Bike Maintenance Gear (2023): Tools, Pumps, Cleaners, Lubricants

Most bicycle brakes are activated by a set of cables connected to the brake levers, and most points along with your brakes might be solved by adjusting the stress of these cables. They can even want periodic changes to maintain them working correctly.

To check the stress of your brake cables, give your brake levers a squeeze. If they contact the handlebar grips or get shut sufficient to crush a finger slipped beneath, you must improve your cable rigidity. On the flip aspect, if solely the slightest stress on the levers causes your brakes to clamp down—or in case your brake pads rub if you spin the bike’s wheel with out squeezing the brake lever in any respect—then you must lower your cable rigidity. Usually, cable rigidity might be modified by twisting the barrel adjuster discovered on the level the place the cable meets the hand lever. There are tons of easy-to-follow YouTube movies that present you find out how to modify brake cables.

There are a couple of varieties of brakes, however you are almost certainly to have rim brakes or disc brakes. The commonest rim brakes—V-brakes or caliper brakes—pinch either side of the wheel rims from the highest of the wheel. Disc brakes do not contact the rim in any respect and as a substitute use small calipers to pinch CD-sized discs mounted within the middle of every wheel. Disc brakes provide superior stopping efficiency, however they are often fussy to take care of.

Fancier disc brakes use hydraulic mechanisms to pinch the discs. While hydraulic brakes should not unattainable to take care of at dwelling, they are a bit greater than most individuals need to deal with. Remember to periodically get the strains checked and refilled with contemporary fluid at an area bike store. And if the brake fluid reservoir in your handlebars seems to be low, take it to a motorbike store quickly.

Less frequent are coaster brakes, which do not use levers and are as a substitute activated by pedaling backward. These are troublesome to regulate your self and are harmful when not correctly adjusted, so take your coaster brake to an expert.

Brake pads put on out regularly as you utilize your bike and are simply changed. You simply must know what dimension or sort of brake pad to buy. The writing on the worn pads ought to provide you with a touch about what to purchase. Brake pads are largely common, although their mounting programs differ. The starting of this video explains the variations.

Swapping out worn V-brake pads for brand spanking new ones takes no various minutes, and all you normally want is the proper dimension hex key. We advocate Park Tool’s hex wrench ($14) with the three commonest key sizes on it. It will take you a bit longer to interchange disc brake pads as a result of the brakes are smaller and extra intricate; this video exhibits a couple of methods to method pad alternative. In each circumstances, you need to readjust your cable rigidity after placing new pads on.

You’re going to want to scrub these brake pads periodically too. Use an previous toothbrush or a store towel ($3) to get into the hole between the brake and both the rim or the disc, and use some brake cleaner ($10) to take away any buildup.