adjusting vee brakes

Hello. I have a Giant Expression bought new 3 months ago. The rear
brakes are now totally ineffective. When I first noticed this I
twisted the cable near the brake lever and this worked for a week or
so. I've done this a few times but now I can't do this without the
cable dropping out of the lever. Can I adjust the cable near the brake
pad? I couldn't see how to do this and the maintenance book I have
refers to cantilever brakes only
Thaks for any help /dave

dave wrote:
Hello. I have a Giant Expression bought new 3 months ago. The rear
brakes are now totally ineffective. When I first noticed this I
twisted the cable near the brake lever and this worked for a week or
so. I've done this a few times but now I can't do this without the
cable dropping out of the lever. Can I adjust the cable near the brake
pad?

Yes. Where the cable joins the brake mechanism there should be a bolt
you can loosen off. Once it is loose you can pull the cable through and
retighten it a little further up the cable which should have the desired
effect.

Before you do this, screw the adjuster at the lever itself back in all
the way, so it can be used for the next round of minor adjustment.

When you're setting the new cable position, hold the brakes at the place
you want them to be at rest while pulling the cable taught with your
other hand. Then, with your third hand (!) do up the bolt.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

dave wrote:
Hello. I have a Giant Expression bought new 3 months ago. The rear
brakes are now totally ineffective. When I first noticed this I
twisted the cable near the brake lever and this worked for a week or
so. I've done this a few times but now I can't do this without the
cable dropping out of the lever. Can I adjust the cable near the brake
pad? I couldn't see how to do this and the maintenance book I have
refers to cantilever brakes only
Thaks for any help /dave

Are they rubbing or do you just use them a lot? Rear brakes shouldn't wear
so quickly that they don't touch the rim hard enough to stop you - I've gone
from a new set of shimano pads to worn out in a couple of weeks, and
obviously the amount you have to pull the levers has altered but they still
work right. I suspect there's more adjustment to be done than just cable
length - are the pads centred around the rim properly?

On 25/11/04 12:25 pm, in article , "Peter
Clinch" wrote:


When you're setting the new cable position, hold the brakes at the place
you want them to be at rest while pulling the cable taught with your
other hand. Then, with your third hand (!) do up the bolt.

I should point out that you use the third hand to hold the brakes, and the
first and second hands to pull the cable and tighten the bolt.

Yes there is a 'third hand tool' you can buy new for this purpose.

...d

David Martin wrote:

When you're setting the new cable position, hold the brakes at the place
you want them to be at rest while pulling the cable taught with your
other hand. Then, with your third hand (!) do up the bolt.


I should point out that you use the third hand to hold the brakes, and the
first and second hands to pull the cable and tighten the bolt.

Yes there is a 'third hand tool' you can buy new for this purpose.

Or use an old toe strap I keep for this specific porpoise. :-)

R.

He could have a gear cable instead of a brake cable and therefore stretching
ludicrously.

--
kitemap
http://ugcc.co.uk

David Brown wrote:
He could have a gear cable instead of a brake cable and therefore stretching
ludicrously.

They're both steel and shouldn't stretch appreciably in any case. Or so
I thought.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch wrote in message ...
David Brown wrote:
He could have a gear cable instead of a brake cable and therefore stretching
ludicrously.

They're both steel and shouldn't stretch appreciably in any case. Or so
I thought.


And the end of a gear cable is noticeably different to that of a brake
cable (regardless of whether flat or drop bars are used) - quite hard
to get them mixed up.

David E. Belcher

Richard wrote in message ...
David Martin wrote:

When you're setting the new cable position, hold the brakes at the place
you want them to be at rest while pulling the cable taught with your
other hand. Then, with your third hand (!) do up the bolt.


I should point out that you use the third hand to hold the brakes, and the
first and second hands to pull the cable and tighten the bolt.

Yes there is a 'third hand tool' you can buy new for this purpose.

Or use an old toe strap I keep for this specific porpoise. :-)


Excellent tip, Richard - I'll certainly bear that one in mind (must be
an old toe-strap somewhere down the shed at home). As it is, whilst
setting up the cross bike last weekend, I was able to call on the
services of Dad as an extra pair of hands during the fiddly business
of tensioning the cantilevers!

David E. Belcher

"David Martin" wrote in message
...
On 25/11/04 12:25 pm, in article , "Peter
Clinch" wrote:


When you're setting the new cable position, hold the brakes at the place
you want them to be at rest while pulling the cable taught with your
other hand. Then, with your third hand (!) do up the bolt.

I should point out that you use the third hand to hold the brakes, and the
first and second hands to pull the cable and tighten the bolt.

Yes there is a 'third hand tool' you can buy new for this purpose.

A piece of string you mean?

Save a pound and use a shoelace.



..d