Newbie questions re wheels!

captainfirecat

Hi all

Just got my first racing bike (a Carrera with Shimano brakes) and have found it fun (if bumpy!) so far.

I've had a few punctures (more than I was expecting, but then I've always had mountain bikes), all caused by going over pot holes. Would better tyres be a help with that? I always have the pressure up to 100ish, with the max on the tyre wall stating 110.

Perhaps more importantly, as I changed the inner tube yesterday I struggled to get the rear wheel back onto the frame as the brake pads were stopping it. In hindsight I should have let the air from the tyres and tried again, but being a muggins I didn't, I forced the wheel past the pads. This morning I notice the left pad is a good few mm (maybe a little over a penny thickness) away from the wheel, while the right is the 'usual' mm. I have looked along the wheel and it looks straight to me, though I intend to remove it and put it back on this evening to see if that helps. But assuming I've knocked the brakes out of allignment, how hard is it to adjust one and not the other? I can see how to adjust both at once, but not just the one. Or do you think the wheel might be out of line?

Thanks all, stressing a little over this...

ugo.santalucia

The brake caliper should have a small lever to open the pads and facilitate the operation of insertion and removal of the wheel.
If Shimano, to realign the caliper, simply grab it and center it where you want it to be and it will stay there.

If your pressure is right, then pinch flats can only be avoided by avoiding potholes, just look a bit further ahead on the road and plan your line

wishitwasallflat

I had a Carrera as 1st bike too and it had horrible cheap plastic rim tape so that may be at least part of your puncture issue - remove it and replace it with Velox is a cheap and simple improvement. Check this for brake (and up the menu for general) set-up/maintenance advice -

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-hel ... aintenance

captainfirecat

ugo.santalucia wrote:

The brake caliper should have a small lever to open the pads and facilitate the operation of insertion and removal of the wheel.
If Shimano, to realign the caliper, simply grab it and center it where you want it to be and it will stay there.

If your pressure is right, then pinch flats can only be avoided by avoiding potholes, just look a bit further ahead on the road and plan your line

I had the clasp undone but the tyre was still too thick to pass. Every other time I've had the tyres flat when I removed/installed the wheel, so it dropped straight through. Hmmm, could I have knocked the calipers out of line then couldn't get the wheel back on as the gap was now a bit to one side... Anyway, I will try your suggestion and just, what, grab the top and move it across to where I want it? Am I being a drama queen here btw wanting the pads to be equidistant from the wheel, or is a mm or 2 difference nothing to stress over? I mean, will it actually harm the bike if one brake pad activates ever so slightly before the other? Presumably it won't push the wheel out of line or anything. I realise equal braking is the ideal, but if it will do me for a while I'll stress less.

I'll also try the velcro thing, it can't hurt!

wishitwasallflat

?? Velcro ??

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/jante-velox- ... e-prod761/

t4tomo

CaptainFirecat wrote:

Am I being a drama queen here btw wanting the pads to be equidistant from the wheel, or is a mm or 2 difference nothing to stress over? I mean, will it actually harm the bike if one brake pad activates ever so slightly before the other? Presumably it won't push the wheel out of line or anything. I realise equal braking is the ideal, but if it will do me for a while I'll stress less.
!

it doesn't matter - as long as they aren't rubbing on the rim. when you squeeze the brakes on the caliper will automatically centre itself and apply equal pressure both sides

captainfirecat

wishitwasallflat wrote:

?? Velcro ??

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/jante-velox- ... e-prod761/

Haha, serves me right for speed reading! Velox?

t4tomo wrote:

CaptainFirecat wrote:

Am I being a drama queen here btw wanting the pads to be equidistant from the wheel, or is a mm or 2 difference nothing to stress over? I mean, will it actually harm the bike if one brake pad activates ever so slightly before the other? Presumably it won't push the wheel out of line or anything. I realise equal braking is the ideal, but if it will do me for a while I'll stress less.
!

it doesn't matter - as long as they aren't rubbing on the rim. when you squeeze the brakes on the caliper will automatically centre itself and apply equal pressure both sides

I will go see if I can move the whole unit while I wait for my other half to meet me today, then if that doesn't help then I get free services and tweaks from Halfords for the next 9 month, so I'll swing by them and they can adjust it (or heaven forbid, reallign the wheel! It can't be that though surely..., far more likely I just knocked the brake calliper out of line). I suppose if nothing goes wrong I'll not get use out of my bike service plan

Thanks for setting my mind at rest.

Mindermast

If you want to center the brake, this method often works:

Losen the nut on the bolt, that secures the brake. Pull the brake lever and keep it pulled, this will center the brake. Tighten the nut carefully, without rotating the brake. Release the brake lever. Before you do that, make sure, that the wheel is perfectly centered around the brake.

captainfirecat

Hi all

Just FYI the brakes are now perfectly aligned and all it took was to manhandle them a little. Many thanks for the help, you've saved me a lot of hassle!

smidsy

If you still have tyre clearance issues simply inflate them AFTER you put the wheel in the bike.