We got a bike, and had to remove the front wheel to fit it in the car, but once we got back home and fit it, one side of the break was touching the rim
I tried to fix it, but managed to make it worse, with
i. one of the breaks not being aligned with the rim anymore
ii. one side still touching the rim
How do i fix these? I'm not sure of what type of break this is, and tutorials online seem to have different mechanisms and i cant find one that works with this
by BurntDinosaur_
2 Comments
Make sure that the wheel is fully seated on both sides of the fork.
Those screws at the base of each arm (bottom screw in picture #2) will adjust the brake centering. Tighten a screw in to push the brake arm away from the wheel, and loosen to let it fall more into the wheel. Do them together usually, at 1/2 a turn each. Pump the brakes with each rotation, as it needs to settle again after the tension has changed.
To be honest, I would recommend taking this bike to a mechanic at a bike shop. Any used bike that you buy should get looked at by a mechanic to go over the bike’s systems, check for parts that need replacing and then have a tune-up. Just taking the previous owner’s word when they say ‘things work great…you just need to inflate the tires’ is setting yourself up for disappointment or worse.
If you’re dead-set on avoiding taking this to a qualified mechanic then I suggest the Park Tool YouTube channel and look for a video on setting up long-pull brakes. I’m not trying to be dismissive but I do think a video would serve better. Tutorials w/o visual references for something as complex as setting up a front brake will just add confusion to this situation.