First disc braked CX bike - in at the deep end
dru
Posts: 1,341
Hi All,
Hi all,
Just bought a second hand Caadx Sram with HydroR disc brakes - to try and get back into bike racing/lose some weight etc etc after a few years away.
Want to give it a service and get new bits for it but as this is my first non-caliper bike ever, I'm a bit lost at sea.
When I search for SRAM bleed kit etc, most of the links are avid kits - are avid bleed kits compatible with the SRAM discs?
Also, I need something called bleed blocks which the cheaper kits don't tend to come with - do I need them or can other 'things' be used?
The brake pads themselves, there seems to be allsorts of different materials and combinations - apparently the sram ones are orgainin and stainless steel - should I replace like with like or go for a different compound?
Any help/advise greatfully received!
Hi all,
Just bought a second hand Caadx Sram with HydroR disc brakes - to try and get back into bike racing/lose some weight etc etc after a few years away.
Want to give it a service and get new bits for it but as this is my first non-caliper bike ever, I'm a bit lost at sea.
When I search for SRAM bleed kit etc, most of the links are avid kits - are avid bleed kits compatible with the SRAM discs?
Also, I need something called bleed blocks which the cheaper kits don't tend to come with - do I need them or can other 'things' be used?
The brake pads themselves, there seems to be allsorts of different materials and combinations - apparently the sram ones are orgainin and stainless steel - should I replace like with like or go for a different compound?
Any help/advise greatfully received!
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Comments
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Avid are SRAMs brake division so it should work. Bleed blocks simply stop the pads closing together (if you've removed the wheels and therefore the disc rotor) when you're pumping the lever, so you can put anything in there that stops the pads closing together.Trail fun - Transition Bandit
Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
Allround - Cotic Solaris0 -
Might also be worth posting to the MTB thread, as hydraulic discs are still in the minority in CX (though I personally think they're very good, especially for amateurs).Any help/advise greatfully received!
Pads - Organic can wear very quickly in certain conditions, they have been known to wear out from new in less than one race. Sintered are much better in that regard. You don't need ultimate stopping power in a CX race, so pad longevity beats braking performance. I use Superstar sintered pads which are cheap, seem to work perfectly well, and don't wear out too quickly.
Bleeding - Beware that there are two different fluids out there - mineral oil and DOT brake fluid. They're not interchangeable, but as far as I know all brakes of a given brand use the same; for instance Tektro/TRP use mineral oil. Plenty of YouTube videos out there on how to do it. Once done properly it tends to stay done; in my experience it's not a regular maintenance task. I do it without a bleed block, but that may or may not be a good idea; I hate bleeding brakes, probably because I'm not very good at it.
Alignment - forget about squeezing the brake lever and then tightening up the caliper bolts. That'll get you close, but unless your rotor is infinitely stiff it'll still be slightly out. Best to do the final adjustment by eye, sighting the gap between pad and rotor.
If your brake makes a ticking noise when you apply it, it may well be because you've worn right through the pad and the spring is hitting the rotor. If racing, continue as you were but don't be surprised if the brake stops working completely; otherwise you should obviously address the problem immediately (and pay more attention to pad wear in the future!) In many CX races, non-functioning brakes are more of an inconvenience than a complete show-stopper.Pannier, 120rpm.0 -
lots of lovely help givenAny help/advise greatfully received!
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Thanks for the great feedback TGOTB
Will check all of that out - question thou, when you say align by eye, that's so you can see a light' gap either side of the rotor through the pads right?
presumeably its ok then if the wheel is not 100% aligned then? (ie on a road bike the wheel goes plum in on the frame mounts and then you can move the caliper abit - but this is visa-versa? correct?0 -
As above - but when you get a bleed kit, make sure that you get the one designed for your brake systems - SRAM (I think) have changed the bleed procedure on their hydro brakes in the last couple of years - so you do probably need an SRAM branded one.
From googling, this would appear to be the Bleed Kit that you need - https://www.sram.com/avid/products/pro-bleed-kit
Available here: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/avid-professional-disc-brake-bleed-kit/rp-prod75475 (Or in other stores)..
The authentic bleed kit is worth it though - I bought a cheap copy when I did mine and the DOT fluid it came with was not nearly as air-free as the one I got later with a proper Avid kit - means you have to spend a long time getting the air out..
I would use this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K4ADjuxEqc (I used the equivelent one when bleeding my Avid MTB brakes and it was excellent)
When positioning the caliper, what I tend to do is position it all the way across towards me, and then gently tap it (with the bolts not quite finger tight, but tight enough so that it will stay still) until it stops rubbing when the wheel is spinning - you will be able to hear it rubbing if it is.. Then tighten the caliper bolts fully.
bob6397Boardman HT Team - Hardtail
Rose Pro-SL 2000 - Roadie0 -
Correct - Bob's method is another equally good way of achieving the same thing, so try both or a combination. Tighten the caliper bolts alternately, a bit at a time. You'll discover that tightening one too much will cause the caliper to move, unless the other is tight enough to stop it.Will check all of that out - question thou, when you say align by eye, that's so you can see a light' gap either side of the rotor through the pads right?
Much the same as a road wheel. Put the wheel in the bike, make sure it's located properly, and then line up the caliper. Once you've done this once, you should be able to remove and replace the wheel without adjusting the caliper. If you end up using different wheels with slightly different rotor positions, you can get shims to even them out (though I'd be inclined to try making my own from coke cans).presumeably its ok then if the wheel is not 100% aligned then? (ie on a road bike the wheel goes plum in on the frame mounts and then you can move the caliper abit - but this is visa-versa? correct?Pannier, 120rpm.0 -
As above - but when you get a bleed kit, make sure that you get the one designed for your brake systems - SRAM (I think) have changed the bleed procedure on their hydro brakes in the last couple of years - so you do probably need an SRAM branded one.
From googling, this would appear to be the Bleed Kit that you need - https://www.sram.com/avid/products/pro-bleed-kit
Available here: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/avid-professional-disc-brake-bleed-kit/rp-prod75475 (Or in other stores)..
The authentic bleed kit is worth it though - I bought a cheap copy when I did mine and the DOT fluid it came with was not nearly as air-free as the one I got later with a proper Avid kit - means you have to spend a long time getting the air out..
I would use this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K4ADjuxEqc (I used the equivelent one when bleeding my Avid MTB brakes and it was excellent)
When positioning the caliper, what I tend to do is position it all the way across towards me, and then gently tap it (with the bolts not quite finger tight, but tight enough so that it will stay still) until it stops rubbing when the wheel is spinning - you will be able to hear it rubbing if it is.. Then tighten the caliper bolts fully.
bob6397
Always worth keeping an eye on the classifieds here too
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