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When they can't bleed the brakes on my MTB.....
I have a bike with Formula R1 brakes, no problem great stoppers, the one has developed a fault and locked the rear wheel needs a bleed. No problem, look online and think to myself no work stand or place to work on best bet is my local bike shop.
Now I know my local is always stupidly busy, I get that, but on the off chance I called, nope fully booked for 4 weeks. Ok I knew that was coming. So I called every and I mean every LBS in my area except the ones closed on Monday, yes they can fit it in but ah no we can't do those brakes. One shop claimed they could only do the newer shimano, I can do those myself!! I've called big chains Evans/Cycle Surgery almost called Halfords decided against that.
The only place I can find is 40 miles away, so if anyone knows of a LBS Birmingham city center way that will bleed these brakes I have a 40 mile car journey to get these sorted.
They wonder why people buy from Merlin or Wiggle cheap shimano parts. Tempted to get some deores and swap the R1's out.
After much brake trouble on two bikes, I have learnt that Deores are the answer to everything. 😕
Two Wheels in Stourbridge are the first place that springs to mind, they have a good reputation though I suspect you might have a wait.
Fred Williams in Wolvo are also worth a shout though they are more road biased.
A final long shot is Bache Brothers in Lye, they've recently helped me out and I was quite impressed by them, no idea if they're up on Formula stuff though
It's always a problem when you need special tools and/or brand specific ones - which the R1's need.
R1s use the same bleed kits as avid (well, nearly, there's occasional incompatability depending on the shape of the adaptor). Should be standard kit for any bike shop surely? And they're childs' play to bleed.
If the brake's locked then you could have a crack at just relieving pressure via the brake caliper torq- not going to make it any worse. Must admit I'm slightly skeptical about the idea that they just need a bleed, if they're overpressured it more implies a piston fault but, this is where to start.
To be fair R1's are a bit of a nightmare to get working correctly if something does go ever so slightly wrong. Just buy XTR 😉
implies a piston fault
Would not be surprised on R1's. The pistons are tiny and don't like going in and out very straight at the best of times
A new set of Deore's would cost a similar amount to sorting your Formulas-hateful nasty things that they are!
Having said that, we would've sorted them without moaning, so it obviously wasn't us you spoke to..
Ben at http://venturebikes.com/ in Stirchley might be able to help you out? He's pretty decent.
we had a new customer in on Saturday with a XT that wouldnt bleed up, we decided it was a warranty issue as we have had the same problem before.
He then brought his R1's in and asked if we could fix these as they were his other brakes and were broken hence the XT's.
so half an hour later the R1's were fixed good as new. 🙂
He said "at last I've found a decent bike shop in the area"
made my day, Im still smiling now. And gloating a bit. 🙂
Ben at Venture Bikes should be able to sort you, tried him?
Goldenwonder whereabouts are you? I could list the LBS I've called bur t wouldn't be fair, I should of said I wanted the brakes sorted this week, but didn't get that far into any conversation, I will say fair play to one LBS who couldn't do it but suggested a rival LBS which was closed today.
Bens name did come up but they are closed today.
Well some tinkering done and the wheel isn't locked anymore, but im pretty sure its just a bleed it needs. Far too much pressure at the lever as in only 5mm of movement before its fully locked, while the front one acts more like my shimano a good bit of pull and you can drag them, no way of dragging the rear brake it will lock and skid, can't be skidding on the trails.
Sold all my Formulas and replaced with Shimano.
Much less brake tinkering in my life now.
Do it.
Shrewsbury, so probably a bit far out for you?
I dealt with too many customers last season with faulty Formula brakes. We then got a tech notice that many brakes had been filled with "assembly grease" during manufacturing. Damaged seals? We could not get the brakes working reliably... And that is with years of experience working on Hayes, Avid, Hope, magura, etc...
The answer? We sold slx at cost to customers after waiting weeks for Formula warranty support. Bear in mind a good number of these were brand new brakes on boxed bikes!
Scott's cycles Stratford Road
I tried scotts second as they are normally my fallback LBS but nope he hasn't got the kit to do them.
There used to be a great bike shop at Robin Hood but that's long gone, scotts is one of those proper bike shops.
Scott's had three boxed Girvin flexistems when I was in there a few weeks ago. Seems like a cracking guy.
Tried DAI at Merry Hill? You'd be surprised what they can work on.
Nothing wrong with Formulas IME.
But yeah, if you can do Avid, you can do Formula mostly.
I can bleed ANYTHING 🙂
you certainly can bleed anything, but whether the bleed will hold with damaged seals is another matter?
we saw perforated diaphragm's in Formula master cylinder and damaged piston seals in the calipers
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these "boxed" bike had sat on a cargo container ship for 6-8 weeks before making their way to the UK, not including the time the Italian made brakes had sat on a transport out to Taiwan where the bikes were assembled.
More than enough time for the 'assembly' grease to do its mischief!
A bad workman blames his tools, but if the "tools" are fracked then the workman can do nothing to assist 😉
but whether the bleed will hold with damaged seals is another matter?
Ohh yeah, very true. 🙂
Pretty easy to tell if its seals though. I'll be obvious after a bleed.
Venture bikes on Pershore Rd? Only used them for things like headsets and press fits, but cheap and fitted me in no issues.
Edit. Just seen the above. I'd recommend them still, though!
when-is-an-lbs-not-and-lbs
When It's 43 miles away in Guisborough but I still travel to use it?
OP your mistake is Formula brakes. I bought them once- fantastically machined etc but ****ing awful.
Just buy ugly SLX or XT's and enjoy brakes for braking.
Yeah they're just fobbing you off because they're formulas and they dont wanna see them again 2 weeks later! i had some on a new bike once, got rid but put them on a hack bike. whenever my LBS saw me roll in with that bike he would just say before anything else 'Brakes is it?' and he'd be correct.
Found somewhere a bit more "local" today only 7 miles away so not too bad, shop was shut yesterday so tried a few of those open today, and they can fit it in Thursday for me, so a result.
Surprised Pete at Scott's couldn't do them.
Tried [url= http://www.redkitecycles.co.uk ]Red Kite Cycles[/url] or [url= http://dynamicrides.co.uk ]Dynamic Rides[/url]?
Push the pads back in?
Yep pushed the pads, wheel is unlocked but the lever has no play, brakes on or off, unlike the front which I can drag the brake a little.
Redkite was a no, they can but booked solid, plus one of the mechanics on holiday, again normally my first stop for anything, local friendly service. Always stupidly busy if you want something doing that week. I do like Redkite tbh.
Dynamic I tried, as not too far again nope can't do those brakes can only bleed shimano, but fair play to them they gave me a lead who I contacted today Cult Cycles Earlswood tbh didn't know they were there so off there Thursday. Guy I spoke to on the phone really friendly said no problem, just need to work out what the issue is with them.
I've found with mine the trick is when you've done the end to end bleed with the syringes, you have to close the calliper off and pull the lever closed, and then pull the lever syringe under pressure a few times get get all the air out of the master cylinder,
When it's 56 miles away in Bath but I still travel to use it?