Squealing brakes please help.

[k turner]

Had my bike 2 1/2 weeks now. Taken it back to the shop twice, sold car, cant take it back anymore because I cant cycle that far yet.

Brakes started squealing on the first wet day about a week and a half ago. Neighbour toed them in. Said the residual squealing would stop as they bedded in as it was all still new.

They have not stopped and today in the rain were worse than ever. I have to get off and walk down the hills or the people will start complaining as I have a pony to see to at 6am, on the outskirts of the houses.

I have used GT85 on the rims twice now to clean any dirt off, but this only seemed to work temporarily on the back.

What can I do? This is now getting urgent and I dont know if I should let the neighbour have another go? (apparently cyclilng 40yrs??)

 

[HJ]

Toeing them usually works if you want to give it a try your self see Sheldon Brown, you could also try changing to Kool Stop salmon blocks...

 

[k turner]

I may try having a look myself and try him again as well.

Why are they worse in the rain? Neighbour said salmon ones dont work.

They seem to have been suggested to solve this problem in a lot of places on the internet.

 

[djb1971]

GT85 is not meant to be used for rims , it may have contaminated your pads. It's used for lubrication. You need a degreaser to clean the rims and blocks. Lubrication will make them squeal and lessen their braking efficiency ( ruins pads).

Kool stop pads are excellent, you can get them in the salmon or 50/50 pad with the harder wearing black rubber. They may need a large toe in angle, especially on the front.

What bike is it? Is it cyclocross type bike? and what brakes?

 

[k turner]

Ladies Apollo crosscountry - not my choice. Normal brakes with black pads. The shop told me to do everything with the spray.

What do I clean the rims with?

 

[fossyant]

I am afraid it will be the cheap pads and cheap brake parts - my wife's bike squeaks - don't worry about it - cars make more noise. Your rims will also be new, so not worn in. Don't worry about the noise, cars starting make more than that.

My MTB does it a bit in the wet, but what the hell.

 

[djb1971]

the pads and rims will need degreasing and maybe a light rub on the braking surfaces with a scotchpad or a light grit wet n dry paper if you've used gt85.

The pads may be beyond repair if they've been soaked in lube. V brakes and cantilever brakes can squeal when wet but they just need the pads toed in.

There was a discussion recently on degreasing rims/pads:

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=15665

 

[djb1971]

the link shows how to angle/toe in pads

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=21

 

[k turner]

I will read those articles on toeing in and see if he has done it properly. I watched him do it and he explained everything.

I only used a little of that 85 stuff on a cloth to get the dirt off, the brakes are still working fine. Just noisy.

I think I should record it for you all to hear, you can hear it at least two roads away, especially early morning when everything is quiet and there arent any cars on the road.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[HLaB]

Another link if your interested, bicycletutor. He does great vids, it helps me sometimes to visualise it.

 

[Paulus]

As a de-greaser you could use a little white spirit on a piece of rag to clean the rims and then a clean rag to dry them off and remove any leftover muck. It could be that the brake blocks have gone hard and no amount of toeing in will help. Buy some new ones, Aztec blocks are pretty good.

 

[k turner]

I have saved the bicycle tutor link to read later.

I washed the wheels with washing up liquid this morning, and it still squealed. I let the chap over the road do it again this afternoon, and it is finally fixed. One brake was not letting go, and they were not centered. He also commented that the pads were cheap ones, he roughed them up to help give them grip as well.

Hopefully the end of the problem and I can go out early morning again now. I will buy some better pads and have him change them one day soon.

Thanks for all the help.,

 

[djb1971]

Glad you can sneak about in the early hours again

 

[fossyant]

Your chap over the road is a gem - get him on here !!!

 

[k turner]

HELP. It only stopped for one ride.

Today it was raining and the noise was back to a very, very, loud squealing again.

Any ideas? Surely buying new brakes for a brand new bike is crazy.