Hi, my brakes are too soft(i.e levers almost touch bars when pulled). Can someone tell me how to adjust them to the correct ‘biting’ point?

Thanks in advance

🙂

What brakes are they?

probbers need bled

mine (shimano lx) were like that until I bled them – yet to try them in anger but the feel improved by just pulling on the lever

does the lever start off close to the bar? needs adjusting. Is the travel long before it bites? Could need bleeding or could be sticky pistons. Does the lever feel soft all the way thru its travel? Needs bleeding

soft and squidgey?
or just too much to pull?

if the are hydraulic, and squidgey, they need a bleed
if they are hydraulic and not squidgey, but pull to far, the read adjuster us normally on the lever, 2mm allen key on the inside of the lever to wind out the lever from the bushing.

if they are cable, probably had ure cable slip, in which case undo the cable at the caliper, tighten it up, and nip it back up again.

exact answer would require brake model, and more objective symptoms?

Formula Oro , it sounds like they need bled then …..which is a problem as i have no idea how to do that 🙁

Are the levers just coming back to the bars? Have you wound the lever adjust all the way in?:

Recessed into lever blade on right had side of this pic, 2mm allen key head.

Oro lever feel is a bit spongey. The plus side is you get oodle of modulation.

Otherwise, Formulas are a bit of a pain to bleed I’m afraid.

🙁 🙁 thanks anotherdeadhero, i’ll fiddle about and no doubt get nowhere 🙁

btw, that sounded like i was knocking your advice ADH, which i wasn’t, it’s just i’m useless with brakes !

How old are the pads? You could just new new ones

Yeah, have a look how much pad material you’ve got left and check your hoses for kinks.

IME you only need a bleed if the lever is pulling itself away from the bars when they get hot (i.e. dragging them down a descent, indicative of air in the system).

If they need a bleed you need this:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=19608
… and some DOT 4.

Formula’s bleeding instructions are pretty good. But you don’t need to yank on the syringe too much to get air on the caliper, just give it a tap as you pull on the plunger, then cycle the fluid between the syringes a few times, then repeat pulling on the caliper syringe until no air is pulled from the line. If you pull too much, air will creep roudn the o-ring and you’ll be there all night wondering where all this air has come from.

Also, make sure you don’t loose the tiny o-ring from behind the caliper bleed nipple when you remove it.

If you don’t have a full set of Torx keys, you’ll need some like this:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=13251

the brakes have never been used….

the brakes have never been used….

So they most certainly need a bleed.
You can get away buy putting the bleed valve/hole vertical and press the lever a few times… Use to work with hope not sure about formula though.

AHHHH!!
well
if they are new brakes, pump the lever, lots.
to bring the pads up to the rotor.
after 10 pumps or so the pistons should reset to the rotor?
they probabaly just havent settled yet if they are brand new?

Right, you just need to adjust the lever bit point then, twiddle adjuster indicated in pic. Then go get some heat into them.

The lever feel is spongy. Don’t worry about it, just ride them, they feel ace in use, especially in dicey conditions where some modulation comes in handy. You can force feed them fluid to firm them up, but if you want super direct lever feel, bin them and get some hayes …

So they most certainly need a bleed.

Rubbish!