If You Want Something Done Right...

I just completed my first real true bike repair and the high is beyond words.

While fixing a bike may on first blush appear easy because of its relatively simple design, it is truly a reflection of Newton's law of motion (to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction). Thus any tweak you make will likely result in another tweak...triangulation at its best.

I've been riding my touring bike a bit to make sure it's ready for my trip to Italy this week. For as long as I can remember, my back brake keeps sticking/won't release properly. It often results in the brakes rubbing against the wheel rim, which is never good because it creates resistance and requires more effort. I was always blaming it on my rear rack/which seemed to interfere with the brake's movement. However, the brake still doesn't work correctly even with the rack off, which kills this theory. This weekend I was at Dr. Ed's place making a few last minute adjustments to the bike and he noticed a problem with the brake as well. I needed to head home so I told Ed I'd take care of the brake on my own.

The issue with these brakes is that they are cantilever brakes which have a ton of adjustment points and can get very frustrating because of their relative complexity. I've admittedly tried to fix them several dozen times to no avail. I've even brought them to several bike shops which have kind of half fixed them and talked me into the fact they are fixed.

This morning I became a man on a mission. I studied the front brake action, which works perfectly, and then compared it to the back. Long story short, I finally identified the issue but then I had to figure out a way to fix it. I took the brake off the bike, disassembled it and studied the mechanism. About halfway through I wanted to cry and bring it to my bike shop but I persevered. I finally figured out how to make the adjustments that were needed and now it works like a charm. I can honestly say the amount of satisfaction I have right now is incredible.

Hopefully this is a good omen for the trip.