5 dragging or spongy brakes
While arguably the most essential components (and possibly the one thing you can upgrade that will make you go faster), brakes are not things to be terrified of working on. If yours are rubbing or feel spongy, something has gone awry. Check your pads are contacting the braking surface (rim or hydraulic disc) simultaneously. If they aren’t, realign the caliper. On a disc brake, this is as simple as slightly loosening the two caliper bolts, moving the caliper and tightening the bolts. This is somewhat fiddly, because it can be difficult to see through the small gap between the pads and the rotor, but if you put something light behind where you’re looking through it’s a little easier.
To align a rim brake, it’s not as simple as the all-too-common ‘grab it and wrench sideways’ technique. Undo the recess bolt in the back of the fork or seatstay bridge, hold the brake ‘on’ and retighten the recess bolt. Direct mount brakes don’t have this issue, but in both cases, use the balance screw to fine-tune the alignment. If it still feels a little spongy, use the pad mounting bolt to make sure the pads are contacting the rim flat. This goes against the traditional ‘toe it in’ but most modern calipers are stiff enough not to have the flex issues that led to brake squeal.
Cable operated discs usually have an adjuster on the static pad, and some also on the moving one (or both, in the case of TRP Spyres etc). These can be wound in as the pad wears to keep the pads contacting the rotor at more or less the same time. This also helps static-pad systems wear more evenly.
If a wheel is so buckled that the brake can’t be set up so it won’t rub, you need to get it straightened before you can set your brake up. Crucially, in all cases, absolutely ensure all bolts are tight when you’ve finished!
Get to know your bike better. It’s not ‘geeky’ to know what gear ranges or brake pads you’ve got. Learn how it feels and sounds, so you may better know when it’s not feeling or sounding how it should and catch minor problems before they develop into big, expensive issues.
As long as you’re sensible about working on your bike, have the appropriate tools and use them in the correct manner (ensuring they are properly engaged before applying force etc), you can’t go too far wrong. There are instruction manuals on most of the major manufacturer’s websites. You’ll find that working on bikes can be almost as much fun as riding them.