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Adjusting Squeaking Bicycle Brakes

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Part of the video series: Common Bicycle Repairs

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Summary: Learn how to fix squeaking brakes, by making minor adjustments to your brake pads on your bicycle and get more expert repair tips, in this free bicycle repair video clip.

Views: 6,630 | Tags: repair, biking, riding, bicycle, bikes, bicycles, fit, cycling

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About the Expert

Parker Ramspott Parker Ramspott has owned and operated a bicycle store in Amherst, Massachusetts for over 20 years. This experience combined with his skill as a mechanic mak... read more

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  • Question #1

    ASKED by kris4christ on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 10:36 AM

    What if it squeaks only when i brake?? (it's a new bike/new pads) also.. i can't adjust them right no matter how many times i try ;__;

    • Answer #1
      ANSWERED by Expert Village Community on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 10:39 AM

      Well don't brake then. Sorry couldn't resist that.
      Seriously though, as it's a new bike take it back to the shop and they should be able to solve it for you.

Video Transcript

Adjusting Squeaking Bicycle Brakes

So here we have a little bit of a gap at the back of the pad, it is touching in the front slightly. Now there is clearance at the top, it is not coming down below the edge of the rim here and I am going to hold it still and tighten it. I'm going to work the brake lever and we can see that one pad is moving away much more than the other, so I am going to check two things. First thing is I am going to make sure that the wheel is all the way up in the frame. Very often people make brake pad adjustments on a wheel that is actually not in the bike correctly. I'll loosen the quick release, make sure that the wheel is all the way up which it is, clamp it. I'm going to spin the wheel, work the brake, not hearing anymore rubbing. Most leaner pull brakes have spring adjusters on each side via either the Phillips head screw or a three millimeter Allen wrench. So this one I am going to adjust to increase the spring tension on this side so it pulls away from the rim as much as the one on the left side does. An inexpensive new brakes often don't often adjust consistently, often after I make an adjustment on a screw I'll tap it gently to set in the brake spring and double check it again till we've got them adjusted well. As far as also any issues with brake pads, one should be concerned with the relatively trueness of the wheel side to side. If the wheel is not true it will rub and that would be another adjustment that would have to be made to make your brakes work correctly.

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