Newbie - Brake Squeal

BI@HOME said:

Hello from England.

Hello England. See also uk.rec.cycling for all your BRITON'S cycling
needs.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

Have you lubricated your chain lately?

Lubrication getting on your rim will cause terrible squeals.

BI@HOME said:

Hello from England.

I have been given an "off road" bike by my ageing neighbour.

It has the usual elliptical shaped brake pads operated by calipers and
wire that I see on most other bikes like this but they make a horrible
squealing noise when applied a little.

I have tried resetting them but nothing works.
Local shop says it needs new pads but the pads are hardly worn.

The bike shop may be right, most bike brake pads are made of rubber, as
the rubber ages, it drys out and gets hard. The hard rubber is causing
a vibration, which gives you the squeal. Considering the cost of a set
of brake pads, and the critical role that they play in the operation of
a bicycle, it's not a place to try and save money.

It's clear the bike probably hasn't seen a rider in a long time, so you
might want to check a few other things as well: chain, cables, tires and
tubes, get the hubs and bearings all lubed. If it's an internal gear
hub, that may need to be flushed and relubed as well.

W

BI@HOME said:

Hello from England.

I have been given an "off road" bike by my ageing neighbour.

It has the usual elliptical shaped brake pads operated by calipers and
wire that I see on most other bikes like this but they make a horrible
squealing noise when applied a little.

I have tried resetting them but nothing works.
Local shop says it needs new pads but the pads are hardly worn.

Any suggestions?

1) With a rag and isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, thoroughly clean the
braking surfaces on your rims;

2) With a flat file, squarely file the "face" of the brake pads a bit
to remove any "glazing" that might have developed while the bike sat

3) Ensure proper toe-in on the brake pads:
http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQindex.shtml#brakes

Good luck!

<BI@HOME> wrote ...

Quoted message said:

Hello from England.

I have been given an "off road" bike by my ageing neighbour.

It has the usual elliptical shaped brake pads operated by calipers and
wire that I see on most other bikes like this but they make a horrible
squealing noise when applied a little.

I have tried resetting them but nothing works.
Local shop says it needs new pads but the pads are hardly worn.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,Dave

If the bike (or the brakes) have sat unused long enough, it's possible that
the brake pads have hardened. Lightly sanding the surface that contacts the
rim might solve or reduce the problem.

Sometimes the rims get contaminated with pad material, road grime, etc.,
which may cause squealing.Cleaning off the rim with a scouring pad might
help this.

If toeing in the pads slightly doesn't work, and if the above two remedies
don't help, then it's probably time for new pads.
--
mark

BI@HOME said:

Hello from England.

I have been given an "off road" bike by my ageing neighbour.

It has the usual elliptical shaped brake pads operated by calipers and
wire that I see on most other bikes like this but they make a horrible
squealing noise when applied a little.

I have tried resetting them but nothing works.
Local shop says it needs new pads but the pads are hardly worn.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,Dave

Find a really big mountain (that requires a lot of braking) and ride down it.
By the time you get to the bottom, the squealing will probably have stopped.

Basically your brakes need to wear in to where they grab smoothly without
squeal-causing vibration. Normal light braking won't wear them in fast enough.

Mine have been squealing horribly since I cleaned my rims last week. So
yesterday I finally took the time to do a big descent, which cured the problem.
(Lots of 500'+, 10% grades around here to choose from.)

Matt O.

Matt O'Toole said:

BI@HOME said:

Hello from England.

I have been given an "off road" bike by my ageing neighbour.

It has the usual elliptical shaped brake pads operated by calipers and
wire that I see on most other bikes like this but they make a horrible
squealing noise when applied a little.

I have tried resetting them but nothing works.
Local shop says it needs new pads but the pads are hardly worn.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,Dave

Find a really big mountain (that requires a lot of braking) and ride down it.
By the time you get to the bottom, the squealing will probably have stopped.

.. . . one way or the other . . . ;-)