Fixing loose brakes: Make your ride safer and easier

Last week I borrowed a friend's bike, only to discover that his brakes -while functional- were extremely loose. I was nervous about being able to stop in case I needed to , and it made my ride a much scarier (not to mention mentally exhausting) experience than it needed to be. Having brakes that work makes your bike a lot easier, safer, and less nerve-wracking to ride.

So, how do you know if your brakes are loose? If your brake handles pull most of the way to the handlebars before taking effect, they're too loose. You should only have to pull them a quarter or halfway to the handlebar when they are adjusted correctly.

Tightening brakes seems intimidating, but it's actually really easy to do at home (even if you're like me and are worried that if you unscrew one thing wrong, the entire bike will fall apart). Since seeing what to do is really helpful, let's start with this video:


How to Tighten the Brakes on a Bicycle -- powered by eHow.com

1)The first thing to try are the brake adjuster barrels, pictured below. Turn the adjuster counter-clockwise, so that they pull farther out. This will pull the cable tighter. You will also have a locking nut (looks like a little washer), which you should screw tight all the way to the handlebar. If you have dropped handlebars, the barrel adjuster can be found above the break itself.










2) If you need a bigger adjustment, you can adjust the brakes themselves. There is a nut on the brakes that holds the brake cable. Loosen that nut using adjustable wrench or an Allen (hex) wrench. While holding the cable, push the brake closer to the rim, but still not touching. An assistant can be helpful for this. There should be enough space between the brake and the rim to fit a dime between them. Tighten the bolt and check the brakes to see if they're good.
Make sure you firmly tighten the nut that holds the brake cable! If that nut loosens or falls off, your brakes will stop working mid-ride!





Disclaimer: This is an easy fix that it's helpful to learn, but if it is done wrong or something goes wrong, a brake failure can be dangerous. If you're having problems, take your bike to a real mechanic. Make sure everything is tightened properly, and test your breaks in your home and on the road before setting off on your trip.

Thanks to E-How for the video and Jim Mangley's Bicycle Repair website for the photos! For more detailed advice, check out his article on adjusting brakes or E-How's text version.