ericmark
Senior Member
- Location
- Llanfair Caereinion, Mid Wales.
The bike from Halfords was cheap £175, however it did what I wanted, to get out with camera so exercise and ability to stop anywhere to take pictures.
However first time brakes had a problem, really caught me out, they had been so good, then came to anchor on and only slowed me down gently no matter how hard I pulled on leaver, so inspection found same system as some tractors where two plates with tapered groves with ball bearings counter rotate so ball bearing forces them to expand, however thickness of ball bearing is the maximum, so no amount of pulling on lever will open them further.
This means as you ride day to day the brakes so no sign of being out of adjustment they work fine for normal slowing, but anchor on and there is simply no more.
Had it coming down Symonds Yat could slow down but not stop, quite frighting, burnt fingers when trying to adjust when I did stop, and disc went blue. After this was careful to adjust on regular basis, then the disc actually popped out, two bike shops in Shotton, neither had replacement, Halfords in Chester had to order them in, easy enough to replace, and I now have a spare set, however not so keen on disk brakes now, and see no real guide as to when they should be replaced, clearly before they pop out, but can't see any guide as to when wear is too much.
I don't know if hydraulic are better, I would assume less of a problem with adjustment? but can they pop out? Pads are Clarks VX
no tag on them, Halfords guy had a problem finding them, most seem to had a tag on them, and it seems with tag still called VX these are VX840C it seems the C is important.
Not much I can do, stuck with them, and just have to be careful, wonder if there is an actual instruction manual?
However first time brakes had a problem, really caught me out, they had been so good, then came to anchor on and only slowed me down gently no matter how hard I pulled on leaver, so inspection found same system as some tractors where two plates with tapered groves with ball bearings counter rotate so ball bearing forces them to expand, however thickness of ball bearing is the maximum, so no amount of pulling on lever will open them further.
This means as you ride day to day the brakes so no sign of being out of adjustment they work fine for normal slowing, but anchor on and there is simply no more.
Had it coming down Symonds Yat could slow down but not stop, quite frighting, burnt fingers when trying to adjust when I did stop, and disc went blue. After this was careful to adjust on regular basis, then the disc actually popped out, two bike shops in Shotton, neither had replacement, Halfords in Chester had to order them in, easy enough to replace, and I now have a spare set, however not so keen on disk brakes now, and see no real guide as to when they should be replaced, clearly before they pop out, but can't see any guide as to when wear is too much.
I don't know if hydraulic are better, I would assume less of a problem with adjustment? but can they pop out? Pads are Clarks VX
Not much I can do, stuck with them, and just have to be careful, wonder if there is an actual instruction manual?
Last edited: