Tightening V breaks

[Danny]

As I have always used centre pull and calliper brakes, I find myself bemused about how to go about tightening up the V brakes on my son's bike.

Both Sheldon Brown and Park Tools imply that all you need to do to tighten the brakes is to use the adjusting screw on the brake levers.

Surely at some point you also have to start adjusting the cable at the brake end to make it tauter - or am I missing something?

 

[spandex]

The adjusting screw on the brakes are for when your on the road and need to tweak them. The thing to do is to screw the adjuster in all the way then get a 5mil alan key and undo the cable from the brake just a bit so you can move it. Then pull out all the slack so the brakes are tight upto the wheel then move the one on the side that your on out 5/6 mil. Do up the cable and test if its to much let out some more (ie 1, 2 mil) and retest. and so on....

 

[marinyork]

You do have to fiddle with the cable eventually but it's surprising what you can get done by adjusting the distance and angles of the pads and holders and levers.

I've never been an expert at doing it at all but even the most inept person can get big efficiency gains (whilst still not being at 100% strength).

 

[marinyork]

I find I have to change the angle of the break pads to the rim every couple of months.

 

[hodsgod]

Spandex has it 100% right.

The adjuster on the cable is just for adjustment, when you are close to using up all the adjustment, pull some more cabe through and start again.
Don't forget the cables become too long for two reasons usually, one is brake wear, the other is cable stretch.

 

[spandex]

I find I have to change the angle of the break pads to the rim every couple of months.

If you put the new pads in right IE 2 mil off the bottom of the rim and are pointing in ( not up or down ) you dont need to move them
have a look at http://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-adjustment.html