How to properly maintain the bicycle rim braking system?

One of the most important parts of a bicycle is the braking system. It is made up of two independent brake handles, each controlling a jaw that applies rubber pads to the rim par through brake cables. The cables are mostly protected in sheaths. Some braking systems, for more performance, are based on the principle of the disc brake, or the drum brake, integrated into the hub...

They are sometimes very different in shape, but all brakes have the same vital function: to stop your bike, even in critical situations.

It is recommended to carry out a usage check before each outing and regular maintenance before checking the condition of wearing parts from time to time.

The number of bicycles with badly adjusted brakes is abnormally high. Some are even out of service, seriously affecting the safety of their drivers.

To ensure the reliability of the braking system, to be able to stop quickly in the best safety conditions, it is important to know a little more about these essential components, their advantages and disadvantages, how to adjust and maintain them, but also what techniques you need to master to brake as effectively as possible while ensuring your safety.

Maintenance of the bicycle rim brake system

1 - Pad Wear

Checking the condition of your brake pads is the first step in servicing your brakes.

Just look at the grooves on the pads which allow water to evacuate, on the part in contact with the bike rim. Your rollerblades no longer have visible streaks, or very few? Replacement is required. There is, in fact, not much rubber left.

Excessively worn brake pads can cause damage to your rim. You may brake metal to metal, at the risk of creating a groove on your rim. Metal-to-metal braking can be recognized by the noise.

A handy tip: set your bike brake pads at a slight angle so that the front part comes into contact with the rim before the rear part. This little trick makes it possible to avoid noise when braking, due to the vibrations of the pads.

2 - Position of the pads

A pad must be centered on the rim, that is to say that it must not touch the tire and must not be in the void either.

Once you have adjusted the position, spin the wheel and apply the brake to ensure that the shoe does not touch the tire. Better to avoid the risk of a tire bursting.

TIP: Set your bicycle brake pads at a slight angle so that the front part makes contact with the rim before the rear part. This little trick makes it possible to avoid noise when braking, due to the vibrations of the pads.

3 - Checking cables and sheaths

A visual check is sufficient. Check that:

– None of your cables are frayed (notably at the level of the brake handle and the cable clamp screw).

– Your sheaths are not damaged or deformed.

– For a V-Brake, the condition of the gaiter, the elbow and the tightening screw.

– For a cantilever brake, the connecting cable between the two shoes.

A damaged cable will continue to fray until it fails. So, for your safety, replace it without delay. A damaged sheath will make your brake harder to the touch if the cable does not circulate well in the sheath, or less effective if the sheath deforms under braking.

4 - Sheath Lubrication

This simple little gesture considerably improves your braking, especially if your bike has not been used for several months, if your bike is sleeping outside or if your sheaths simply do not have seen lubricants for a long time.

Just introduce a few drops of lubricant inside the brake sheaths to maintain smooth braking.

5 - Brake Tuning

It is imperative to check two adjustment points that impact braking efficiency.

The stroke of the lever: distance the lever travels until your skates touch the rim (this is the contact point). The lever should not move more than 2 to 3 centimeters when you operate the lever.

- Your lever starts to brake when it almost touches the handlebars? Simply re-tension the cable from the caliper or turn the brake lever adjuster.

- Does your lever activate the braking from the first centimetre? A cable that is too tight does not offer good progressive braking.

Adjusting the caliper springs: it is possible to adjust the tension of the caliper springs with a simple screw.

To ensure effective and pleasant braking, a well-adjusted bicycle brake caliper should have both pads making contact with the rim simultaneously. It's all about the spring.

On a V-Brake, make the spring adjustment with the small screw located on the side of the calipers.

Your left pad touches the rim before the right pad? Increase left spring tension or decrease right spring tension.

WARNING: too much tension in the springs hardens the braking and a lack of tension does not allow the lever to return to its initial position.

6 - To finish checking

All that's left is to make sure the pads don't touch the rim when you're riding.

Raise the front wheel and spin it by hand. If your wheel is braked, you will easily notice it in the last turns of the wheel, before it stops. Indeed, it will be suddenly slowed down par skate. Carry out the same operation on the rear wheel. If a pad touches your rim, check the caliper spring adjustment or take some tension off your cable.