Just got this bike and I have to really squeeze the brakes to get the bike to slow down even then I feel like they don’t stop my bike nearly as fast as I would like just wondering if there’s a way to fix this?
by reddituser556798245
Just got this bike and I have to really squeeze the brakes to get the bike to slow down even then I feel like they don’t stop my bike nearly as fast as I would like just wondering if there’s a way to fix this?
by reddituser556798245
16 Comments
Is it brand new? You need to bed them in
“really squeeze”
as in the force you need to apply or distance you need to move the lever?
Fetch an allen key and a plier. Loosen the bolt that holds the wire a bit. Tension the wire with pliers and re-fasten the bolt.
But it could be that those are bad brakes.
A pair [Shimano M6100 brakes](https://youtu.be/rs7GbNm4_80) would be a good upgrade if you value good and easy braking.
In no particular order:
– adjust brake cable tension
– new mech calipers with more pistons and larger pads.
– new mech/hybrid calipers
– larger rotors (will require adapters for calipers)
– clean/sand rotors and replace pads
– upgrade to hydraulic brakes
– upgrade to metal pads
– if staying with mechanical, upgrade to compression-less housing.
If it’s still undesirable after bedding in the brakes, buy a set of Shimano rotors of the same size, RT-56 should do, or anything better than this model works too, alternative rotor choices are Jagwire, Sram, I assume Jagwire should be more affordable between the two
It maybe a case of bedding the brake pads in a bit. Also possible do some adjustment on the cable barrel nuts. This video should help with with understanding everything about mechanical disc brakes https://youtu.be/NmqGeLNcVIg?si=K1kI4COPq5U8MY49
Replace them with hydraulic ones, cheap machincal ones are shocking, just replaced onmine and its like each end of a scale
buy a set of shimano mt200 hydraulic brakes off aliexpress for 35usd and take them to a bike shop to install them for you
Also please make the quick release latch face upwards in the direction of the fork. It’s a safety precaution.
If you want to :
-> keep your shifter & brakes:
Upgrade cables to Conpressionless outers
->keep your shifters:
Cable-actuated hydraulic brakes such as Juins F1 or Trp HyRd+ compressionless cable outers
-> buy new shifters as well :
go full hydraulic
100% replace them with hydraulic disc brakes I have had mechanical ones fail on front brakes of an electric scooter going 45kph downhill into a hairpin only way to get them to work again is push the lever backwards and hope they work again
You can convert to hydraulic calipers pretty cheap/easy if your shifter isn’t integrated with the brake lever.. still pretty cheap if you get a new shifter. I *hate* cable pull discs. You can certainly get them to be better than what they are now but hydraulics are auto adjusting on top of being generally better. Search MT200 on Amazon, $57 for a pair of assembled brakes (lines already attached to lever and caliper, bled).
I think we need more input from OP here as in how is this break “weak”. If you are pulling the lever all the way to the end, than you just need to adjust it (usually by pulling the lever a couple of times quickly). If the lever feels very soft at the end instead of firm, than you need to bleed some air bubbles from your hydraulic lines. If your lever has good travel and firm, but still don’t break properly, check your break pad, it could be worn off or has hydraulic fluids on it, or just not the correct pads.
First, turn the barrel adjuster (where the cable meets the actual brake mechanism) CCW until the brake cable is taut and check the “power” again. Twist a bit more, but not so much that the pads touch the rotor without squeezing the lever.
And as everyone else aside, get some hydraulic brakes and have your shop set them up and teach you how to adjust and maintain them.
Those brake are just bad. There is nothing you can do for them. I would replace them with the juin tech R1 with [jagwire compressionless housing](https://jagwire.com/products/housing/pro-compressionless-brake-housing).
Another note, that quick release should be up and parallel with the fork instead of down like the photo. It can easily get caught on obstacles and cause a bad day.