It's that easy –

Adjusting the bicycle brake

It's that easy –

Adjusting the bicycle brake

Checking and adjusting the bicycle brake

With an eBike, you move quickly, accelerating faster with the support of the electric motor than with a conventional bicycle. This makes it all the more important to have properly functioning brakes. The maintenance and repair of disc and hub brakes should be carried out by experts, but you can take care of small jobs on the rim brake yourself. Find out here which simple tricks you can use to check and adjust your bicycle brake.

What types of bicycle brakes are there?

The higher the speed and the worse the weather conditions, the greater the challenge for your brakes. With increased use, wear and tear also increases. eBikes should be serviced at least once a year – the brake test is a part of every spring check!

  • Hydraulic disc brakes are used in particular on high-quality bikes such as eMountain bikes. Most Bosch eBikes also have disc brakes installed. Functional principle: Brake pads press on a disc mounted on the wheel's hub. Advantage: In wet conditions, the braking power is higher than with rim brakes. This makes eBiking a safe affair, especially off-road. Disadvantage: Disc brakes must be precisely adjusted and are also more expensive to repair and replace.
     
  • Rim brakes have a lower braking power than disc brakes, but are usually perfectly adequate for everyday riding. Provided they are not worn and still offer full braking power. Rim brakes are the most common form of bicycle brake and are also known as V-brakes and cantilever brakes. Functional principle: When you pull on the brake lever, the brake calliper on the front or rear wheel moves via a pulley. The two brake pads press against the rim from the outside, thus reducing the speed.
     
  • Coaster brakes are located in the rear wheel hub and are practically maintenance-free.
     
  • Drum brakes with a pulley are usually located in the front wheel hub. Like a rim brake, you can adjust this type of bicycle brake; however, repair and replacement are complicated and should be carried out by experts.

Did you know?

With the eBike ABS, Bosch has launched the first standard anti-lock braking system for eBikes on the market. We'll tell you where you can test an eBike with ABS here.

Did you know?

With the eBike ABS, Bosch has launched the first standard anti-lock braking system for eBikes on the market. We'll tell you where you can test an eBike with ABS here.

Checking and adjusting the rim brake

What to do if the rim brake drags or the braking power noticeably decreases? This may be due to the rim, which may need to be replaced. Check with your bicycle retailer. Or the problem is due to an incorrectly adjusted brake.

The brake pads must not be too close to the rim. When you pull the brake lever, they have to work quickly. If you let go of the brake lever, they should spring back on their own.

1. First, check the wear of the brake pads. The grooves in the surface of the brake pads should be clearly visible. Otherwise, they are too worn. You should also replace a damaged brake cable.

2. Adjusting the bicycle brake: On the brake lever you will find an adjusting screw. Turn it anticlockwise a little and the lock nut clockwise back towards the brake handle. This shortens the brake cable, and you have to pull the brake lever less to brake.

3. It is possible that the brake lever can still be pressed too far. Then the problem is probably the brake calliper. Screw the adjusting screw on the handlebar back in completely and check the position of the brake pads. They must be able to drag against the rim, with the largest possible surface exactly in the centre. With an Allen key, you can adjust the position of the brake pads and replace them if they are too worn.

The rim brake is still dragging? Then this may be caused by too small a distance between the brake pad and rim. The distance should be about the thickness of a thin coin. You can change the distance by holding the brake cable and loosening the screw at the top of the calliper with a 5mm Allen key to move the brake cable. If the distance between the brake pads was too big, you have to tighten the brake calliper.

Checking and adjusting the disc brake

Hydraulic disc brakes must be checked regularly and the brake system bled and filled if necessary. What to do if the disc brake no longer brakes properly or is dragging? The brake disc could be slightly bent, causing the brake pads to drag while riding. You're better off contacting an expert who's got all the right tools and the necessary know-how.

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