I keep my bikes in a store room that is below street level. A water main just outside my building burst and the storeroom has been really badly affected by damp, with my bikes being right under the massive damp patch.

I have just bought a hardtail that I’ve been riding a lot recently and somewhat neglecting my trusty old yeti 575. Today i’ve had to move all the bikes as the room will be left open to dry out.

When i went to move the yeti the brake pads were seized up on the rotors. I squeezed the brakes and the rotors pads loosened but i’ve saw fluid leak from the bleed ports on levers.

I think that with the extremely damp atmosphere (mould had formed on my grips and saddle) may have rotted the little rubber seals on the bleed ports but why would that make my brakes seize up?

Do i have to replace brakes or maybe just the bleed seals.

Avid juicy sevens.

It would seem quite likely. Water can make rubber seals rot and perished if left for long periods of time. One of the reasons only specific brake fluids are used is so it can be used in brakes for long periods of time without the worry of the rubber components rotting.

Probably not done the rotors much good if the rust is deeper than the surface.

no rust on rotors, or anywhere to be honest, but i still can’t work out why the rotting of the seals would push the pistons on to the rotors.

can’t work out why the rotting of the seals would push the pistons on to the rotors.

I had this with my old Avids. Spoke to mechanic at LBS about it. Reason he gave?

“Avids”.

Helpful, thanks.

^ : To be fair to your mechanic that’s pretty much what i say, followed by a shrug of the shoulders.

DOT 5.1 fluid in Avids does absorb water over time. I’ve only noticed it over the course of a year or so (I sometimes need to let some fluid out in order to get new brake pads to fit) but I suppose keeping them in a damp room for a long time could accelerate this?

More likely to be corrosion in the seal grooves than water rotting the seals that’s caused them to seize, aluminium oxide is more bulky than aluminium itself, so any corrosion in there will tighten the seals on the pistons.

Add the fact your pads are quite probably sintered which means the metal particles will of caused an electrolytic reaction – very similar to a car being left out for a while in damp conditions.

The same thing happened to my Dad’s bike, which is stored in a dry garage. But only the rear one seized… and seized repeatedly following LBS bleeds trying to sort the problem. The reason? ‘Avid Juicies’. He’s now swapping to slx.