Brake lever / brakes freezing?

mattdanielc
mattdanielc Posts: 41
edited February 2019 in Commuting chat
Hi guys,

My first experience of riding in below freezing this week. I have disc brakes.

On Monday I got my bike from the shed - the first thing I noticed was the handlebars were froze! I couldn't move my bike left or right - but a bit of persuasion made it work.

Then I realised both brake levers were stuck - I couldn't push them. A bit more pressure persuaded the lever to move, but this popped the cable out of the adjuster at the lever. So my brake wouldn't work now. so I gave up and brought my bike into the house so I could have a showe ready to to use the car etc. By the time I was ready my bike had warmed up and I tried the brake lever - the cable snapped into the adjuster and the brake was fine again.

It wasn't freezing on Tuesday - bike worked fine.

Cut to today. My bike was kept inside overnight so it couldn't freeze. It's -4 outside. I started cycling and within 2/3 minutes suddenly the rear lever froze again - I couldn't pull the lever. So I came home and had to drive again (I only had the front brake working!) Once again the brake was fine after a few minutes in the house.

Any ideas how to stop this and how I can use my bike?!

Comments

  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Cable disc brakes or hydraulic?

    It'll be water freezing. Since you had it indoors overnight any water on the calipers or levers is likely to have dried off, so I'm guessing you have cable brakes, and that there's water in the cables. Solution is to replace the cables, preferably with something reasonably well-sealed to keep the water out.

    Sounds like your headset bearings could do with a clean and regrease too...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • rower63
    rower63 Posts: 1,991
    Riding through Richmond on my way home last night I saw a guy go over the handlebars of his BSO/MTB, 100m ahead of me. When I stopped to help/ask if OK he said he'd pulled his brake levers, "they just broke and I crashed" into the pavement kerb. Something obviously just snapped, not sure how it was cold-related but it does seem like too much of a coincidence...
    Dolan Titanium ADX 2016
    Ridley Noah FAST 2013
    Bottecchia/Campagnolo 1990
    Carrera Parva Hybrid 2016
    Hoy Sa Calobra 002 2014 [off duty]
    Storck Absolutist 2011 [off duty]
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  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    you need to drive the water out the cables otherwise as soon as it gets below zero and freezes the cable will seize.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    Sounds like you need new cables if it's so water logged that it's freezing.

    My commute MTB gear cable gets a touch sticky now and then, if it's rained and then been below zero. but not enough I can be assed to change it yet.
  • greenamex2
    greenamex2 Posts: 272
    Have a similar problem with my kit car handbrake.

    I have to leave the handbrake off in freezing weather overnight or won't be going anywhere until midday the next day. The issue is water ingress into the cable and handbrake caliper.

    The handbrake caliper is basically a kart/big bicycle mechanical job. Bloody useless.

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