Adjusting brakes after inserting shims

[rayw1604]

Hi everybody,
I had an accident on my new bike (Ridgeback Horizon) a few days ago which shook me up, and from which I'm still recovering, which basically involved not being able to use my brakes effectively on a long, steep hill. I'm new to drop handlebars, and this inexperience alone may have been the cause of my lack of control. But I also believe that the brake levers are too far away from the bars for my small hands to be able to get sufficient purchase on them. So I want to at least have a go at inserting the Shimano shims which came with the bike and see if they improve things. My question is how would I adjust the dual pivot brakes afterwards, because the pads would then be too close to, if not rubbing on the tyre. I have got myself confused by all the information on the Internet about adjusting the brakes. As a newbie to DIY maintenance ( I never bothered with my last bike, but want to do things differently with the new one(boy, was my accident 'doing things differently' )), I need a clear, step by step explanation of what I should adjust and how and why.

Having said all that, I've just come across info that suggests that my Shimano Sora STI levers have an adjustment screw which does the same reach-reducing job, is this true? At the moment, the bike is in a locked shed out in the dark, and I am too sore and tired to go and check. If it is true(I can't remember seeing a screw), why were shims supplied?

As a postscript which amuses me in hindsight, I only discovered what the little black rubber jobbies were after the accident, while frantically looking into causes and remedies for the problem online. I then had to hunt high and low to find the discarded things.

Sorry if this is all a bit long and convoluted, but I have spent too long trying to find 'perfect' explanations online and am a bit tired and fed up. My cycling is now very important to me as a means of losing weight and improving my fitness, and I would be devastated to lose my confidence so much that I couldn't face picking myself up and getting on with things, but I really need help in understanding.

Thanks in anticipation,
Ray W.

 

[PpPete]

No adjuster on my Sora levers

Cable adjuster by the calipers? Back off the locknut so that you can turn the knurled ring clockwise.

If that's not enough adjustment and you don't have any inline adjusters you'll need to loosen off the cable itself.

 

[PpPete]

Ooops may not be a Locknut on these.
See Section 5 of http://www.tektro.com/04support/pdf/000907RX40-1.pdf

 

[rayw1604]

I'm at work and still haven't had a look at the brake levers again. But the pdf link is very useful. I'm probably worrying too much about the theory and it will be logically easier when I actually come to using the shims or whatever. Thanks Pete.

 

[buggi]

Perhaps getting your local bike shop to do it might be wise. I'm not sure how new to biking you are, or whether its just your new to drop handle bars but considering (a) how important brakes are (as you have found out to your detriment) and ( the fact that you are confused by all the information on the internet, then perhaps getting a professional to adjust them would be wise.

I'm not in any way trying to sound condascending or pratronising and i hope you don't take it like that but personally, for me, anything to do with stuff on the bike that actually stops it i leave to the professionals, especially as i'm not sure what i'm doing. I'm sure, at the same time, they wouldn't mind showing you for future reference.

 

[rayw1604]

Thank you, Buggi, I didn't take you advice any other way than that it was good advice , and if it really doesn't make sense, then the LBS will be my next stop very quickly. I am keen to have a go at my own maintenance, however, as I have always been a bit embarrassed at my seeming over-reliance on others to tell me how to do things(not just in cycling), so I would like to prove a point to myself. A big thanks anyway for your contribution.