Strange Triban 3 brake problem - pictures.

[Globalti]

This is the rear brake on my son's Triban 3, which was damaged in a nasty accident last week.

Now I've been fettling bikes for almost 50 years and there isn't much I can't fix so this has got me flummoxed - the RH brake arm seems to be distorted so that the brake pad doesn't reach the rim properly and there's no more room in the slot to move it downwards. Eventually it's going to contact the tyre and wear the bead away so I need to get it right.

Anybody got any suggestions for a remedy? Can somebody with the same bike compare this brake with their own and tell me if they think it may have got distorted in the crash? There are no signs of damage to the finish as you would expect if it hit a rock or a tree and anyway damage was confined to the front end of the bike.

I guess I could take it back to Decathlon and complain but it's a 70 mile drive to Stockport and back or 45 miles to Bolton and back through the traffic of Darwen and when they see the replacement STIs and wheels they will know the bike has been crashed and will use that as an opt-out... I guess.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I could only summise it must have been bent in the crash, (presuming all was well with it before).

The calipers, (as you'll know), are only cheap units, generic mass produced items just with b:twin on them.

If you don't fancy having a crack at Decathlon over it I think your only option is a replacement one.

I personally wouldn't try and straighten it due to metal fatigue.

Hope your lads recovering well

 

[Deleted member 23692]

Looks to me like it's slightly out of shape too. Might be worth comparing it side be side with the front brake (assuming it's the same model).

 

[defy-one]

It doesn't look distorted from your picture. I know i'm teaching you to suck eggs here,but is the frame square with the wheel properly seated in it's mount?
Could be the frame has distorted and now the caliper looks out?

 

[Globalti]

I have checked; there's no damage to the frame and the wheel is straight in the rear triangle. Comparing the brake with the front one, it does look as if the RH leg is slightly bent inwards.

 

[defy-one]

Upgrade to a 105

 

[Globalti]

I've got my eye on some Sora brakes on Eblag for £30.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Have you got another short-reach caliper you can test fit - that would tell you for certain if the issue is with the caliper or not..?

 

[jay clock]

do you have another bike with caliper brakes?whip the rear one off and see how it goes.If it works ok, it is probably bent somehow

 

[black'n'yellow]

whoa, deja vu...

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

It may just be the photo but it looks like there's a lot more pad wear on the LH side, suggesting that the brake may have been askew for a while. If you loosen the quick release, can you swivel the brakes round to a more horizontal position?

 

[Globalti]

The pads are unworn. I've tried swivelling the brake caliper. Going to mess around with the little grub screw this afternoon.

 

[wisdom]

Could the bolt that goes through the frame be bent slightly.
If it is it would lift one side of the calliper and give you the position you have in hte photo as effectively it would not sit square on the rim.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Took a look at the lad's and on his 650 wheeled version there's not much room for adjustment, but there is just enough.

 

[Globalti]

Cracked it! Amazing isn't it how the brain works on problems if you leave it alone for a while!

I'm relatively new to road bikes so haven't encountered this problem before. I reckoned that the imbalance must have something to do with the little grub screw on top of the RH brake leg so I had a fiddle with that. It was sticking right out so I screwed it in, which had the effect of altering the relationship between the three components of the brake. Then I had to re-centre the caliper in the frame and let out some cable and.... hey presto! Look at the photos below. You can see that the brake pads are now at the same height on the rim and that on the right is now showing about 1 mm of braking surface above it when the brake is applied - not brilliant as I'd like more but I will keep an eye on the pads as they wear.

For comparison I've re-posted my first pic of the squiffy pads.