Hydraulic brake woes

riverer

Hi all, I need some advice please.

A few years back my wife and I got two carrera vulcan bikes, which have fitted the Clarks Skeletal brakes (http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... -11-39583/)

A few months later my wifes front wheel was sticking in the brakes, so we got that sorted by halfords where we bought them.

They went in the garage, came out next summer, her front wheel was totally locked, brakes closed shut, had to take it to the LBS who said the piston was twisted and sorted it.

Now they've come out again, my front wheel is rubbing on the pads, my back wheel is totally locked and I've not checked hers yet but I don't hold much hope for the wheels rotating freely.



Throughout all these problems I have: 1
1) Sat for 5 mins squezing the brakes trying to get them to auto-adjust.
2) Taken the pads off, tried to reset the pistons by pushing them back in.

I did all this to both my front and back brakes today, the front is no better and the back wheel wont even go back on with the pads in place. The thread on the back brake caliper also seems knackered and there is a fair bit of play on the caliper itself in relation to the frame.


So all in all I'm pretty fed up with these brakes, I seem to spend as much time farting about with them than I do riding.

I have a few options:
1) Buy the gear and try bleeding them myself and hope that sorts it
2) Take the bike to the LBS and ask them to bleed/sort them
3) Replace the brakes with other hydraulic brakes on both bikes, front and back which would be expensive
4) Maybe replace the brakes with cheap V brakes or something?


Advice gratefully received.

cooldad

Ride more often than once a year. Whatever you put on will die lying in the shed all winter.

markhusbands

Funny things hydro brakes, unlike mechanical brakes you can just leave them,hydro's need to be used regulary to keep them working tip top, mine seized once from not being used for 6 wks,full bleed with fresh oil sorted mine and I haven't had any issues since.

riverer

Yeah I know the long gaps between use is bad for most things mechanical, but sadly it cant be helped and with a baby on the way its only going to get worse!

Tempted to put mechanical ones on for cheap for that reason.

BrettG

I was just going to suggest mech' discs.
I've been debating wether to get more up to date with the ride I have now and invest in something newer tec' now I've taken up cycling again. Today I've been fettling v brakes as one didn't seem to want to return properly and was very lightly rubbing. Naturally, six years in a shed hasn't helped but all it needed was the brakes being taken off, some fine paper on the brake mounting posts, a bit of lube and now good as gold. In the the style of an annoying advert, simples.

riverer

BrettG wrote:

I was just going to suggest mech' discs.
I've been debating wether to get more up to date with the ride I have now and invest in something newer tec' now I've taken up cycling again. Today I've been fettling v brakes as one didn't seem to want to return properly and was very lightly rubbing. Naturally, six years in a shed hasn't helped but all it needed was the brakes being taken off, some fine paper on the brake mounting posts, a bit of lube and now good as gold. In the the style of an annoying advert, simples.

That sounds much more compatible with my riding habits!

cooldad

Not really. Depends how you store them. I've recently put a few bikes together with bits out of my stash. A set of Hopes that haven't been used for at least 10 years, and some old XTs that haven't been used for 2 or 3. Both worked perfectly.

Mechanical brakes will seize up just as easily if left in a damp shed.