BRAKES: Brake Rubbing

If your brakes are rubbing on the rims, follow these steps.

1) First, make sure the wheel is centered in the dropout. You can do this with 3 easy steps:

• Open the quick release (on woom 4, 5, 6), so the wheel is detached from the bike frame.
• Lift the bike frame up and then allow gravity to assist in pushing the wheel firmly back into the dropout.
• Ensure the wheel is centered and close the quick release. 

2) From there, you need to adjust your V-brake. When you pull on your brakes, often one side is moving while the other is stationary, and the goal is to get them to pull evenly. The side that is moving has too much tension, so you loosen the screw (featured in the video) a quarter turn at a time to bring the pad toward the rim. The side not moving doesn’t have enough tension, so you tighten the screw a quarter turn at a time to bring the pad away from the rim. Repeat until the brake arms pull evenly when the lever is pulled.

For a deep dive into braking issues and for more visuals and diagrams, check out our blog post:  "Gimme A Brake: Common Rim Brake Problems and How to Solve Them"

We now have the ability to host virtual consultations! If interested in speaking with one of our certified technicians, contact us with photos or a short video clip of your braking issue and we will follow up and set up a consultation.