Rubbing disc brakes and hard saddle

CY

Hi there,

It's now been almost a year since I took delivery of my 2008 Mongoose Otero Super - I have to say I have absolutely loved it and it has taken me to some wonderful locations.

I am noticing however a very light and gentle scraping noise from the front wheel. It looks like the brake disk is not centred between the pads and is rubbing against one side. Is this a normal problem and is it difficult to solve?

Also, having cycled Glentress a few times (including the infamous Black route!) and done a few longer distance cycles, I am finding the saddle a little too hard and uncomfortable.
Can anybody recommend a comfortable saddle that would suit somebody of a less padded posterior like myself?!

Having a read through the forum this evening I can see that there are so many interesting threads on UK trails and bike modifications. I must take more time to contribute and learn from the forum as there seem to me many like minded bikers to myself!

All the best

Chris

BoboGib

CY wrote:

Also, having cycled Glentress a few times (including the infamous Black route!) and done a few longer distance cycles, I am finding the saddle a little too hard and uncomfortable.
Can anybody recommend a comfortable saddle that would suit somebody of a less padded posterior like myself?!
Chris

Are you wearing padded shorts? If not this will help no ends. If you are, I tend to use WTB saddles. little bit on the hard side but I find them quite comfortable after a few miles.

this is the newer version of the saddle on my bike

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=2622

CY

Okay, I have bought a pair of padded shorts from the Edinburgh Bicycle Coop - hopefully this will help and I'll try it out later in the week. The saddle I already have is WTB so presumably the shorts will make the difference!

Only the rubbing disc brake so sort now... There are some 5mm allan key slots next to it which could be loosened but they are too tight at the moment (machine-tightened?) - I don't know if this would work? :?

mhuk

Have you ever changed the pads?

On my Avid brakes the disc isn't centred- when you apply the brake one pad moves in to the disc, the other is static (the one next to the disc). You can undo the mount and move the caliper but it may be that the pads need changing.

Probably more info hereor on the Park Tools websites, e.g. http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=126 (just find the correct one for your make of brakes).

Brake pads are 2 pairs for a tenner from readytoridecycles.co.uk or 4 pairs for £20 from superstar components on fleabay.

BoboGib

what brakes are fitted to your bike? All brakes adjust in different ways.

Enjoy the padded shorts, feel a little weird but better on the buttocks

CY

The brakes are Tektro Auriga Comp hydraulic discs, they are the standard brakes which came with the Mongoose last summer.

I will have a look at moving the caliper when/if I can get the screws undone! :oops:

tjwood

Be careful undoing screws unless you know which ones do what. I made that mistake and ended up opening the caliper causing brake fluid to weep out. Am sure there will be a manual somewhere showing which screws are the adjustment ones...

easternbhoy

CY wrote:

The brakes are Tektro Auriga Comp hydraulic discs, they are the standard brakes which came with the Mongoose last summer.

I will have a look at moving the caliper when/if I can get the screws undone! :oops:

I had the exact same problem with these brakes on my new bike...check out the thread I started in the Tech section of the site (newbie..disc brake problem)..the advice on the thread helped me sort the problem

llamafarmer

Realigning the brake caliper is actually really easy to do if you have a bracket mounted caliper, just be careful to undo the correct pair of allen bolts! I did it for the first time at the weekend in about 30 seconds. The link mhuk posted has got it covered.

CY

Does anybody have a diagram of the 2 bolts I should undo? I'm about to give it ago - but I'm taking the bike on holiday on Friday so I don't have much time for repair if I much it up!!

Thanks

P.S. Thanks for all the help, useful replies and links posted above - it has been extremely helpful!!

mhuk

The manual for your brakes is probably here: http://www.tektro.com/04support/manual.php

In this manual on page 2, diagram e-2 shows how to adjust the caliper position.

Do they squeak when you turn the wheel without the brake applied?

How much brake pad is left? Look down the disc from the side where you can see the pads- is there more than 1mm of pad visible?

If you're not confident to work on your brakes it might be better to get help?

That said, the first time I bled my brakes I did it watching a video on you tube, paused it, went outside and did a few steps and then watched the next bit etc.

CY

I gave it a go and found the right screws, but it hasn't helped. I think there's somthing up with the disc.

I'll get somebody to have a look at it tomorrow. The local bike shops seem busy but hopefully they can squeeze it in if it's not a big job.

Got to have it 100% for the Lake District this weekend.... planning my routes on OS at the moment!

tjwood

I found with my brakes the Avid recommended way of adjusting them wasn't very successful, though I worked out another technique myself. If you have found the adjustment bolts then get a torch and look down the caliper to see which side is rubbing. Slacken off the bolts just enough that you can nudge the caliper slightly to give a bit of space on that side. Tighten the bolts, spin the wheel, see if the rubbing has stopped. If not then repeat the process.

CY

I took the Mongoose in to a repair shop today who were fully booked for the next 2 years but managed to squeeze me in after lunch!

They realigned the brake caliper (and the back one, just in case!) and apparently the front disc was bent, so he fixed that in to shape. All this for a grand total of £5 including labour!

I'll be going back there again.

Thanks for all your help folk - hopefully I'll have a good weekend's biking in the Lakes now!

Anonymous

Got something similar with mine on the front disc. It's just an occasional rub which makes a metallic 'ping' kind of sound. A quick application of the front brake seems to make it go away.

It probably stems from me making the schoolboy error of applying the brake with the front wheel off. Turns out this commonly will close up the calliper and results in having to force it open again just to get the disc in. I probably made matters worse in that I took off the mounting initially to work out what was going on. Putting it back on, it was not aligned right. Took a while to align it, but still some slight rubbing.

Then I read about the trick of using a business cards either side of the disc when applying the brake to fix the pad positions. This helped a lot and doesn't rub when I spin the wheel at home.

Get out on the trail though and after a while I get this pinging kind of rubbing sound occasionally again, but as I say, apply the brake briefly and it goes away.