Noisy brakes
clairelc
Posts: 49
First of all...I am a complete novice at anything related to bike maintenance, but would rather learn than fork over my hard earned cash, so apologies in advance for my lack of knowledge.
Onto the probelm:
I bought my first bike about 6 weeks ago. I've been happy pootling around here there and everywhere BUT my brakes are very noisy. When I pull the brake lever there's a very loud rubbing noise as the pads come into contact with the rims - it does stop me though.
There are some black lines on the rims - presumably just dirt which can be cleaned off (tomorrow's job) - will this be the source of the problem? Secondly, this morning i had a poke and came away with a black dust like mess on my finger - is this the brake pad wearing away? Is this normal?
It wasn't an expensive bike by any means, but it was brand new. are the brake pads just cheap and nasty devils that need replacing, and if so, do i have to look for a specific kind?
I was going to start by cleaning the rims properly, and i've read on the internet to 'toe in' the break pads. Is this the best course of action? Should I investigate anything else first?
Apologies again for lack of knowledge :? any help appreciated!
Onto the probelm:
I bought my first bike about 6 weeks ago. I've been happy pootling around here there and everywhere BUT my brakes are very noisy. When I pull the brake lever there's a very loud rubbing noise as the pads come into contact with the rims - it does stop me though.
There are some black lines on the rims - presumably just dirt which can be cleaned off (tomorrow's job) - will this be the source of the problem? Secondly, this morning i had a poke and came away with a black dust like mess on my finger - is this the brake pad wearing away? Is this normal?
It wasn't an expensive bike by any means, but it was brand new. are the brake pads just cheap and nasty devils that need replacing, and if so, do i have to look for a specific kind?
I was going to start by cleaning the rims properly, and i've read on the internet to 'toe in' the break pads. Is this the best course of action? Should I investigate anything else first?
Apologies again for lack of knowledge :? any help appreciated!
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Comments
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If it's a gritty sound then it's probably crap embedded in your pads, I'd start with cleaning the rims with a citrus degreaser (or some such) and inspecting the braking face of the pads, clean them as well once they are free of grit... The black sh!t is normal! Also check that your pads don't foul the tyre when you apply the lever.
Toe-in is where the pads are aligned so that the front part of the pad hits the rim first then the rest of the pad contacts as the brake arm flexes. It's usually quoted as a cure to eliminate squeeking so If they don't squeek I wouldn't worry too much about that.
Probably worth mentioning that some (cheaper) pads/rims can just be noisier than others, could try some different pads if cleaning doesn't do much.
These are the pads I use, they have a lip on the long edge to help clear crap fromt he rim as you brake. These ones are for V-brakes BTW (two long vertical arms, either side of the rim), if you have road style brakes you can get similar pads for those from the same site.0
