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Sheepdog's Brake Guide
By Sheepdog 

Foreword

As a veteran of brake tuning I have learned to many tricks and tips to brake dialing over the years I hope this guide will show you all you will need to know. This guide has been years in the making, and I feel now is a good time to spew all I know on the subject, so you don't have to go through what I and many others have.

This guide details the proper setup of front and rear brakes. Including Gyro, dual cable (London Mod*) setups, ways to make adjustment easier, and more beneficial. I do not claim that any or all of it will be cheap to do. I try to give pricing estimates where I can. I also cannot guarantee your brakes will work like mine, well I pretty much can, but lets face, some people are just not mechanically inclined.

Even seasoned veterans can gain from this guide. I recommend reading as much as possible. Its very long, with loads of pictures. By the time you are done, you should be a master with brakes. I do not pretend that this guide is complete as I will add to it when I learn something new. If you know of a trick to add, please send it in so we may add to it.

While I consider this to be the definitive guide, it is a work in progress. All opinions in here are just that, opinions. So if a company thinks I am ripping on them, they can blow me, I can easily back up all statement with simple demonstrations.

*Note - From here on out it will only be referred to as dual cable. Dual cables have been around since the first Gyro's, I refuse to refer to it by someone's brand name, no matter what their reason for the name is. No offense to Odyssey or whomever claims to have invented it.

-----------------------------------------------------

General bullshit safety statement..  Anything you see, copy, try or do here, or anywhere for that matter are at your own risk Working and riding a  bike is dangerous, if you have not figured that out yet, your a dumb son of a bitch who should take up needle point, and wear thick gloves when you do it In other words, don't blame me..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Menu

Top - Parts Selection - Install - Adjustment - Tips, Tuning and Troubleshooting - Dual Cable Systems - Front Brakes - Gyro/Oryg & King Headsets - Wrap Up

 

First things first. Parts selection.

Lever - Cables - Straddle Cable - Gyro/Oryg - Brakes - Brake Pads

Parts in your system are key to a good working and low maintenance setup. Do not skimp on your brake system, as you will only work on it more often and become frustrated. Lets start with the lever,

Levers

 Pretty much any will do. Dia-Compe tend to stay tight in the hinge longer than others and are extremely strong. Odyssey you can actually get parts to rebuild and freshen them up. Dia-Tech has a ton of styles. Just try and get one that feels good and will survive a few crashes and does not flex bad when pulled.

 

Cables

 

People tend to go cheap here. This is a bad place to skimp, especially since your only saving 2 or 3 dollars. Get something thick and/or a decent brand name. Odyssey, Dia-Compe, Giant and Shimano all make good cables. Generic cables are often just that. Generic. Pay attention to the housing as well as inner wire. That $1.50 cable from Kmart, Wal-Mart, etc.. is not going to be the same as one of the above stated ones. Go to your local shop and get a good one. It does make a difference. They never feel as good, and do not last as long. They tend to snap at the worst possible time.

I have been doing brakes for a long time, I have tried literally hundreds of brake systems and setups (seriously), watched fads come and go,  cheap cables are one of  your worst enemies. Some people will argue this 'till they are blue in the face. The argument usually ends with them riding my bike and trying my brakes. After that they usually end up coming to me to dial theirs and get advice on upgrades. That may sound conceited, but trust me on this. You need to invest in good cables (good brakes and pads too, but we will get to that shortly).

Stainless cables. These are great, they do not stretch as much and are very strong, however they have one major flaw. When you pinch them in some pinch bolts on your brakes, after once or twice the strands will start to break. The good news is that by following this guide, you won't need to worry about that, since you won't be messing with your brakes often at all once you are done.

Gyro Cables. A good Gyro/Oryg setup is not cheap, but can outperform single cable when built right, and require less maintenance. SST cables are smoother than Odysseys but honestly, they both suck. You need a you need an aftermarket cable setup to get the most out of a Gyro/Oryg setup.

Primo Pervert. While not great, when it was released was a jump in the right direction. Its design is a bit dated now.  I won't cover its install or adjustment as I feel its outdated and pretty straight forward. If you have used a Gyro/Oryg for a while, you can figure it out. I will tell you run it as close to your lever as possible, people tend to do the opposite, and that's wrong. Primo really needs to improve the instructions on this. Basically you want to minimize as much single cable as possible. Its useless on bottom, as dual cable is easier and cheaper to hookup.

Dual cables.

 First of all, let me say, anyone claiming dual cable has more friction, is full of shit and has never tried it. Stock cables are horrible. The splitters are full of friction. SST and Odyssey put Teflon in the cables, but leave the aluminum bare in the splitters, and it causes a lot of friction. Not to mention, the cables bend all over trying to get to the splitter. Then people tie the splitter down to avoid noise, only making the cable problem worse.

Dual cables are straighter, and more direct, therefore less friction. They also have less stress, stretch, flex and offer more adjustability. Each arm is adjusted separately instead of together. With a small trick you can make the adjustable together and separately (yes, I will show you how).

I do not recommend stock cables. I do not run them, and frankly never plan to ever again. Dual is cheaper, easier, and works better.

Dual upper cable systems. If your running a Gyro/Oryg with stock cables, you do not have any clue what  you are missing. If you are running a standard lever get a hold of a Dragonfly Gemini Cable. Ask your local Kink dealer, or call Kink, to find out where you can get one. If you are running Odyssey Modulevers, you already should be using the dual upper cables.

Derailleur cables for lower dual cable systems. These have some good and bad points for dual cable systems. They simplify things at the gyro assembly later as you will see later on. However be aware, they are usually about 15% thinner than a regular brake cable, and sometimes the ends are not secured as well as a brake cable, since they are not designed for the amount of stress a brake cable is subjected to. However, you are using two so stress is much less than a single brake cable. I know people do it, I have as well, but I still recommend regular and oversize for this application whenever possible. I am not saying they are wrong, but I am not saying they are right for the job either. Use at your own discretion and against my advice.

Straddle Cables and Systems. People do some weird things here. As do some companies. All have good and bad points.

Type Picture Good Bad
Traditional Cheap, curves the cable gently, easy to get, light. Comes with many brakes. The standard. The bend is not always optimal until it works in a bit.
Odyssey Cheap. Comes with Evolvers.  Doubles as an adjuster for Evolvers. Heavy. Curves the cable over a sharp edge, small pinch bolt can damage the cable.
Chain/Frankenbraker No stretch, or flex. Can be cheap if you make it yourself. Heavy, can cause the main cable to sag. Have to modify almost ever brake to use.
Spokes Sorry, no pic of this. They are rare and crude. Hopefully they stay that way. Ghetto. No stretch, or flex. Can be cheap if you make it yourself. Crude. Not very reliable, or accurate. pain in the neck. Slight modification of brakes necessary.
Avid Light, allows more precise adjustment. Hard to find, curves the cable tight, small pinch bolts can damage the cables.

 

 

Gyro and Oryg Systems

Odyssey Gyro The original. Though it has gone through some revisions. notably, the rounded ends (Yeah!!!). Some also have down turned ends. They seem to spin better than the SST units. The newer lower cable stops fit over frames better too. Basically they have a better quality bearing than SST, but use a non standard barrel adjuster. which has good and bad points. Installation is a bit better and easier, but they are non-standard. So if you run a Gyro stem on top, you will have large adjusters on bottom, and small on top. I prefer to keep them all the same.

Some models fit over King headsets, some don't. The models change quickly and I cannot keep up with them, since you only have one choice at a time usually. Check below for how to make one fit a larger headset.

Gyro GTX

A new design. They work good, however you can buy 2 Gyros, or  3 Oryg's for the price of one of these. They look awesome, offer more adjustability. They also use the smaller barrel adjusters. A bit late to the market, but the wait was worth it. they spin smooth. I recommend it for dirt jumpers as you guys tend to get dirt into gyros easier than street guys. However, I do not recommend it at all unless your bike is ALL TOP OF THE LINE. A regular Gyro is fine. Concentrate on other things before spending your money on one of these.  These also fit Over King headsets without modification (Yeah!!!).
SST Oryg This is actually very close to the first Gyro's. Why because Brian Scura designed both. SST is his own company. This is modeled after the original design. Which still works well. Newer Gyro's actually work better for a few reasons. However, these come with standard size barrel adjusters (good) but cause trouble installing (bad), better cables than the Odyssey Gyro though, but why would you want stock cables, they suck.. They work fine, and can save you some money as the price is a bit less than Gyro's. These do not fit over King and other large headsets, however, they can be modified to. Check below for how to make one fit a larger headset.
If you cannot tell, I prefer the Odyssey center bearing unit, and SST cable stops. I actually only use the lower as I prefer to use a Gyro Friendly stem, eliminating the top plate. The stem, uses smaller adjusters by the way. Most people never know the difference, but then, their the ones with the brakes that almost always run terrible. The more you know about brakes, the more you will be able to dial them.

Stems and frames with Gyro tabs are great! They allow you to lower your stem, and have less flex than stock cable stops. They are also often slotted. Allowing easier assembly and disassembly. Making the larger barrel adjusters not needed, which is good since most use smaller barrels. Be aware of this if you buy a gyro with stock cables, and sometimes, the adjusters are not interchangeable on the cables they come with. Which means you will be buying a new cable as soon as you pull it out of the box :(. Check before you leave, as some shops will swap it for you if you need it.

If you have one put on at a shop, and have built-in cable stops, ask them BEFORE you have them install it, or you may be buying cables. I know it sounds cheap, but remember, most shop employees are just like you. They learn by doing and many do not even know how to tune a Gyro, much less realize there will be a problem. I am not excusing them, but that's life. Employees work for cheap just for the honor of working in a shop. My advice, read this guide, and do it yourself, but remember to  ask for the other cable only if you need it!

 

Brakes

Here we go, now we get to the interesting part. You probably skipped to this didn't you. I suggest you read the parts before it as well. Especially cables.

Brakes have a huge impact on braking (duh!)  as well as how much maintenance you will be doing to keep your brake dialed. Some brakes hold their settings better than others. Some are easier adjust than others. Any brake has the potential to work great though (well damn near any).

Side Pulls/Caliper brakes. I am sure most of you know what these are. They come on cheap Kmart/Wal-Mart bikes, but they used to be standard on everything. Run from them as fast as possible. They suck. Plain and simple. You can get them to work well with some of my tips, but the last guy I told how to get his working well are no longer working. They worked so well, the arms snapped off. They are crap, but back in the day, it was all we had. The moral is, you can make any brake grab, the question, is can it handle it. Sidepulls cannot. By the way, its  usually the center bolt snaps before an arm.

V-Brakes. You have seen them on mountain bikes and race bikes. Why not street. Two reasons. One, they can stick out and snag you at the worst time. Two, as the above brakes, they cannot handle the stress of street. Don't get me wrong, they work great, but the posts and the way the posts are mounted are not up to the task. For a race bike or MTB they rule. Shimano rules this market. XTR's have been THE brake to own for years, and for good reason. XT's are almost just as good. New LX is right up there now too. Anything else is just a substitute, don't try to fool yourself.. As has been said though, you can get any brake to work decent though. its only how much time, money, and effort you are willing to spend.

U-Brakes. These started on mountain bikes.  Then V-brakes became the norm. Just as u-brakes started catching on in bmx, U-brakes were dead for  mountain bikes. Since Shimano did not really do much for BMX, they stopped making their wonderful U-brakes. They are still around, but they have been out of production for going  on 15 years. Dia-Compe still makes theirs, and has become the standard for U-brakes. Those that remember, still long for Shimano's though.

Since the Shimano's demise many U-brakes have sprung up. Some good, some not so good. The newcomer in it, is Odyssey. They did their homework though. They based theirs off the Shimano U-brake heavily and for good reason. The first batch had a tolerance problem, but that appears to be over. if you have a set of the old ones, and they mess up, send them in. Odyssey has great customer service.

If you have a brake I do not recommend, or is not on the list, do not fret. We can still get it to work well, but keep this list in mind next time you have some money and are willing to spend it on brakes.

Lets take a look at what's out there for U-Brakes.

Type Summary
Shimano

No longer available. But oh so nice. Spring adjustment is odd, as you put them on, and rotate them, then lock them down. That's it! Great leverage. Lighter than they look.  Beware of the cheapie model. Shimano had several models. One was steel plates with molded plastic around them. They work good, but weigh an awful lot. Most of these are gone, as the plastic got damaged. Look for Exage (silver) or the rare XT's (black). I have seen people buy whole bikes just for these brakes (me included, I paid $15, then sold it with a  generic brake for $80 a week later). These convert to dual pinch bolt for dual cables  really easy. See below.

The King of U-brakes, too bad he's dead.

Dia-Compe 990's
Oldest U-brake on the market. A bit tough to adjust, but once adjusted, you will not mess with it again. The pads are held extremely tight. Comes with good pads. Weird front  brake adapter though. A 990 properly adjusted can challenge any brake for the crown for power. If you are willing to spend a bit of time learning how to dial these, you will be happy with them. Since it will probably be the last time you mess with them for a long time.

This is bulletproof braking at its best. Possibly the King of U-brakes.

Odyssey Evolver
The new kid on the block. A really nice brake. Loads of options. Comes with great pads. Excellent leverage. Easy to adjust and dial. It even comes with 2 sets of springs, and instructions, that are better than almost any other out there (still lacking in my opinion). Certain pads have trouble gripping these so the pad moves. Its not the brakes fault though, as you will see in the pad section and during install. Some people are also claiming the spring adjuster slips a occasionally. A little extra strength when tightening fixes that though. These are easy to get great braking out of. A little extra care and few tricks  when installing makes them even better. If you cannot find a Shimano, or dial a 990, or just need the new cool parts, this is your brake.

If its not the King, its leading a hell of a revolution.

Dia-Tech 996  Hombre
Not a bad brake for the money. Easy to adjust, but tends to fall out of adjustment quickly. Horrible springs. Turn the spring adjuster too far one time and you'll be buying new springs. Crappy pads toss them. They flex a bit, but if you need a brake and your on a budget, these are not bad to have. However, by the time you buy good pads, you would have spent more than a 990 (its only about $3 more for a 990 as it is), or been about $3 short of an Evolver, that comes with better pads than both of those. Braking power is ok, as they flex a bit more than the brakes mentioned above. These can be great brakes, but you can buy better brakes for less by the time you get them working decent.

Dia-Tech 996  Hombre with Fiesta Pack

The Fiesta pack adds different pads, and aluminum low profile spring plates and lower bolts to the Hombre. If you have the chain clearance, save the money and buy the regular Hombre. Use the money to get better pads. This brake has all of the previous problems, except it now has  lighter, lower spring plates. For the same price you can get 990's, and by the time you buy pads, you would have spent more than an Evolver. Unless you need chain clearance, and are on a budget, I would stay away from these.
Tektro FS20
Worst springs you will ever see. Its rare to see an older FS20, since the springs break after an adjustment or two. The Hombre is just as cheap. Get that instead. or spend $3 more and get a 990. The pads, are just junk as well. As for its braking. Mush is a good way to describe it.

 

Brake Pads

Here is another place people disregard. Thinking what ever comes with the brakes will work great. WRONG! There are many , many pads out there, unfortunately most people never experiment at all with them. When I was a flatlander, there were times I had more types of pads than the local shop. In fact, I still do, I think.

I am amazed at the lack of experimentation there is in brake pads. Yet people constantly bitch about how bad their brakes are. Shops are not much help. I asked and asked the local shop to order me a certain set of pads for a year! No, I did not pay for them up front, but I was regular and even knew the managers, and had done this with several other parts. Fact was, they felt a pad is a pad. I did eventually get them, after I became a manager there. We also sold countless numbers of those pads, when the former manager could hardly move pads. There were times I could not keep them in stock. I had 25 on order (a lot for a small shop) and half were claimed in 2 days, while they were en route! Its not like we were short on pads, we were just out of those ones.

Once you find a good pad, let your friends know, and make sure the shops know, that way you can be sure to have them available. After my shop closed, I recently tried to get a pair. I called 6 shops in a 30 miles radius. Not one had the pads I wanted. Yet, I was selling out of them. They refused to carry them. Why? because people buy pads to match their bikes. Nothing else is considered. How many times have you opened a set and slid it across the counter to see how sticky it was? I thought so. I did that at a shop with 5 sets of pads, the owner got pissed and I was "politely" asked to hurry up. Some shops are just not customer friendly.

Over the years I have found a few that work, and many that don't. As well as some interesting things along the way.

Threaded pads. This makes them easy to adjust. It often makes them self adjust, as well, meaning they change themselves, causing your settings to be destroyed. You get to adjust them often, so its a good thing they are easy right. There is a way to stop them from moving though. Threaded posts are also thinner than post type pads. I have bent them several times.

Posted pads.  These are what are used on 990's. They make it a bit tougher to adjust. They are a bit stronger as they are thicker. Even aluminum posts are very sturdy.

Some pads are available in one style only.

Fat pads Vs., Thin pads. Lately a new trend has arisen out of the tall rim sidewall trend, fat pads.  Some examples are Phat Padds by Koolstop, and 2X4's from Odyssey. Odyssey, and Koolstop are just some of the manufacturers making them. My advice, is to stay away from them.

The idea behind them is that they have more material to grab the rim with. Which works, for a time. They work great when the rim is clean. That is where the problem begins. How often is your rim completely clean. When your rim gets dusty, the pads soak up the dust, making them work like crap until you clean them again. With a thin pad, the dirt gets pushed out of the way. A thin pad also has a higher PSI (pounds per square inch), than a fat pad, which allows it to push the dust off around the pads sides, and push the dust into the pad  and grab the rim. Basically your brakes may not work as perfect when clean, but as soon as you get a little dust on your rim, which is normal, your brakes will work much better than with a fat pad. Go dirt jumping with a fat pad, and your brakes won't work for shit when you get back. With the right thin pads, you will hardly notice, and after a few stops back on pavement, you will not even know you went jumping.

 

Company

Model Summary Threaded or Post

Simple Green compatibility

Dia-Compe 990
Comes with 990's. Not a bad pad really. Most people under-rate it. P Works great
Dia-Tech Hombre
If you have them, you know what they look like.
Not worth much. T Improves them
  Dekka/Fiesta
Just about as bad, especially after they glaze over. Green only. T Improves them
Koolstop Salmon Compound

Eagle Claw II in Salmon
This compound is available on all the Koolstop pads listed. Great pad. Possibly the best, but hard to find. Its an orange color as you can see.
 *See below for more.
T and P BAD.. Very bad. **

Other colors

 
  Thinline
Awesome pad. A bit anemic though, as I have bent the posts, the bodies more than once. One of my favorites. T and P Works great
  Phat Padd
Not a good idea. Suffers from obesity. See Fat pad Vs,. Thin pad above. T and P Works great
  Eagle Claw II
Great alternative to Thinlines as its a bit beefier. Not available posted in salmon. T and P Works great
  BMX
Black or mix. Mix uses some black,. and some salmon. Though not quite as good. T Great to BAD.. Very bad. **
Odyssey 1X4's
Awesome pad. On par with the Koolstop Salmons, without the shortcomings. Quickly becoming my favorite pad. Great Job Odyssey. It even comes with Evolvers. T and P Works great
  2X4's
Suffers from obesity. See above about Fat Vs. Thin. T and P Works great
  Triax/New Wave
Cheap Generic pad. Yet, works Incredible. Very soft. Can make a brake feel squishy, but will it ever work. We used to use them on sidepulls and they worked. No guarantee on U-brakes though. White works best. T Works great
Shimano LX
Great pad if you cannot get the others., Works great for V-brakes on silver rims. T Works great
Skyway Compound is the about same as a Koolstop. Becoming rare. but at one time was considered a great pad back when Skyway was still a player in the bmx market. T and P Improves them
Tektro Not the worst pad you will find, but FAR from the best.    
Vans Cool looking and Rare, just avoid. Made by Koolstop. T and P Improves them

My personal favorites are Koolstop Salmon Eagle Claws and Thinlines, however Odyssey 1x4's are quickly growing on me. Another alternative, that I like when I cannot get either of these are the Shimano pads. On silver rims, I like these a lot, as they collect less dirt than others, yet still work great. Also, on V-brakes, these are hard to beat.

*A special note about Koolstop pads. People think colors have some mysterious code, some do. For Koolstop, all colors are the same, except Salmon (orange). This compound is the same as the famous Scott/Matthauser pads in the 80's. The stuff is incredible. Warning, do not use with Simple green, they stick to it, and it builds up on the pads, making them less effective when dust gets on your rim. If you are opposed to orange pads, I suggest a sharpie permanent marker to color the areas NOT touching the rim. personally, I could care less, I just want good brakes, but I have heard people complain. Also, Green is for Ceramic rims.

** Simple Green is a cleaner for bathrooms and such. Many people put it on their rims making the pads stick even better. A further explanation is down below in the brake dialing are

Many will think this is a joke, but after reading it, and trying it, you will see why its not...
Click here for brake pad tuning and troubleshooting.

 

Installation

Couple things you will need.

 

Equipment

Lube
Your going to need to lubricate some parts.

For this job, you will need some grease, that is the minimum. Any grease will pretty much do, but you should have some good bicycle grease for use on other parts, and that is what I recommend here. I recommend Phil Wood grease or Bullshot grease.

You will also need to lube your cables. For those who do not know, yes, this makes a difference. Tri-Flow works but leaves a lot of oily residue. Candle wax rubbed on it works, but too much makes the cable sluggish until it breaks in. Grease can be used but is messy, since you put some on your thumb and index finger and slide it through.

I recommend White Lightning. It goes in like a liquid and then dries to a wax. You would be amazed what this does for cables, especially older ones. if you have any other lube in there, this stuff will clean it out and replace it with its wax, takes only a moment to dry. It does not collect dirt. Some people say it clogs, but that due to not shaking properly or they left the cap off and it has partially dried up..

Tools
 

No pic..

Depending on the brake, levers and pads..

Allen wrenches. Your going to need a 5mm. almost guaranteed. you may also need a 4mm. and 2mm. depending on your brake and lever.

Wrenches. You will need a 10mm in most cases, and often an 8mm.. For Evolvers you will need an 11mm. For standard straddle cable systems, 2 10mm wrenches make it easier.

Wire cutters.

Adjustable wrench (Crescent wrench). I know most places will not recommend this, but in this case it has merit and I will show you why in a bit.

Others...

Depending on what optional parts you have, setup, and problems, you may also require tools to remove your stem, File, sandpaper, razor blade, hack saw, Dremel or rotary tool and more.

Cable tip

No pic, you should know what these are.

These are use to cover the end of the cable so they do not get frayed and poke you. You could also solder them.

 

Brake

Par

 

Brake Pads

Par

 

Levers

Levers are usually the simplest part of installation. I usually do it first to get it out of the way. If you have a hinged lever, your in luck. If not, you will need to remove your bar end, and grip first. After that its pretty straightforward. Biggest thing is the hold down bolt, or hinge bolt. Don't forget any shims if you need them.



You want this bolt as tight as possible but still allow the lever to turn on your handlebars if you put a lot of effort into it. The reason is levers get hit when you crash. Leaving this able to move under hard hits, will keep it from being damaged. This is probably the only bolt I suggest doing this with on your bike though.

 

Odyssey Modulever cables

Modulevers come with 2 cable adapters. The only difference is if you are using the dual or single cable. The dual cable will work with single cables too. So you really only need one. I included this section because the cable install is completely different on these compared to other levers.


Modulevers come with 2 cable adapters. The only difference is if you are using the dual or single cable. The dual cable will work with single cables too. So you really only need one. I any case, the install is the same. Slide the adapter over the cable. 


Make sure the barrel adjuster is in all the way, so you have room for adjustment later. Pull the lever back, then slide the assembly into the barrel adjuster



Now slide the cable end into the hole, using the slot. Now push the lever forward again.

 

Straight Cable

Easily the easiest setup you can run. Though I do not agree it is the best. 


Line up the barrel adjuster slots


Push the head of the cable into the slot on the lever and into the hole.

(Bottom View)
(Bottom View)
Slide the cable into the slots in the barrel adjuster by swinging it toward it.


Put the barrel adjuster all the way in, and push the housing up into it. Put it in completely, so you will have room to remove slack in the cable later. 

 

Gyro/Oryg

XXXX

 

Stock Upper Gyro Cable

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Line up the barrel adjuster slots

XXXXXXXXXXXX
Push teh head of teh cable into the slot on the lever and into the hole.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Slide the cable into the slots in the barrel adjuster

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Put the barrel adjuster all the way in, and push the housing up into it. Put it in completely, so you will have room to remove slack in the cable later.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hook the other end into the upper gyro plate, and slide the balls over the tabs of the gyro.

 

Dual Upper Cable/Dragonfly Gemini type

Par

 

Stock Lower Gyro Cable

Par

 

Dual Lower Cable

Par

Adjustment

Par

 

Levers

Par

 

Cable

Par

 

Gyro/Oryg

Par

 

Dual Upper Cable

Par

 

Dual Lower Cable

Par

 

Brake

Par

 

Brake Pads

Par

 

Tips, Tuning and troubleshooting

Levers

Grease. You should grease the bolt on the clamp. The pivot is optional. As it will attract dirt and cause wear. This is a judgment call. I usually lube them after they are old and start to feel like crap. At that point you have little to lose. You should also grease the cable end where the lever pulls it. Friction here is what causes them to break here.

Clamp. Do not over tighten the clamp of your lever. Doing so increases the likelihood of bending, breaking, or stripping  your lever. You want it so tight that it is hard for you to move on purpose. This way, in a crash, it will move, and you can just move it back. I had one lever too tight and it bent 90 degrees. It was only a week old, luckily it was soft enough to bend back. A bit later in their lives I stripped the clamp nut. probably due to how tight I ran them when they were new.

Pivot. Keep the lever pivot tight enough so your lever handle does not flop around. that will make sure the bushings inside do their job. make sure the lever handle is still friction free or it will make your brakes sluggish.

Shims. Many levers nowadays come with shims. I used to laugh at Dia-Tech. The lever was hinged, but they gave you a one piece shim. What is the point of that? New ones come with a 2 piece one. Do yourself a favor, if you have an old one, split it.

Handlebar bends. Does your lever sit on the bend of your bars. You need to make your lever adjust to the curve. Best thing to do is to make the lever adjust to it slowly.. Loosen it up as far as possible, slide it over the bend a little. Now tighten it down, a little extra tight. Now repeat after sliding it further down the bend. Eventually you will get it where you want it, and the lever should be fine with it.
If the lever uses shims, this makes it even easier. Clamp the lever down on the bend without shims, Then insert them and do the same as above.  Also grinding out the center of each shim will help also. This can be done with a  Dremel, Die Grinder, Hack saw, or files.


Proper bending!

We get asked this a lot. How to properly bend your brake lever for that "custom feel".

First a warning. You can easily break your lever doing this. 
Second... NO HEAT. Aluminum is very reliant on heat treating. Any heat, will damage this. 
Third.. Plastic internal washers. These are the bearings for your lever. By using any method other than the dual wrench method you risk destroying these washers. Yes, even the seat post method will do this. Then again, so will crashing...


Here is what they look like after a year as it is. Not pretty. Using the wrong method will make them look like this as soon as you bend it.

Proper method..
Using 2 box end wrenches is the best method, as the first wrench holds the lever in place, and keeps the washers safe. The second wrench (you could use your post here also), does the actual bending.


Unlike in the picture, separate the wrenches by about 1/4in. for best results. Go slow and apply steady pressure so the lever does not snap

Secondary Method
While not as good as the dual wrench method, this is the easiest method for bikers to use.

 
Simply find a seat post, yours will work.. and slide it over the lever, and apply pressure. Go slow and apply steady pressure so the lever does not snap

 

Cables

Lube your cables. White Lightning and Tri-Flow and other liquids allow you to do this without removing them. You want something that won't stay in liquid form really, so grease and candle wax works good, but require removal. That why White Lightening works so well, it goes on like a liquid and dries to a solid that does not stick to anything. it also has another good quality, it contains a solvent to clean out your cables as it it lubes them. Some people say it clogs, but that is due to not shaking properly or they left the cap off and it has partially dried up..

Cable End. You need to grease the end that goes into your lever. This prevents it from snagging the aluminum and being cut, crimped etc.. You should also check this every now and then, especially if you hear cracking or pops from here. This is where most cables snap.

Gyro/Oryg Cables. On stock cables, Lube is extremely important. the more you can get into the cable splitters the better off you are. the rest of the cables need lube as well, but the splitter are where the majority of friction on stock cables. Also remember your end in your lever.

Straddle Cables. check your straddle cable if you have one. Check where it bends as it leaves the assembly. The tight bends can cause it to snap here.

Cable ends/tips, they keep you from being poked and your cables from getting frayed. You can buy tips from your shop for a nickel, or you can solder them a torch or high powered soldering iron is necessary though), or use a spoke nipple. If I have no tips, I just use spoke nipples since I have a lot of them laying around. next time you see a cheap rim being tossed out, grab it and strip it for nipples. Other things I have seen used, tape, stickers, etc.. Nipples and tips are easiest, just slide it on, and crimp it.

Cable routing. When running a gyro or front brake, always try to run the cables under your handlebar crossbar. This keeps them held more firmly and keeps them out of the way. Only reason to avoid this is if you have a super low crossbar, and even then, its still recommended.

Crossing cables.

Kinked Cables
Look familiar? This sucks. It seriously hampers your braking.

This typically happens at  the lever. All other places are pretty avoidable with proper cable routing.

This is what the Dia Tech Flexie was designed for. It allows the cable to flex, but not kink like this. Put the Flexie into the barrel adjuster on your lever and your cable will not do this again. I would strap the Flexie to your handlebar though.

Dia Tech Flexie

Cable Ties Ways to control your cables.

 

Good Bad
Zip Tie Wrap and clip. Quick.
Simple.
Cheap.
Can be re-used again and again if left loose.
Minimal colors.
One use only.
Tie can slide around.
Electrical Tape Wrap a few times around. Extra helps, since it may come in handy later. Stick a piece of  tape or another sticker piece under where the cable runs through. This allows it to slide in and out, and keeps dirt and the cable from sticking to it. You can slide the housing in and out. for maintenance. Quick.
Simple.
Cheap.
Re-usable in a jam.
Shrinks and leaves gunk.
Minimal colors.
The cable needs to move slightly. This stops it.
Stickers Stick a piece of clear tape or another sticker piece under where the cable runs through. This allows it to slide in and out, and keeps dirt and the cable from sticking to it. You can slide the housing in and out. for maintenance. Does not shrink.
Creative.
Lots of colors.
Can be re-used again and again if done properly.

Can take some time to do, depending on how creative you want to get.

 

Gyro/Oryg

No Lube. No matter what, DO NOT LUBE YOUR GYRO! 

This is a common mistake. The bearing in it is designed to allow dirt to pass through. By lubing it, you are inviting dirt to stay in it, damaging the bearings. If you do get lube in it, remove it from the bike and soak it in Simple Green, a Solvent Tank, Gasoline, etc.. If Simple Green, or gas is what you tried and that fails, try WD40, and then spray it out completely with Simple Green to remove the WD40. You want nothing in there.

Where to lube. On stock cables, Lube is extremely important. the more you can get into the cable splitters the better off you are. the rest of the cables need lube as well, but the splitter are where the majority of frictions on stock cables. Also remember your end in your lever.

Cut Cable Removal Slots.  Ever notice how stems with Gyro tabs have slots to slide the cable in and out of. This makes install and removal a breeze, especially with dual cables. You can do this really easily to your gyro plates as well. It only takes about 5 minutes. Easiest way is with a  Dremel and a cut off disk. Simply cut a slice into it and then a second one in order to make the groove wide enough for the cable to pass through. I have also done this with hack saws Cut a slot then angle the blade to widen). I have used both ways and done them both on and off the bike. Dremels make it easier.

 

Dual Cables

Lube. They still need lube, especially up in the lever, but other than that, there is not much to these. They seem more complex at first, but in reality, are more simple than stock cables and work better too.

Crossing cables. This also works with dual cables. But depends on your setup. See the tip here.

Cut Cable Removal Slots
  Ever notice how stems with Gyro tabs have slots to slide the cable in and out of. This makes install and removal a breeze. You can do this really easily to your gyro plates as well. It only takes about 5 minutes. Easiest way is with a  Dremel and a cut off disk. Simply cut a slice into it and then a second one in order to make the groove wide enough for the cable to pass through. I have also done this with hack saws Cut a slot then angle the blade to widen). I have used both ways and done them both on and off the bike. Dremels make it easier.

 

Friction Reduction



Using something to help curve the cables is a good way of reducing friction.  These do not crack like housing can when bending tight and are designed to have less drag allowing  you to bend the cables tighter.

The amount you need to trim is determined my how much bend you need. This one is stock length. See the front brake area for how to trim either one.

Dia-Tech Flexies were actually designed to stop your cables from cracking and pinching at the lever, but they work great here.

V-Brake noodles were designed to ease the cable bend on V-Brakes. .

I thought of this setup after seeing Chris Duncan's dual Dia Tech Flexie setup. Instead of V-brake noodles, he used Dia Tech Flexies. I use these on my front brakes.  See here for my front brake Flexie.

V-brake noodles are cheaper and easier to find and are usually about $2 a piece. Flexies are $10 a pair.

You also can get V-Brake noodles that are flexible. These will work great in this situation, since there is adjustment already in other places. They are just like a V-Brake noodle, but with a flexible center. Price is about the same as a normal noodle. See teh black on on my red frame to the left.

 

Brakes

Cable Slack.. Whenever possible try and leave enough slack that you will be able to unhook your brakes if necessary. You can always turn an adjuster and dial in the exact amount of slack you want after. This way if a rim is bent, you can loosen your brakes up and make it home, or disconnect completely if needed during maintenance, such as pad cleaning.

Shimano dual adapting

Evolver Cable Lug or Knaarps

The cable lugs on Evolvers have a few minor problems. I'll show you how to improve them, and correct these problems.
 
You will need.. 2.5mm allen wrench (or Std. equivalent)
11mm Box wrench
8mm box end wrench
Dremel, with a  sanding drum (a  file or a grinder and some sandpaper also will work)

 

 

 

Brake pads

You probably think this section is a joke. Its not. in fact as you read you will discover why its actually very important.

 Its funny, Koolstop has the best compound, and great designs, but they have a lot of stupid features and require the most work to make work properly.

A good cleaning solution is crucial to your pad as well. It will help clean it, and also if used after grinding, will help break them in to your rims again. Since pads need to break in and adjust to your rims shape a bit, even if they are perfectly flat. I recommend Simple green for this, on salmons, do that and then thin with water or dust if its too strong after they break in. To break them in, just follow the instructions on how to apply Simple Green and ride.

Ways to improve your pads.

Nuts
Ever seen these? They come on Koolstop pads. They look like nice little brake nuts. Nice and rounded. Nice too look at. Put them on a shelf and look at them. Now go to the shop and get some real brake nuts. These cause more pads to loosen than you can ever imagine. The chroming on them allows them to slip and slide all over the place and the coned shape makes it almost impossible to remove them with vice grips or anything else should the internal hex strip. They also have few threads inside, so it allows them to strip the brake posts, if the hex does not strip first. Even an aluminum nut is preferable, in fact, the aluminum nuts actually work pretty well.
Mud Scraper
See the flare at the end, that's bad.  Its designed to scrape mud and dust off your rim. I don't ride in mud, neither should you. It makes the brakes feel mushy and harder to dial. Why Koolstop insists on leaving this on after all these years, especially on bmx pads,  is beyond me. You need to grind the pad flat.


See below for how to do this.

Rims
While not actually your brake system, your rims have as much to do with it as anything else. there are 2 opposite schools of thought on this.

Some feel chrome locks up better, but offers little modulation, and requires more pressure to grab.

Others feel non-chrome rims offer better braking as they offer more modulation, and dry faster when wet. My theory is modulation is learned, and I try to avoid water anyhow.

In my opinion chrome rims stay cleaner and do not collect as much gunk like non-chrome rims do and offer better braking. This has been the belief of flatlanders since the beginning of freestyle.

I subscribe to the chrome theory, Seditious Canary subscribes to the non-chrome theory.

Take your pick and run with it.

Glaze and wax removal

show grinding..

 
When brake pads are made, they are made in a mold. In order to remove them from this mold, they use a release agent similar to wax. You see it on new tires and grips as well.  They also get glazed after use. Silver rims in particular.

See below for ways top remove this.

 

Brake Boosting,  Cleaning and Additives to help stop faster.

One thing old flatlanders knew was what worked to make pads stick well. Whenever tours came through we always asked what people were using for grip. Martin Aparijo turned me on to Simple Green and has been a part of my brake troubleshooting ever since. I call them instant brake power.

Even when running Salmons I leave a bottle of Simple Green in my car. You never know when you or a buddy will need a bit of extra brake power.  You can always clean it off later. It also works a bike cleaner. We used to use it at our shop as it cost a quarter of what bike wash does.

It does not take much so a small bottle lasts a long time. I have a 22 ounce bottle (cost me $8 I think) well over a year old and its still half full (although its thinned 50/50). A quarter of it was lost when a container I had it in broke. Your mileage may vary.

Cleaners and additives.

Coca-Cola
get some on your finger, and wipe it onto the rim. If you cannot wait for it to dry, roll around for a few minutes with your brakes on. If you do that, it may take a few helpings to achieve the desired effect.

Your brakes will squeal like a goose with this stuff and vibrate your bike.

Super sticky, cheap, easy to get. Corrosive, remember science class. Also, pads stick too well, Your springs may not be strong enough to release. This ma seem like a non-issue until you are in a nose pick and need the wheel to move freely or your going over. That initial stick can be crucial.

Lacks consistency. Some spots stop incredible, others only some.

Eye Contact Cleaner
Spray or wipe on (quickly, don't remove it all), wipe off. Ride with brakes on for a moment to dry completely. This gets your rim super  clean.

 Multiple applications makes it better as more dirt is removed from the rim and pads.

Have not tried this, but it used to be rated as better than Simple Green but not as good as Coke, however, it does not cause the pad to stick.

Consistent once dry.

Expensive!! Nothing there to assist the brake except bare rim.
Simple Green
Spray on, wipe off (quickly, don't remove it all), ride with brakes on to dry. Multiple applications makes it better as more dirt is removed from the rim and pads.

Thin to 50% or less with water, and put into small spray bottle.

Leaves a clear glaze that makes your brakes work killer.

Can be re-activated with a little water/spit  on your finger.

Consistent once dry.

Downsides?
None really.

Except that Koolstop Salmon gets glazed from it, which can be good and bad, depending on how much dust is stuck in the glaze. Can be hard to find in some places

Fantastic Bathroom Cleaner
Spray on, wipe off (quickly, don't remove it all), ride with brakes on to dry. Multiple applications makes it better as more dirt is removed from the rim and pads.

Thin to 50% or less with water, and put into small spray bottle.

Does not leave as much residue as Simple Green.

Which is good and bad depending on the situation

Consistent once dry.

Downsides?
None really.

Can be hard to find in some places.

 

Not quite as good of braking as Simple Green.

Window Cleaner
 
Spray on, wipe off (quickly, don't remove it all), ride with brakes on to dry.

Best used with Koolstop Salmons, as it leaves no residue.

Leaves rim clean.

Cheap and easy to find.

Consistent once dry.

Great for Salmon Koolstops.

Does not leave as much residue as Simple Green.

Not quite as good of braking as Simple Green unless using Salmon Koolstops.

Tar
 
Roofing tar. You form it into a ball and rub/grind it onto your rims. Grinding your rims first also helps. Its suggested to keep this all in a film can or something so it does not make a mess.

I have not tried this, its a trials rider thing.

Locks big time. It sticks to everything, and can make a mess if your not careful.

Lot of work.

Possibly same problem as coke with sticking after you release.

Inconsistent.

Sanding Basically just take some sand paper and rough up the side walls. Obviously not in a circle around the rim. A disk grinder makes it easier. Great modulation.

Nothing to take with you.

Messy.

Wears down your rim.

Wears out especially if it gets wet.

Inconsistent.

Water Spray on/wipe on, wipe off (quickly, don't remove it all), ride with brakes on to dry. Cheap, easy to find.

Leaves the rim clean.

Only cleans the rim, and not as good as other cleaners.

 

 

Wax and glaze  removal

Sidewalk method. This works great. Take the pad out to the sidewalk, and rub it across the ground a few times until it flat, and has lost all of its shine. Wipe off the dust. Do this and then after the brakes are setup and dialed clean the rims and pads. Easy, relatively accurate, can do almost anywhere there is concrete. Must be off the bike, does not leave the pad completely dirt free.
File This is the best way. Grip the pad firm and run it back and forth across it a few times to smooth it out. Can often be done on the bike. Leaves the pad dirt  and grit free. Pad is straight. Sometimes cannot be done on the bike. Need a file.
Bench grinder or wire wheel. Bad way. They are too small to grind without being close. I have seen pads go flying across workshops this way, after being ripped from the guys hands. Fast The pad will not be flat. Can also burn the rubber. may not be clean afterwards. Sand and wired can stick into it. Also, must remove the pad from the bike.
Sand Paper

 

Sand paper. Best way is to disconnect the cables and use your thumb to rub it against the pads. If you cannot disconnect, then just feed it between the rim and pad and slide it back and forth. Keep your hand as close to the tire as possible as this will help keep the paper from removing the corners. Be sure that no grit is facing your rim or it will get sanded as well. Can be done on the bike, often without disconnecting cables even. Does not leave a flat surface, and can leave sand embedded in the pad. good for an occasional cleaning, but a file or sidewalk should be used occasionally to straighten the pad.

 

Trouble

Bent Frame How many have seen this. The pad on the right is a little bent, but look at the one on the left! Remember above, it said your pads should be flat. These aren't. As a result my braking power dropped. You can temp fix it by grinding the pad flat again, but that is only a temporary fix. The problem is that the internal frame has bent, and will now continue to do so, it is time for new ones though, as there is no way of know when they will break, and when they do, it will damage your rim, tire and tube.

I have had this happen on several pads, not just Koolstops. This shows how strong a good setup really can be.

Bent Post
This I have only had happen on Koolstops as they are one of the only companies using an aluminum threaded posts.  Again this shows how strong a good setup can be. when your damaging brakes and pads, you know you have some power going on. I am not expecting anyone to do this. I have very strong fingers and a killer brake system.

When this happens its time to start looking for new pads. This is one reason I like 990's so much. they use a thicker post to mount the pads on. Unless you get into a car accident, you will never bend even an aluminum post on 990's (or if you set them up wrong.

Split Pad
Here you can just start to see the frame peaking out of the pad, I pulled it open a little so you could see it better. I have had several pads do this as well as Koolstop. Why it happened on this one, and this end, I am not sure, its brother did the same thing (see bent frame pic above), but not as bad. What's weird is that is the back side. Only thing I can think of was I either had the pad backwards (unlikely) or I had been doing a lot of backwards stuff, which I tend to do.
Glazing  
metal shavings  

 

 

Front Brakes

 

Installation

Front brake install is the same as rear with the exception of cable install. So for the rest of it, Simply look at the rear brake install as I will only be covering the cable installation and tips here. Almost all tips general braking tips apply here as well, obviously.

Leave the inner wire in and run the cable down through your stem. Leaving the inner wire in, adds stiffness and reduces the likelihood of kinking the housing. If your fork has a cable guide, use it. Some brakes use a housing stop on opposite sides from others. Dia Compe 990's are opposite from Dia-Tech Hombres, so your fork may have mounting on only one side. If this happens, use a zip tie to secure it to the fork and away from the tire. Other methods will not hold it well enough and are too hard to do, due to the tire being so close. If it rubs it could become a serious problem.

I recommend looping the cable inside the fork leg. It keeps it tucked inside and allows a wider loop that will not rob movement since the housing operates one half of the brake. many people prefer outside a it can sometimes offers a better cable curve. I dislike that as it allows the cable to flop around unless its extremely short, in which case, you negated any improvement you made.

Your loop should have a 4 top 4and half inch diameter loop and still have enough cable to reach the adjuster. A little more or less is ok, as its not an exact science.

Measure it all out, double check it, mark it, REMOVE THE INNER WIRE before cutting!!, or at least pull it safely out of the way, and then cut it.

Feed the inner wire back in feed the housing to the adjuster, and resume normal brake installation.

Front Brake tips and tricks

Friction Reduction

Using something to help curve the cables is a good way of reducing friction.  These do not crack like housing can when bending tight and are designed to have less drag allowing  you to bend the cables tighter.
V-Brake Noodle
These were designed to ease the cable bend on V-Brakes. I trim mine, as you can see. The amount you need is determined my how much bend you need.

To trim, remove the end furthest from where the housing enters the noodle. just yank it off. Slide out the Teflon sleeve, then trim what you need with a Dremel or hack saw,  then re-install.

These are easy to find are usually about $2 a piece.

Dia-Tech Flexie
These were designed to stop your cables from cracking and pinching at the lever, but they work great here.

I have been using this setup since the Dia Tech Flexie was first released. These also do not crack like housing can when bending tight.

I like this better, it offers an extra adjustment point.

I cut it down a little. Simply pull off the end going into the brake, and trim what you need. I think mine is cut 1/2in.-3/4in. Leave it long enough to point the cable down, or close to it. Too long and the loop will touch your axle. Too short and it will bend too sharp. Assemble the brake, minus cable, hold this up to it, and see how long you need before cutting.

Before this I was using a V-brake noodle, which are cheaper, Flexies are about $10 a pair.

 

Gyro/Oryg & King Headsets

Normally Gyros and Orygs will not fit on a King headset.  A few crafty people have managed to do it, however most end up grinding the headset. Which I thought was weird until I experienced why they did it that way. I have however found a way that works without grinding the King Headset.

Here is the reason they were grinding the headset.  By grinding just the Gyro, the metal for holding the lower cables becomes too thin. One night after a hard session I noticed my brakes were weird, and noticed this. Catastrophic failure of the lower cable bracket. I was bummed. I had spent 3 hours grinding it to work. have a look.

The blue line is flat. Notice the tab the red line is pointing too. Not good.

From the failure though I started plotting a way to allow to leave more metal. I was determined not to grind the headset. I did not pay much for it, but it is a King and I would be damned to chew one up for a $20 Gyro.

It did not take me long to find a way. In fact, counting the amount of time I spent figuring out how to do it, and grinding it, took less time than the first one. I think I spent 110 minutes thinking it over, and 20 minutes grinding.

Doing this is at your own risk. It involves grinding very close to your hand with a die-grinder or Dremel. I feel its safe, but you may not. It is possible to clamp this into a vice, but I do not recommend it, as you really need full access to do it correctly and the pressure could damage the gyro assembly. Do not complain to me. Also if you destroy your Gyro, again, not my fault.

I have tried to explain it as best I can, and show you the safest way possible. If you follow this guide, it WILL work.

You will need; a Die-Grinder or Dremel, and some sanding/grinding stones, pliers,  sandpaper, and White Out / Liquid paper.

Basically what we are going to do , is use pry out the lower tabs, then grind out the inside of the Gyro assembly using White Out as a guide to show high and low spots that clear and do not clear the headset. The reason for the White out, is you want to remove as little metal as possible. When we are done, there will be enough for about 2 sheets of paper to slide between the cup and the Gyro. Its a tight fit to say the least. It works though, and well.

First thing to do is bend the tabs. This is easily done with some simple pliers. Channel Lock or Vice Grip style ones will work as well.  Make sure you pry against the upper tab, and not the gyro itself. The upper tab will keep the pliers from distorting the surface the bearings ride on. In other words, you will warp it and it will not spin properly.


You want to pry them outwards. Like the Blue and green arrows obviously.

You do not need to do much. Just enough to move them the slightest bit. Remember, your only doing this so you do not have to grind them as much. Any movement should be enough. The king only hits by about 1mm. Set it down over the King cup, and see if the bottom of  the tabs clear it. If they do, then your done with this. It should slide down like this.----->

As you can see it doesn't go all the way, but only past part of the tabs.

Grinding. Now its time for power tools. This could be done with a  round file, but I would not recommend it, unless you like torture. You could put a round file into a drill and spin it to do the job if you have no die-grinder or Dremel. However, I think its worth the $30 you would spend on a cheap Dremel to get your $120 headset working right.

Go in a circle in the direction that causes the most friction. You will need to hold the tabs also so it does not spin. You go in a circle while removing most of the metal to hopefully reduce the amount of high and low spots. As you grind you will need to check your progress against the headset. Slide it over the cup, and grind the high spots.

 

As you get closer and start to see daylight around some edges, now is time to break out the White Out. Put a thick coat over the outermost edge of your headset. Now pres the gyro back onto the cup, and twist. When you remove it, the high spots inside the gyro should have some white on them. Grind these spots, and keep repeating. you may need to add more White Out.

Do not remove what White Out is on there. The idea is that it will build up a thick layer. When the Gyro goes over this thick layer, you will have sufficient clearance over the headset.  If you think it is getting too thick, remove it, and start again.

As you can see, its a very tight fit, but it does work, and the headset is still covered by King.


 

When you are done, take some sandpaper, or a sanding drum and smooth any hard edges, and smooth out the inside. It should look similar to this.

Now take a cleaner, like glass cleaner or Simple green and wipe off the White Out. it should come off relatively easy. If not, scrape it with a  fingernail.

The Gyro should slide freely over the headset, and not feel as though it is grinding against it.

Now assemble as normal.

Since you are running a King, I highly suggest taking a look at the King modification guide. It documents how to make the King work like an normal headset, and eliminate the wiggle due to the O-Ring. When you're done, it will feel rock solid.

 

Wrap up.

That's it.

Once you have performed these tips and tricks on your bike, your braking should be much better and more consistent. So much that you will be able to feel when something is wrong. Even the slightest stretch will be noticeable. this may sound like a burden, but in reality is a good thing. You will now be able to tell when something is wrong much sooner, and allow you to fix it before it becomes a problem, but don't worry, if you followed the advice here, you won't be even  messing with them as much as when you did not care about your brakes more than likely.

The idea is better brakes, with less effort. Not just better brakes.

As you can tell by the intro picture and cable pictures, I have a few parts laying around. Those  pictures do not even show how much brake hardware I have damaged, destroyed, got tired of  screwing with, or simply went through in the last 6 months or so. That's right, 6 months and that's just what I still have of it! You do not even want to know how much I have gone through in the past 15+ years gaining this experience.

While most of my brake dialing skills were honed over many years, I am always trying something new. This guide represents a culmination of  that information.

As new information comes in, and new brake products come out, I will update this guide to reflect that. If you have any info or questions on this, e-mail me, I will be glad to help.

In the meantime, I can only hope that this will save you time, money, and effort on your brakes.

Follow this guide and save the experimentation to those who wish to. Thanks for reading.

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