Adjusting Brake Block Position To centre your brakes:

V-Brakes and Cantilever brakes (see diagram) have a centering screw which
To get maximum braking effectiveness you can turn using a cross-head screw driver. Tightening this screw increases the
tension on the spring inside the brake arm, moving the brake block away from
and to make the brake blocks last
the rim. Loosening the centering screw, decreases the tension on the spring, and
longer it’s important that the brake moves the block closer towards the rim.
blocks touch the rims in the right place
• Adjust the centering screw on each brake, turning it slowly and carefully until
when the brake is applied. you have an equal gap between the rim and the brake pad on each side.
Brake Block Alignment: With Caliper Brakes:
The brake blocks should be in the centre of • Simply grab the brake and twist the entire thing into position.
your rim. Not partially or wholly above the
Things to look out for: buckled wheels and a wheel that has not been inserted
rim where you risk them rubbing against the
centrally may also cause your brakes to rub.
tyre, or hanging below the rim.
The blocks should be parallel to the rim not pointing downwards or upwards.
To adjust the position of your brake blocks: Brake Cable Adjustment
On all three types of brakes you’ll find the brake blocks are secured to the
Brakes need to be Brakes can be made more effective by shortening
brake arms with a nut - this may be a standard nut that you can loosen with a
the brake cable, this increases the cable tension.
spanner, or a nut which requires an allen key. effective! You should
be able to fully apply There are two ways to adjust the cable length. . .
• Loosen the nut holding the block in place.
• With the brake applied (It helps to get a friend to hold on the brake the brake, stopping Adjusting the cable using the Barrel Adjuster:
you’re adjusting), ensure your brake blocks are in the correct place. the bike, long before Most Barrel Adjusters can be found on
• Hold the brake block firmly in place and tighten the nut in a series of short the brake levers meet the brake levers but some will be on
movements, rather than a long one - this makes it easier to keep the brake the handlebars. the brake itself. Unscrewing the barrel
block in position. adjuster increases the cable tension
Centering Brakes and makes brakes more responsive. If the brakes
are too close to the rims you can screw in the barrel adjuster, this decreases the
Ideally there should be an equal amount cable tension.
of space between the brake pad and the The barrel adjuster only allows for a limited amount of adjustment, often you
rim on each side of the wheel. This way need to take up more slack from the cable.
the wheel should spin freely without Adjusting the cable from the fixing bolt:
the brake blocks rubbing on one side. • On all three types of brakes loosen the cable fixing bolt (see diagrams for
You can check this by looking down on where this is on each type of brake).
the brake blocks from above. • Unscrew the barrel adjuster about half way.
the gap should be
the same on both • Pull the cable nice and tight
sides of the rim
• Hold the cable tight whilst screwing the fixing bolt back up again
• Then screw the barrel adjuster all the way in. A Guide to Adjusting Brakes
This should leave the brake blocks a few millimetres away from the rim,
giving quick and responsive braking.
Don’t worry if you follow these instructions and the adjustment is not perfect. This is not an exact How Brakes Work:
science and sometimes you’ll have to loosen or tighten the cable a bit more to get things just right. When you pull the brake lever, the force of you squeezing
Things to look out for: badly frayed or rusted cable should be replaced. is transferred down the brake cable and into the brake
arms, moving the brake arms and applying the brake pad
Replacing Brake Blocks onto the rim. The pads clamp onto the rim, stopping the
wheel from spinning.
Brake blocks usually have
a wear line indicator, but
Brakes need adjusting every
a good guide for knowing noodle
now and again, because brake
when to replace them housing stop
cable stretches and brake pads
is when the grip has cable fixing bolt wear down or need replacing.
worn out and definitely
before you get down to There are three different types
the metal! of braking systems on bicycles:
Caliper, Cantilever and V-type
centering
screw brakes.
To replace your brake blocks:
• Release the brakes from the cable tension: V-BRAKES
• With V-brakes push both arms together and release the L-shaped metal (aka direct pull cantilever)

thingy (officially called a “noodle”) from the housing stop - see diagram on cable fixing bolt barrel adjuster
the front of this leaflet for where this is. The brakes should spring open. pivot
straddle cable
• With Cantilever brakes squeeze the brake arms together and
release the end of the straddle cable with the metal knobble on.
• With Caliper brakes unscrew the cable fixing bolt. Most newer
Caliper brakes have a quick release fixing bolt which is helpful. for quick cable fixing
• Once you’ve released the brakes, unscrew the nut that holds the brake release of bolt - quick
straddle cable release version
blocks in place
centering
• Replace with new brake blocks (ensuring you keep the nuts and washers in screw
the same order as they were on the old blocks), reconnect the brake cable,
then adjust and tighten as explained previously. CALIPER BRAKES
CANTILEVER BRAKES (side pull variation)

Things to look out for: Each different kind of brake has different brake blocks,
be sure to replace with the right type of blocks for the braking system.
a short guide by