They’re out there...
Rim brakes are still around, so you might as well know how to set them up
While they still have a few detractors, disc brakes are becoming increasingly prevalent in the yearly ranges from most brands, with some eschewing rim brakes altogether. Regardless, there are the products of all years ‘before discs’ (BD) still in circulation, not to mention those new bikes still available with rim brakes. Will rim brakes ever disappear completely? Probably not. Those brands unwilling to stoop to sufficiently low-quality callipers to shoe-horn disc brakes into the spec of their most entry-level models will stick with rim brakes for at least those bikes.
It’s a widely held opinion that the one component worth upgrading if you want to go faster is the brakes. That might seem contrary, but the more confidence you have in your stoppers, the less worried you’ll be about pushing your speed just about everywhere.
Historically, some manufacturers have been guilty of fitting woefully substandard brake callipers to certain models. Setting those, and any other calliper, up as well as possible can eke out as much performance as you can without necessarily needing to spend more money.
01 Centre the wheels
Ensure the wheel is correctly installed. Undo the quick release, stand the bike up vertically and the wheels should sit square in the dropouts. If not, check your QR springs are the right way around (small end pointing in) and retry.
02 Tighten fully
Loosen the recess bolt and pull the brake on manually, allowing the mechanism to go through its range of motion without being held in position. Tighten the recess bolt fully – the calliper shouldn’t move under any circumstances.
03 Adjust brake pads
Align the brake pads by checking the order of the washers. Many systems allow two-dimension adjustment, with the bolt as a pivot for adjustment in the third. For best lever feel and power transfer, set the pads flat against the rim.
04 Check cable tension
This is down to personal preference affecting how the brake feels at the lever. Loosen the cable pinch bolt, manually pull the calliper together, and with the pads your preferred distance from the rim, pull the cable tight. Tighten the pinch bolt.
05 Align the pads
If the pads aren’t contacting the rim at the same time and giving a good lever feel, don’t start from scratch. Use the balance screw to fine-tune any alignment – it may only need a small adjustment, so spend a short while getting it right.
06 Them’ st he brakes
You may have to re-tension front to rear brakes differently to get them feeling similar. For a fine adjustment, use the barrel adjusters. Be aware the rear brake can feel less positive as its longer cable has more opportunity to stretch.