Adjust Bike Brakes

3 Methods:

Brake Cable

Brake Shoe

Brake Lever

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.

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.

   

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
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.

   

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
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.

   

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
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

   .

   

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
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.

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help

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.

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.

   

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
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

   .

   

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
3. 3
   When you're satisfied with the position of the brake pad, tighten it up using the Allen Key

   .

   

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
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.

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help

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

1. 1
   Here we have the brake

   .

   
   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help