Adjust Bike Brakes

Edited by Thor, Crystal, Eng

3 Methods: Brake Cable Brake Shoe Brake Lever

Method 1: Brake Cable

Hello, welcome to VisiHow. Today I'm going to show you how to adjust the brakes on a mountain bike or touring bike with the brake cable.

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Steps

  1. 1
    As you can see here, there is a brake cable running over the mudguard. The first thing we're going to do is get an Allen Key, size 5.
    Adjust Bike Brakes METHOD-1-of-3 Brake Cable.mp4-canvas22 451919.jpg
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  2. 2
    Loosen the bolt that traps the brake cable and holds the brakes in place. It's very common to adjust the brakes because over time, the rubber of the brake pads will be eroded from constant use, so you will find that you often have to adjust your brakes.
    Adjust Bike Brakes METHOD-1-of-3 Brake Cable.mp4-canvas30 062327.jpg
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  3. 3
    Pull the brake cable towards you, therefore, pushing the brake pads closer to the rim. You don't want the brake pads to be touching the rim, but rather, to be close enough to be effective and get traction and grip when they're used.
    Adjust Bike Brakes METHOD-1-of-3 Brake Cable.mp4-canvas64 723904.jpg
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  4. 4
    When you're happy with the position of the brakes, we're going to use the Allen Key again to tighten the bolt.
    Adjust Bike Brakes METHOD-1-of-3 Brake Cable.mp4-canvas92 345774.jpg
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  5. 5
    As always, you're going to want to take the bike for a test drive to see if the adjustments are suitable. There are other methods to adjust your brakes, you can find these methods below. If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in the comment box. Thanks for watching, goodbye for now.
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Video: Adjust Bike Brakes Brake Cable

Method 2: Brake Shoe

Hello, welcome to Visihow. Today I'm going to show you how to adjust the brake shoe on a touring or mountain bike. Over time, brake pads become eroded, and you will need to adjust the brake pads in order to make them more efficient.

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Adjust Bike Brakes METHOD-2-of-3 Brake Shoe.mp4-canvas24 827507.jpg

Steps

  1. 1
    In this method, you're going to take an Allen Key, size 5, and loosen the bolt for the brake pad. By loosening the bolt, we get access to the brake pad, and we can adjust it into the position that is required. Because of the angle of the brake pad you will find that some of the rubber will be eroded, and some of it won't be.
    Adjust Bike Brakes METHOD-2-of-3 Brake Shoe.mp4-canvas39 420663.jpg
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  2. 2
    Re-position it, flat against the rim, so that it's not touching the tire or the rim, but it is in position to clamp down on the rim when it is necessary.
    Adjust Bike Brakes METHOD-2-of-3 Brake Shoe.mp4-canvas77 459938.jpg
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  3. 3
    When you're satisfied with the position of the brake pad, tighten it up using the Allen Key.
    Adjust Bike Brakes METHOD-2-of-3 Brake Shoe.mp4-canvas86 101456.jpg
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  4. 4
    As always, you're going to want to test it to see how it functions. You will find that when you adjust the brake pads, you will also need to adjust the brake cable above. If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the comment box. This is VisiHow, goodbye.
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Video: Adjust Bike Brakes Brake Shoe

Method 3: Brake Lever

Hello and welcome to VisiHow. Today, I'm going to show you how to adjust your brakes on a mountain or touring bike.

Adjust Bike Brakes METHOD-3-of-3 Brake Lever.mp4-canvas16 383086.jpg

Steps

  1. 1
    Here we have the brake.
    Adjust Bike Brakes METHOD-3-of-3 Brake Lever.mp4-canvas11 135962.jpg
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  • 2
    Here, we have the brake cable connected to the brake.
    Adjust Bike Brakes METHOD-3-of-3 Brake Lever.mp4-canvas12 621626.jpg
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  • 3
    In order to adjust the brake, we're going to screw, or unscrew this knob. If we unscrew, it pulls the brake cable in and pulls the brake pads together. If we screw, it loosens the brake cable, creating more space between the brake pads and the wheel. You should adjust this according to your needs, and as always, you should test the results to see if they are adequate. This is one method to adjust your brakes, you can find the others above.
    Adjust Bike Brakes METHOD-3-of-3 Brake Lever.mp4-canvas21 115104.jpg
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  • 4
    This is how to adjust your brakes. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions please leave them in the comment box below. Thank you for choosing VisiHow. Goodbye.
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    • Video: Adjust Bike Brakes Brake Lever

    If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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    Article Info

    Categories : Bikes & Motorcycles

    Recent edits by: Crystal, Thor

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