Adjust the parking brakes on a bicycle

Content

To step
Method 1 of 2: Adjust the brake pads
Tips
Necessities
Adjust the brake pads
Adjust the brake cables

By regularly adjusting the hand brakes on your bicycle, you ensure that they continue to work properly and that you can cycle safely. The two most important parts to adjust with regard to the parking brakes are the brake pads and the brake cables. Brake pads that are worn or that are too high or too low on the rim of the wheel can cause dangerous situations. If the brake cables are too loose, it can take more effort and effort to brake. Fortunately, you can easily solve these problems yourself with a few simple tools!

To step

Method 1 of 2: Adjust the brake pads

Check the brake pads before you start adjusting. The brake pads are the blocks that clamp on the front wheel when you hold down the handbrake. Look carefully for a line that indicates when the brake pads need to be replaced. This is the so-called "wear limit". If the brake pads are worn beyond this line, you will need to replace them before making further adjustments to the brakes.
- Some pads do not use a line, but a groove on the side of the pad to indicate where the wear limit is.
- You can buy new brake pads online or at your local bike shop.
- Also make sure your front wheel is properly aligned with the front fork of the bicycle. If not, the brakes will not work optimally.
Tighten the adjusting nuts. Now tighten the adjusting nuts that you loosened earlier. You do this by turning them to the right, clockwise, until you cannot turn them any further. Tightening the adjusting nuts will slightly reduce the pressure of the brake pads on the rim. After you tighten the adjusting nuts, your bike's brakes should be perfectly adjusted!
- Recheck the brake cables by pressing the parking brakes. When you push the brake levers all the way, the distance between the brake lever and the handlebars should be about four inches.