Er... no idea with regards to this, but after adjusting brakes I noticed it before I came off, the adjustment was bang on, nothing had slipped but after the first few pulls everything seemed er... slack.

Spongy feeling brakes, its not a case of incorrect levers as they are stamped with "V BRAKES ONLY", but they are all resin affairs. Could replacing the levers improve the action?

My friends bike with metal tektro levers has an unchanging reach, they engage with about 5mm of pull, and stretch to about half way engaged, no more.

Mine can touch the handlebars after a few pulls at full stretch, and it still doesnt feel nice and stopped... but "spooonnngggggeee".

So is it the levers? or would I need to replace the whole shebang? or is it a case of just getting decent blocks on it.

My bike is still out of action but this was bothering me before the accident happened, and as im faffing with it now to fix it, thought Id just check.

Sounds like sh*tty cables that are compressing a bit, or housing ends that are ragged, which get compressed inside the brake arms ferrule, insead of the energy being used to pull cable.

/genius

So cables and levers replaced should sort them out?

It stops.. it just takes more effort and longer after a few pulls.

Quote from: M3ta7h3adSo cables and levers replaced should sort them out?

It stops.. it just takes more effort and longer after a few pulls.

If the levers arent damaged, there is no need to replace them. Just get some good housing. The regular lined stoff is fine, dont let the bastards upsell you to anything called a "brake cable system". After you cut the cable housing to length, grind it to make it perfectly flat, like the cable on the right:

1) change the cables... as fishstick face suggested.

2) grease the brake bosses.

3) make sure everything is nipped up in terms of bolts and screws.

4) dont bother changing the brakes on that bike... its not worth the money or hassle.

It depends. Often you can find a blowout on off branded Tektros for the price of replacement carts. Thats how I ended up upgrading my brakes on the keep-it-cheap SS. But really, most caliper/canti brakes are fine these days, cable and setup being key. Mushiness is cables 99% of the time.

Cool. cables it will be then, when you say "replace the outer" you mean the rubbery bit yeah? so you think that the steel inner cable is alright??

See I was saying this to a mate of mine whos more of a "I have bike, I pedal because its less effort than bloody walking everywhere" kinda guy, as opposed to you lot of the "I know stuff about bikes!" kinda group, who said "ahh its the levers, yeah stupid plastic sh*t theyre all bendy, ugh get em changed man."

Do you see the levers bending? No? Then don t worry bout it. Yes? Then get a set of Tektro cheapies, or see if the LBS has some in their bucket you can get for cheap.

Might as well get a cable set, btw, some of the discount bikes come with rather gimpy inner and outer stuff. $5.

Quote from: maximusotterDo you see the levers bending? No? Then don t worry bout it. Yes? Then get a set of Tektro cheapies, or see if the LBS has some in their bucket you can get for cheap.

Might as well get a cable set, btw, some of the discount bikes come with rather gimpy inner and outer stuff. $5.

Chuff it mate, already decided to try and put aside a little a month to buy something a little special to ride so will make do with a cable set. Ive got the ol Haynes manual of bike maintenance here pretty sure thatll get me through changing cables.

Quote from: M3ta7h3ad

Quote from: maximusotterDo you see the levers bending? No? Then don t worry bout it. Yes? Then get a set of Tektro cheapies, or see if the LBS has some in their bucket you can get for cheap.

Might as well get a cable set, btw, some of the discount bikes come with rather gimpy inner and outer stuff. $5.

Chuff it mate, already decided to try and put aside a little a month to buy something a little special to ride

[Insert sleazy joke about hooker: HERE]

Ive never ground the cable outers, but Lynzs box fresh Kona Blast has mushy brakes, so I might give it a go.

As for cables, as soon as I start at Stif, im going to treat my bike to some goretex sealed cables

May be a waste of money, but g*Damn, they look pimp.

IF you do change your brakes as fishstick face is waffling on about... (not that i recommend it, mind), the ONLY rim brakes i would recommend are these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1805

more stopping power than a hippo with a parachute attached to its ears.

FACT.

FISHSTICK FACE.

Equal power to budget hydro discs in the dry, when properly set up.

Meh, any linear pull brake thats not an awful Chinese knockoff, set up right, will stop a hybrid bike well enough to face plant. Same goes for dual-pivots. Only reason to go higher end on those is to get better finish, or some adjustment features. Really, they all stop just fine.

Brakes and derailleur systems peaked in quality a decade ago. Perhaps theyve gotten a hair better, and weve now standardized so that most road bikes come with a 11-26 instead of a 14-25, like in 1987. Yay! Two-three really high gears well rarely use. :fakesmile:

Quote from: maximusotterMeh, any linear pull brake thats not an awful Chinese knockoff, set up right, will stop a hybrid bike well enough to face plant. Same goes for dual-pivots. Only reason to go higher end on those is to get better finish, or some adjustment features. Really, they all stop just fine.

 

Non-sense.

HAVE YOU ever used the sh*te plastic v brakes, then compared them to the avid or shimano efforts, have you sh*te, fishstick face...

for 10quid, they are absolutely rock on tommy, end of story... theyll out-brake my old hope hydros in the dry and that is no lie....

I wouldnt ever touch XTRs or XT vs, as 25-45 quid for cable rim brakes is a joke but how anyone can say those AVIDs at 10 quid a throw are over kill or too expensive is beyond me... next youll be telling people to use their wellington boots on the back wheel to stop themselves.

FISH

STICKS

ON

A

WEASELS

NOSE.

Nah, Im not advocating plastic calipers. Those resin cantis that showed up a few years ago on bargain bikes were indeed heinous. The Avids are a fine deal, as are any of the Tektro models, as they pretty much just rip Avid design off like the Ural motorcycle company ripped off BMW.

That said, Ive set up a set of the most awefullest resin cantis, on a bike I got as a loaner in Sweden, to stop like true madness. Now the feel was like the rim was made of spongecake, but the dang thing stopped. Bear will vouch for the quality of the hills in the Masthugget district of Gothenburg.