Help me keep my brakes safe during transit.

mm94210

Hi, after earning my stripes with my HT i’ve just purchased my first FS MTB and I will be heading further afield out into the big bad world. In order to get my pride and joy in my tiny little Corsa I need to remove the front wheel. This obviously leaves the brake pads exposed and I was wondering what would be best to do in order to protect them during transit? For instance, should I put something between the pads
so that they don’t get squashed together and if so what would be best (cardboard?). I obviously don’t want to make a rookie mistake and damage them unnecessarily. I have a Whyte T130 with the guide T brakes.

Thanks in advance!

oxoman

Shimano do red hard plastic spacers to go inbetween pads to stop any problems. You could use any hard plastic if it's thin enough, but could fall out.

gomezz

I use thin wooden wedges, keep them in a rubber band on the seat post, allways to hand and cheap.

steve_sordy

Purpose made items such as what oxoman mentions are perfect, but pretty much anything will do, as long as you can stop it falling out.

tom_howard

In 20 years of putting bikes in cars, I’ve never put anything in the brake caliper. Never had a problem.

whyamihere

I've never bothered to put anything between the pads either, just make sure you're not resting anything on your brake levers.

I'm quite impressed you can get a T130 in the back of a Corsa with only one wheel removed, is it a tiny frame size?

billycool

You can stick a beer mat in there if you like.

I have removed front wheels and then accidentally pressed the brake lever when fighting the bike in/out of the car.

It can help and any of the above suggestions would work.

PS - well done for earning your stripes!

larkim

When I picked up our bikes I made sure the shop supplied us with the transit spacers that come in the brakes when the bikes are shipped, and then I keep some in the car for when we need to put the bikes in the car.

We often need to pop them in the boot upside down and levers can get pressed against the side when kids are being clumsy, so I'd recommend nipping into your LBS or Evans etc and seeing if you can pick up some spacers, they always have a load hanging around.

mm94210

Thanks guys! You have been very helpful, much appreciated.