I like to use my hand and pinch the caliper so it closes on the rim. Use your other hand to give a tug on the cable to ensure there is no slack. Then, while continuing to pinch the caliper, tighten the cable clamp bolt. When you let go of the caliper it should relax slightly and be clear of the rim. Then proceed to adjust the brake cable tension (usually a little wheel or dial near where the cable enters the brake) to get it the way you like.
The procedure is similar for disc brakes, but instead actuate the lever arm a little to pre-tension the brake.
I have a Cannondale Timetrial bike that had similar issues. The job could end up taking 3 hrs because of the design of the bike. Mileage may vary.
Thanks everyone, I think I’m going to take it to the shop and let the pros work with it.
grab a fresh cable and housing its like 10 bucks and a youtube walkthrough will get you sorted in under 30 min super easy job