Can you do the same for mechanical disc? I got new cables installed, but when I press the brakes, they don't reset fully. They only reset half way. Why does this happen? Is it the caliper? Or the resistance in the cable/housing?
@HanOfGod13 throw a compression spring between where the cable comes out of the caliper and the arm it binds to. I needed to do with with my gen 4 Domane that's made for hydraulic only brakes. The head tube friction is terrible and it's really the only way it'll work. If yours isn't too bad, you may get away with better housing. It's spendy but Jagwire Elite Link is outstanding but you can also buy knockoff housing online
Worked as a bike mechanic 90% of my clients say I just want to ride hassle free so by the time they bring it in it’s everything we hate about disc brakes
Perfect timing, just had a gravel race with lots of mud and when I checked the pads they had worn down to the steel plate and were still rubbing the rotors. I will have to do this before the next race in 2 weeks and now I'll know how to do it. This channel has been a life saver since I live in a bike shop desert, All the bike shops I use are around 2 hours drive away.
When my Canyon was delivered in 2017 the calipers had plastic wedges in them . One of the most useful freebies ever, particularly when travelling with the bike boxed up.
thank you , i struggled with this since ive changed the brake pads on my shimano 395 rear brakes ive applied your advice and it worked like a charm thanks from jordan
I like the suggestion, made by Park Tools' mechanic extraordinaire, to use a piece of string soaked in isopropyl alcohol as a kind of floss to fully engage the exposed cylinder for cleaning. I've used q-tips for the most part but wonder if little fibers can detach onto the cylinder.
Damn! I cleaned my pistons yesterday and wondering how do i get to clean the top and bottom of the piston. Will try this next time i clean my pistons again. Thanks for the info!!!
As this video mentions, be VERY CAREFUL pulling the brake lever without the pads in. You just need the pistons to stick out ever so slightly. Also, whoever at Shimano thought that slotted fasteners made sense to use as the pad retention screw ought to be fired. If you've ever had on of those tiny bolts seize up (as is very common), you know that simply getting your brake pads out becomes a huge job.
Atleast on GRX levers you could pop out/break the seal of the overflow chamber on the lever, if you push pistons too far back in. And shimano dosnt sell that seal as a spare.
Thank you for this clear video. My brake had the issue of unevenly moving callipers, so I cleaned them the way you advised, but I was unable to push the callipers back in rest position with a plastic tire lever, at least by applying force only by my hands. Is this common, what could be happening here?
I don't think anyone will recommend or endorse this but I've used a large flat head screwdriver and twist the screwdriver to get the calipers back in. A little hard if one calioer is sticking more than the other but gives more leverage that the methods the video describes. Again: attempt at your own risk.
One clarifying point of emphasis: on cars, and I assume the same here, the SEALS are the mechanism that retracts the piston. By pushing the pistons out by hand, you are resetting where the seals sit, making sure it retracts fully.
On cars the seal is a square section and yes, it retracts the piston. Bicycles have round section seals and that will not retract the piston. You’ll notice a spring steel mechanism which you insert with the pads, this retracts the piston.
@@channul4887 Yes, you're quite right. I don't know where I've picked that information up from but a quick look at seal kits for brake calipers definitely shows square section seals. Thanks for setting me straight.
😂😂😂😂 Pumping the brake lever until the cylinder falls out! Classic mistake! 😂😂😂😂 You shouldn't have cut that out! It's a cert that the majority of us have done exactly the same thing first time servicing hydraulic brakes. I did it at Bike Park Wales and had to completely split and reseal the piston housing at the side of the trail. Live and learn. It's all good fun. 👍
Need help here. Low experience with disc brakes. Had lazy pistons - cleaned with ipa, applied few amount of wd-40 on an ear bud on a side surface of the pistons, cleaned all with ipa. Now one brake lever doesn’t effect to push out pistons at all. Other brake can’t push pistons back to the brake manually the same time, push one in the other goes out - result too narrow gap to fit the disc.
Hi Alex, a good one. You should perhaps have warned us of the risk of popping the pistons out before we start working the lever. Also you could use some sort of clamp to hold back the free piston. The sort of flimsy metal clamp for fixing things to desk edges might prove thin and stiff enough. This is very similar to the procedure I have sucessfully used on car brake pistons. You say brake cleaner or isoprop, Is it the same stuff or just alternative?
It would have been cool to show how the two pistons move the same after cleaning and lubing them, I have four pistons and one is moving way more than the other, cleaned and lubed them with shimano brake fluid bit issue persists, magura MT5 with about 15000km on them offraid on a surron lbx . Do I have to change the pistons ? The joints and the pistons ? Or the whole caliper ?
Well I wish you would have told that last sentence at the beginning of the video Pistons will come falling out like mine did but I didn't press it too many times when I removed the brake pads it was already crooked in there and halfway out I went to push it back in and that's when it fell out
my rear caliper is worse than rubbing a little bit. with new brake pads installed and after heavy braking the brake almost locks up. im on my second caliper now and its doing the same thing. one of the pistons doesnt work right. maybe i need to clean them more often since im doing 100+ miles per week on a heavy and fast ebike in all weathers. also the brake lever after heavy braking gets insanely tight for a few minutes then goes back to normal
What a hassle! Road bikes don't need discs. Rim brakes don't rub and are much easier to maintain and let you use frames with elegant chain stays and forks with no torsion under braking load.
I stop my brakes from having this issue by using rim brakes. No pistons, no fluid, thus no leaks or bleeding. I have yet to wear out the braking surfaces on a set of good quality aluminum wheels.
In dry conditions, rim brake aluminium wheels can last for years. However, if you ride on wet, gritty roads, the rims will wear out. I recently replaced a pair of Mavic Aksium wheels whose rims were becoming worn - slightly concave rather than flat. Most of the people I know who ride on rim brakes have had the same experience.
@@johnwestwell2241 Yes, the braking surfaces do gradually wear out -- they have to because, well physics. But keeping them clean and using quality pads makes them them last for a very long time.
@@johnwestwell2241 So you are trying to say that I break some kind of rules? Or it is rather the case that different materials have different properties? I would dare to say that if you are wearing your rims quickly it is either due to bad material or you are doing something really weird. Your braking needs as a bicyclist are miniscule compared to motor vehicle no matter how massive is your ass. So I really don't know what is all the fuss about.
This is done with disc brakes in cars (but not with grease, with heat resistant copper paste or with special stuff like Plastilube), on a bike however I don't think it's really necessary since the pads shouldn't last for years anyways. But it won't be a disadvantage, just don't use normal grease since it would melt at high temperatures and grease is a matrix which contains oil for lubrication, over time it is excreting oil which will find its way to the disc rotor.
@@simonm1447 Thanks for clarifying. Yes, the recommendation I've seen is copper antiseize for the reasons you mention. That kinda makes sense about the longevity issue (man, wouldn't it be nice if bike pads lasted as long as most road cars) I also thought it was to prevent just the kind of stick/bind talked about here that would keep the pads dragging a tiny bit.
Disc brakes look to be a pain in the ass, with the issues and maintenance required. I could see some people going for a walk instead of bike riding if their bike has brake problems and the owner doesn't have the time or money to fix the issue. I only have rim brake bikes however I did come accross a "bike food courier" and his bike made an annoying sound when he used the brakes. Imagine hearing that every time you use the brakes. Too busy to fix it or doesn't know how and obviously not earning enough money to get it fixed. Not a good result, most people would be better off on rim bikes.
Alex I cannot believe you didn't use your 3d printer to make a piston exposure tool, to prevent your pistons from falling out while carrying out this task.
Planning on a lightweight rim brake build. What's the max rim and tire width compatible with rim brakes? I love the brake feeling of hydraulic discs but it isn't worth the extra hassle i maintenance and the weight penalty.
Depends on the frame (fork clearance). More modern frames have space for wider rims and tyres… often 32 mm tyres. Best thing to do is check yourself because tyres of the same stated width can often be quite different to each other when inflated. Enjoy the rim brake bikes - great choice
If you are going for lightweight, then a 28c tire is all you'll probably want, in which case rim brakes work fine. You can fit 32c on most rim brakes, even if you need to deflate the tire a bit to mount it, and then re-inflate.
Why do people who believe disc brakes are some form of marketing conspiracy, that they don't work or are high maintenance, and that there is a tribe of 'disc brake people', comment on videos which are about disc brakes? What's the point? If you don't want them, and want to stick with less effective 1980s technology, then fine, but why comment on a video about maintaining disk brakes?
I like disc brakes, I've been using them on my car for years, I've just come back to cycling, I think its great discs have made their way through to the cycling world. 👍👍
some, like from hope for example, are meant to do that and you can get all spares directly from them. for shimano or sram some parts are available but normally its more of a throw-away politic.
To a big extent from my experience of riding with disc brakes I don't believe they are a significant improvement over rim brakes. Braking is relatively the same with both rim and disc brakes. If anything disc brakes are way fiddlier, problematic, noise prone and expensive to maintain and all for little if any improvement It's a pity more development around rim brakes, especially around accommodating wider tyres etc hasn't been pursued. I suspect it's more profitable for the bike industry to take a more universal approach with road, mountain and gravel bike componentry being common. As many know experimenting with tubeless for roadies is not the same as for mounties
The fact that this video needs to be made tells you everything you need to know about disc brakes, ironically. No need for disc brakes for road racing bikes.
I love these comments from the rim brake/clincher lot...Obviously dedicated roadies, to anyone who's been MTB'ing as well for the last 2 decades discs (and tubeless) are a doddle...Face it- you got left behind it's like watching your grandad trying to use an iphone...
#AskGCNTech Hello everyone. I was given a new set of wheels with mtb tyres for Christmas. I was thinking about putting some road tyres on them so I could use them on my roller or to train on the road with my mountain bike. What can you tell us about road slicks for 29" mtb wheels? Are there many options? Will a regular 700c tyre fit on my wider rim? I'd like to go tubeless. What do you recommend? Thanks in advance! Cheers from Spain.
29" = 622 = 700c, so Yes, normal race tyres fit, unless your mtb rims are veeery wide. For a trainer setup don't bother with tubeless, it's just training, right (ok, unless you are Jay Vine).
A responsible manufacturer would NOT rely on the buyer to perform such a cleaning procedure on tiny parts prone to never be fitted again, such as rubber seals which naturally resist the urge to movement - less so while being pushed out, - but the weaker force making pistons to retract is successfully counteracted by seals that in fact have to seal oil, air and pressure out by resisting to movement. Thus, the pistons can't retract properly and the resulting tiny pad clearance will NOT hold up to the expectations of real life, where wheels get replaced, rotors aren't 100% true, frames and spokes are flexible because they have to be, and the road or off-road environment is not freshly vacuumed but does contaminate. In the entire technology there's nothing to take the place of your hand pushing back the pistons, hence the problems.
@@cc-000 I have been using rim brakes for 24 years and never had any problems with them. And I live in the mountains. They require almost no maintenance.
My first experience with hydraulic disc brakes was when I hired a Trek Top Fuel 9.8 from a local bike hire place to ride the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail here in Australia. I cleverly did it in January (summer). Everything was great in the morning but as the day progressed I felt it was getting really difficult to ride. I thought I was just getting worn out by the heat (my phone kept giving overheating messages when taking photos)... then I realised the front wheel wasn't spinning freely. Turns out the front brake was squeezing itself. I had never used hydraulic disc brakes before so had no idea what to do. I called the bike hire place and met up with them at the next town. They said something about the summer heat affecting the brake system and causing the problem. It would seize up in the middle of the day then work fine in the evening. Unfortunately they didn't have a spare bike so they said .... just ... start earlier and reach the next town before it gets hot. Being not-a-morning-person I ended up starting a bit late and riding in the heat anyway. Now that was a ride to remember. I wonder if it was sticky pistons or the brake fluid absorbing moisture or what.
None of those things, just a badly maintained bike. Disc brakes are generally extremely reliable. I've done thousands of km on my disc braked bikes in temperatures ranging from -7c to 38c with no issues at all.
I use the simplest hydraulic disc brakes offered by Shimano, MT 200s, on a couple of bikes. I never had any issues with them - not in freezing temperature with snow and ice and not in heat. MT 200s are made quite simple, but still reliable. Maybe more expensive brakes with more technical stuff inside the levers sometimes causes trouble you don't have with simpler models. My brakes are also used on MTBs, so they sometimes get hot until the stainless steel gets brown or even blue, but the brakes still work properly afterwards.
I'm scared of spraying anything that could damage the seals or dry out the elastermers . I think I will use soap and water or maybe simple green but I've had good luck at doing nothing at all unless real bad. I did upgrade my xt pistons cuz I heard people having leaks after a year, I did notice that the stock ceramic pistons seemed abrasive and un polished , which In My opinion maybe the cause of early seal failure, I put on about 10000 road miles so far with no leaks, My seals will never leak or wear out cuz I bought replacement seals just in case.its Murphy's law
never use general degreaser on brake components, most of them leave a residue. that does not matter on a chain or cassette, but should not get in contact with brake pads or discs.
A responsible manufacturer would NOT really on the buyer to perform such a cleaning procedure on tiny parts prone to never be fitted again, such as rubber seals which naturally resist the urge to movement - less so while being pushed out, but the weaker force making pistons to retract is successfully counteracted by seals tat on fact have to seal oil, air and pressure. Thus, the pistons can't retract properly and the resulting tiny pad clearance will NOT hold up to the expectations of real life.
Oh no! GCN needs to post a retraction immediately regarding the description of Q-tips as "the thing which you clean your ears out with". Q-tip packaging carries a warning label that states, "Do not insert swab into ear canal. Entering the ear canal could cause injury." GCN's legal team may need to get involved.
@@gregvassilakos given how litigious a society we currently live in, you might be right. I wouldn't trust any jury with my future freedom, which is why I pay careful attention to obeying the law.
He didn't recommend them, or tell you to put them in your ear, he simply mentioned that they are commonly used for "ear cleaning", which is common knowledge, and proveable as such. There is no case, here.
@@henseleric Never underestimate how little it takes to form grounds for a lawsuit in the United States. A lady was awarded $3 million dollars for burns she suffered after buying a coffee at a McDonald's drive-thru and putting it between her legs as drove away. Nobody told her where to put the coffee. She made that decision on her own, yet she won the lawsuit.
I live in a flat area and have disc brakes on my road bike. I wouldn't have it either way. They're not slower, at least not noticably. They're nice to have, especially when things get damp. I'll never go back to rim brakes.
The cycling press is damaging it's already tarnished reputation by their endorsement of these disc brakes which are clearly unfit for purpose. I feel it's only a matter of time before the pro peloton stage a protest, and refuse to race on disc brake bikes...
I cannot understand the problems a lot of people seem to have with disc brakes. I ride relatively simple MT 200s on 4 bikes since years, also on a MTB and a fat bike where you have no other option any more, and they are fine and don't cause any trouble, despite costing just 25 € per caliper/lever set
THE PROBLEM IS you haven't resolved the issue, the pistons are still NOT RETRACTING properly. If the pistons did retract when you release the brake lever, why would you need a tool for pushing the pistons back in? The truth is there is NOTHING in today's hydraulic brake mechanism to retract the pistons properly, It's a problem pushed on the user by manufacturers. .Not to mention that you never showed us that both pistons should now be moving at the same extent. In all parts of your video, at least one piston is stuck, even when you're done with your maintenance.
I think the same could be said for the majority of maintenance tasks on a bike. This is certainly never going to be a roadside repair or one that will ever be that way, the problem will gradually occur over a prolonged time as opposed to ok one min and not the next and can be fixed when you have time and tools to do so.
you just put the bike upside down and push the pistons back in with your fingers (if small enough) or your multitool (carefully) or a small branch etc, - but this is nothing you should normaly need to do on the road side. if a piston becomes sticky it normaly happens gradually over a longer time.
@Lee Young meet in the middle, that's why I use cable actuated disc brakes. *Really its due to the fact that I'll ride cold enough to where braking is compromised but the weight savings is nice too
LOL What a FARCE of stupid technology. I have a TRP Spyre cable brake on my Rohloff14. It'll lock tight instantly. Never rubbed or squealed once. Very little fuss needed.
What other maintenance videos would you like to see us make? ⚙
Can you do the same for mechanical disc?
I got new cables installed, but when I press the brakes, they don't reset fully. They only reset half way. Why does this happen? Is it the caliper? Or the resistance in the cable/housing?
Mechanical Disk brake cleaning and servicing
You could do one about how strongly your video topics are dictated by how much money you can extract out of your sponsors
@HanOfGod13 throw a compression spring between where the cable comes out of the caliper and the arm it binds to. I needed to do with with my gen 4 Domane that's made for hydraulic only brakes. The head tube friction is terrible and it's really the only way it'll work. If yours isn't too bad, you may get away with better housing. It's spendy but Jagwire Elite Link is outstanding but you can also buy knockoff housing online
@Pimp Andrew are you really this salty about tech improvements? Do you still run tubed tires in your car? How about leaded gas?
Worked as a bike mechanic 90% of my clients say I just want to ride hassle free so by the time they bring it in it’s everything we hate about disc brakes
Perfect timing, just had a gravel race with lots of mud and when I checked the pads they had worn down to the steel plate and were still rubbing the rotors. I will have to do this before the next race in 2 weeks and now I'll know how to do it. This channel has been a life saver since I live in a bike shop desert, All the bike shops I use are around 2 hours drive away.
Thank you for this, it’s always nice to be reminded of the basics of bike maintenance.
What an amazingly timely video! On my ride to work this morning I was wondering if I needed to sort this problem. Thanks Alex
Did we not mention we are mind readers 🤯
When my Canyon was delivered in 2017 the calipers had plastic wedges in them . One of the most useful freebies ever, particularly when travelling with the bike boxed up.
This is really helpful as I think everyone who has disc brakes is going to have them start running after a while.
thank you , i struggled with this since ive changed the brake pads on my shimano 395 rear brakes
ive applied your advice and it worked like a charm
thanks from jordan
I like the suggestion, made by Park Tools' mechanic extraordinaire, to use a piece of string soaked in isopropyl alcohol as a kind of floss to fully engage the exposed cylinder for cleaning. I've used q-tips for the most part but wonder if little fibers can detach onto the cylinder.
Old-school pipe-cleaners would seem ideal.
Damn! I cleaned my pistons yesterday and wondering how do i get to clean the top and bottom of the piston. Will try this next time i clean my pistons again. Thanks for the info!!!
Flat style shoe string for flossing the caliper piston.
I can't believe it! This happened to me four days ago and here you go! The video on how to fix it. Right in time! Thank you so much
This is very helpful! I have fought with brakes a lot recently and this was the solution! Thank you!
Disc brakes have been super common for more than twenty years and the industry still hasn't figured them out?
What a faff! Rims brakes are the future!
Thank you for creating this video. I'm sure this type doesn't get the biggest view count, but they are super useful!
As this video mentions, be VERY CAREFUL pulling the brake lever without the pads in. You just need the pistons to stick out ever so slightly. Also, whoever at Shimano thought that slotted fasteners made sense to use as the pad retention screw ought to be fired. If you've ever had on of those tiny bolts seize up (as is very common), you know that simply getting your brake pads out becomes a huge job.
I agree. I also put a tiny bit of anti-seize lubricant on the threads.
Q tips are only for cleaning the external ear canal! Do not use them inside your ears!
Helpful advice. And that Orbea is one beautiful machine 😍
Pinarello are bringing out a new rim brake bike with tubular tyres.... the "Pinarello Luddite"
Thanks Alex and crew...maybe gearing set up ..indexing etc ..???
Thanks. I needed that
Atleast on GRX levers you could pop out/break the seal of the overflow chamber on the lever, if you push pistons too far back in. And shimano dosnt sell that seal as a spare.
Thank you for this clear video. My brake had the issue of unevenly moving callipers, so I cleaned them the way you advised, but I was unable to push the callipers back in rest position with a plastic tire lever, at least by applying force only by my hands. Is this common, what could be happening here?
I don't think anyone will recommend or endorse this but I've used a large flat head screwdriver and twist the screwdriver to get the calipers back in. A little hard if one calioer is sticking more than the other but gives more leverage that the methods the video describes. Again: attempt at your own risk.
I really love my rim brakes!
Yep. They never, ever give me any problems. And they're light.
Don’t try to fix what doesn’t need fixing 👌
@@charliedillon1400 yep I second that. Yep
One clarifying point of emphasis: on cars, and I assume the same here, the SEALS are the mechanism that retracts the piston. By pushing the pistons out by hand, you are resetting where the seals sit, making sure it retracts fully.
On cars the seal is a square section and yes, it retracts the piston. Bicycles have round section seals and that will not retract the piston. You’ll notice a spring steel mechanism which you insert with the pads, this retracts the piston.
@@channul4887 Yes, you're quite right. I don't know where I've picked that information up from but a quick look at seal kits for brake calipers definitely shows square section seals. Thanks for setting me straight.
I have tired this and still have a sleepy piston on one side. Is there a point at which a deeper service or calliper replacement is warranted?
😂😂😂😂 Pumping the brake lever until the cylinder falls out! Classic mistake! 😂😂😂😂 You shouldn't have cut that out! It's a cert that the majority of us have done exactly the same thing first time servicing hydraulic brakes. I did it at Bike Park Wales and had to completely split and reseal the piston housing at the side of the trail. Live and learn. It's all good fun. 👍
Great tip! 👍
I had very persistent issues with disc rubbing, noise, decreased braking power. I solved it by going from force axs to 8170. All issues gone.
Need help here. Low experience with disc brakes. Had lazy pistons - cleaned with ipa, applied few amount of wd-40 on an ear bud on a side surface of the pistons, cleaned all with ipa. Now one brake lever doesn’t effect to push out pistons at all. Other brake can’t push pistons back to the brake manually the same time, push one in the other goes out - result too narrow gap to fit the disc.
@GCN please do a video on Winspace Hyper wheels compared to other main brands
Which oil type do I use on the disc brake caliper
Get rim brakes !
I have a commuter ebike with a front piston suspension. How about proper maintenance vid on that?
Hi Alex, a good one. You should perhaps have warned us of the risk of popping the pistons out before we start working the lever. Also you could use some sort of clamp to hold back the free piston. The sort of flimsy metal clamp for fixing things to desk edges might prove thin and stiff enough.
This is very similar to the procedure I have sucessfully used on car brake pistons.
You say brake cleaner or isoprop, Is it the same stuff or just alternative?
Great video! Can you please tell which model of bottlecage with the cage is it ?
Looks like a Topeak Ninja cage
Ugh, very helpful video... If I had found it 20 mins earlier and also popped my pistons out 😢
Watch out for Ultegra (and probably other Shimano) porcelain pistons because they could crack, as mentioned in the video.
Next time, buy a bike with rim brakes.
It would have been cool to show how the two pistons move the same after cleaning and lubing them, I have four pistons and one is moving way more than the other, cleaned and lubed them with shimano brake fluid bit issue persists, magura MT5 with about 15000km on them offraid on a surron lbx .
Do I have to change the pistons ? The joints and the pistons ? Or the whole caliper ?
Well I wish you would have told that last sentence at the beginning of the video Pistons will come falling out like mine did but I didn't press it too many times when I removed the brake pads it was already crooked in there and halfway out I went to push it back in and that's when it fell out
What lubricant do you use to lube the pistons? Thanks.
hahaha, music from the Stranger Things playlist, love it. :-P
my rear caliper is worse than rubbing a little bit. with new brake pads installed and after heavy braking the brake almost locks up. im on my second caliper now and its doing the same thing. one of the pistons doesnt work right. maybe i need to clean them more often since im doing 100+ miles per week on a heavy and fast ebike in all weathers. also the brake lever after heavy braking gets insanely tight for a few minutes then goes back to normal
Thanks Alex
Noticed you had something holding your front wheel and or bars in position are you able to advise what it is
Cheers
Park Tool HBH-2 👌
Alex, any additional/other concerns for mechanical disc brakes?
I am fairly new to doing my own maintenance>My rear brake is rubbing. It looks a lot more difficult to get at the breaks in the rear?
What a hassle! Road bikes don't need discs. Rim brakes don't rub and are much easier to maintain and let you use frames with elegant chain stays and forks with no torsion under braking load.
What is that disc brake cleaning product you used to sprayed into the calipers? (2:08)
I stop my brakes from having this issue by using rim brakes. No pistons, no fluid, thus no leaks or bleeding. I have yet to wear out the braking surfaces on a set of good quality aluminum wheels.
In dry conditions, rim brake aluminium wheels can last for years. However, if you ride on wet, gritty roads, the rims will wear out. I recently replaced a pair of Mavic Aksium wheels whose rims were becoming worn - slightly concave rather than flat. Most of the people I know who ride on rim brakes have had the same experience.
@@johnwestwell2241 Yes, the braking surfaces do gradually wear out -- they have to because, well physics. But keeping them clean and using quality pads makes them them last for a very long time.
@@johnwestwell2241 Try good carbon rims then. I have put around 50000 km on them and brake track still looks fine. I also use them during a winter.
Same rules apply to carbon rims as aluminium.
@@johnwestwell2241 So you are trying to say that I break some kind of rules?
Or it is rather the case that different materials have different properties?
I would dare to say that if you are wearing your rims quickly it is either due to bad material or you are doing something really weird.
Your braking needs as a bicyclist are miniscule compared to motor vehicle no matter how massive is your ass. So I really don't know what is all the fuss about.
Some people suggest a tiny bit of grease on the BACK of the pad to avoid corrosion and binding at the piston. Thoughts?
This is done with disc brakes in cars (but not with grease, with heat resistant copper paste or with special stuff like Plastilube), on a bike however I don't think it's really necessary since the pads shouldn't last for years anyways. But it won't be a disadvantage, just don't use normal grease since it would melt at high temperatures and grease is a matrix which contains oil for lubrication, over time it is excreting oil which will find its way to the disc rotor.
@@simonm1447 Thanks for clarifying. Yes, the recommendation I've seen is copper antiseize for the reasons you mention. That kinda makes sense about the longevity issue (man, wouldn't it be nice if bike pads lasted as long as most road cars) I also thought it was to prevent just the kind of stick/bind talked about here that would keep the pads dragging a tiny bit.
Shouldn't you lube the pistons ?
Disc brakes look to be a pain in the ass, with the issues and maintenance required. I could see some people going for a walk instead of bike riding if their bike has brake problems and the owner doesn't have the time or money to fix the issue. I only have rim brake bikes however I did come accross a "bike food courier" and his bike made an annoying sound when he used the brakes. Imagine hearing that every time you use the brakes. Too busy to fix it or doesn't know how and obviously not earning enough money to get it fixed. Not a good result, most people would be better off on rim bikes.
Alex I cannot believe you didn't use your 3d printer to make a piston exposure tool, to prevent your pistons from falling out while carrying out this task.
Planning on a lightweight rim brake build. What's the max rim and tire width compatible with rim brakes? I love the brake feeling of hydraulic discs but it isn't worth the extra hassle i maintenance and the weight penalty.
Depends on the frame (fork clearance). More modern frames have space for wider rims and tyres… often 32 mm tyres. Best thing to do is check yourself because tyres of the same stated width can often be quite different to each other when inflated. Enjoy the rim brake bikes - great choice
If you are going for lightweight, then a 28c tire is all you'll probably want, in which case rim brakes work fine. You can fit 32c on most rim brakes, even if you need to deflate the tire a bit to mount it, and then re-inflate.
It was my understanding that one shouldn't use cotton swab earbuds to clean the ears.
Disc brakes don't rub if you bin them.
Why do people who believe disc brakes are some form of marketing conspiracy, that they don't work or are high maintenance, and that there is a tribe of 'disc brake people', comment on videos which are about disc brakes? What's the point? If you don't want them, and want to stick with less effective 1980s technology, then fine, but why comment on a video about maintaining disk brakes?
The bike industry came up with discs for all the gear no idea mob omg I will have get a new bike
I like disc brakes, I've been using them on my car for years, I've just come back to cycling, I think its great discs have made their way through to the cycling world. 👍👍
I think many people have a kind of low-grade schizophrenia. They imagine elaborate conspiracies and elaborate connections that simply do not exist
Im curious if bike calipers come apart like car calipers? Do we change the seals pistons etc.. ?
some, like from hope for example, are meant to do that and you can get all spares directly from them. for shimano or sram some parts are available but normally its more of a throw-away politic.
Buy rim brake bike, easier
To a big extent from my experience of riding with disc brakes I don't believe they are a significant improvement over rim brakes. Braking is relatively the same with both rim and disc brakes. If anything disc brakes are way fiddlier, problematic, noise prone and expensive to maintain and all for little if any improvement
It's a pity more development around rim brakes, especially around accommodating wider tyres etc hasn't been pursued.
I suspect it's more profitable for the bike industry to take a more universal approach with road, mountain and gravel bike componentry being common.
As many know experimenting with tubeless for roadies is not the same as for mounties
You forgot to mention the bulky, stiff, and heavy forks required for use on disc frames,
Buy wisely. Disc break doesn’t make you faster. It eats your wallet due to high maintenance.
What a faf ,, I see why some stay with rim breaks ..lol
The fact that this video needs to be made tells you everything you need to know about disc brakes, ironically.
No need for disc brakes for road racing bikes.
I guess we should remove derailleurs - I needed to watch a video for those as well
@@jellystones72 not unless you can get a cassette with 15-16 gears.
F me this happened to me today... I suspected this might be the fix.
I love these comments from the rim brake/clincher lot...Obviously dedicated roadies, to anyone who's been MTB'ing as well for the last 2 decades discs (and tubeless) are a doddle...Face it- you got left behind it's like watching your grandad trying to use an iphone...
MTB yes....roadbike with disc and tubeless?? They got left behind by performance, thats for sure.
You sound like fashion police.
#AskGCNTech Hello everyone. I was given a new set of wheels with mtb tyres for Christmas. I was thinking about putting some road tyres on them so I could use them on my roller or to train on the road with my mountain bike. What can you tell us about road slicks for 29" mtb wheels? Are there many options? Will a regular 700c tyre fit on my wider rim? I'd like to go tubeless. What do you recommend? Thanks in advance! Cheers from Spain.
29" = 622 = 700c, so Yes, normal race tyres fit, unless your mtb rims are veeery wide.
For a trainer setup don't bother with tubeless, it's just training, right (ok, unless you are Jay Vine).
What's that blinking red light on the tire?
It's a pressure sensor
It’s a blessed pressure sensor. You sound like brother Charlie went he spills the milk… blinking this, blinking that 😆
A responsible manufacturer would NOT rely on the buyer to perform such a cleaning procedure on tiny parts prone to never be fitted again, such as rubber seals which naturally resist the urge to movement - less so while being pushed out, - but the weaker force making pistons to retract is successfully counteracted by seals that in fact have to seal oil, air and pressure out by resisting to movement. Thus, the pistons can't retract properly and the resulting tiny pad clearance will NOT hold up to the expectations of real life, where wheels get replaced, rotors aren't 100% true, frames and spokes are flexible because they have to be, and the road or off-road environment is not freshly vacuumed but does contaminate. In the entire technology there's nothing to take the place of your hand pushing back the pistons, hence the problems.
Rim brakes worked so well. Why did the have to change it for something so unreliable?
@@cc-000 I have been using rim brakes for 24 years and never had any problems with them. And I live in the mountains. They require almost no maintenance.
Why does no one has the idea of using a brush? There are kinda new ones, that go into the tiniest cracks!
My first experience with hydraulic disc brakes was when I hired a Trek Top Fuel 9.8 from a local bike hire place to ride the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail here in Australia. I cleverly did it in January (summer). Everything was great in the morning but as the day progressed I felt it was getting really difficult to ride. I thought I was just getting worn out by the heat (my phone kept giving overheating messages when taking photos)... then I realised the front wheel wasn't spinning freely. Turns out the front brake was squeezing itself. I had never used hydraulic disc brakes before so had no idea what to do.
I called the bike hire place and met up with them at the next town. They said something about the summer heat affecting the brake system and causing the problem. It would seize up in the middle of the day then work fine in the evening. Unfortunately they didn't have a spare bike so they said .... just ... start earlier and reach the next town before it gets hot. Being not-a-morning-person I ended up starting a bit late and riding in the heat anyway.
Now that was a ride to remember. I wonder if it was sticky pistons or the brake fluid absorbing moisture or what.
None of those things, just a badly maintained bike. Disc brakes are generally extremely reliable. I've done thousands of km on my disc braked bikes in temperatures ranging from -7c to 38c with no issues at all.
I use the simplest hydraulic disc brakes offered by Shimano, MT 200s, on a couple of bikes. I never had any issues with them - not in freezing temperature with snow and ice and not in heat.
MT 200s are made quite simple, but still reliable. Maybe more expensive brakes with more technical stuff inside the levers sometimes causes trouble you don't have with simpler models.
My brakes are also used on MTBs, so they sometimes get hot until the stainless steel gets brown or even blue, but the brakes still work properly afterwards.
The TDF raced some days in 40° C last summer. Imagine if all the disk brakes started dragging.
I'm scared of spraying anything that could damage the seals or dry out the elastermers . I think I will use soap and water or maybe simple green but I've had good luck at doing nothing at all unless real bad. I did upgrade my xt pistons cuz I heard people having leaks after a year, I did notice that the stock ceramic pistons seemed abrasive and un polished , which In My opinion maybe the cause of early seal failure, I put on about 10000 road miles so far with no leaks, My seals will never leak or wear out cuz I bought replacement seals just in case.its Murphy's law
How is disc brake cleaner different to general degreaser?
It's formulated to evaporate quickly without leaving a residue, much as isopropyl alcohol does. That's important for brakes, as you can imagine.
Evaporates off a lot more easily. Probably a lot more volatile carrier.
never use general degreaser on brake components, most of them leave a residue. that does not matter on a chain or cassette, but should not get in contact with brake pads or discs.
It’s all snake oil. Just use liquids you can find in every day home cleaning aisles of supermarkets
@@princeandrew5430 Sorry, no. Not on brakes.
Until disc roads became popular, most people had little interest in cyclocross and gravel.
Well i pressed my brake lever and a piston fail out
Show this vid to a new bike buyer. See if they still want disc 😅
Stop Disc Brakes Rubbing - buy rimbrakes 😉😁
Shut up about bloody rim brakes.
Cotton buds or Q-tips are useful things to have. Just don’t use them to clean your ears as suggested here.
Best way to clean disc brakes is to get a rim brake bike
Why keep making video to tell consumer how easy is the DISC BRAKE and TUBELESS setup????!!! If it so easy, 1 video is enough!!!
A responsible manufacturer would NOT really on the buyer to perform such a cleaning procedure on tiny parts prone to never be fitted again, such as rubber seals which naturally resist the urge to movement - less so while being pushed out, but the weaker force making pistons to retract is successfully counteracted by seals tat on fact have to seal oil, air and pressure. Thus, the pistons can't retract properly and the resulting tiny pad clearance will NOT hold up to the expectations of real life.
Very dramatic music... 😬😉
breakcleaner for cars. 1 minute cleaning and degreasing
Oh no! GCN needs to post a retraction immediately regarding the description of Q-tips as "the thing which you clean your ears out with". Q-tip packaging carries a warning label that states, "Do not insert swab into ear canal. Entering the ear canal could cause injury." GCN's legal team may need to get involved.
Alex didn't say insert it into your ear canal. He said you use them to clean your ears out with. Most of your ears are NOT the canal.
@@rangersmith4652 Yeah, save the explanation for the jury.
@@gregvassilakos given how litigious a society we currently live in, you might be right. I wouldn't trust any jury with my future freedom, which is why I pay careful attention to obeying the law.
He didn't recommend them, or tell you to put them in your ear, he simply mentioned that they are commonly used for "ear cleaning", which is common knowledge, and proveable as such. There is no case, here.
@@henseleric Never underestimate how little it takes to form grounds for a lawsuit in the United States. A lady was awarded $3 million dollars for burns she suffered after buying a coffee at a McDonald's drive-thru and putting it between her legs as drove away. Nobody told her where to put the coffee. She made that decision on her own, yet she won the lawsuit.
If you have issues with rubbing just sell the bike and buy a new one.
Shimano brakes are a pain in the ass
Despite slightly more maintenance, discs are infinitely better than rim. Ignore the cranky old retrogrumps.
Infinitely better? Jeez. I wonder how I even survive.
Definitely not!!!!! for sticking in your ears!!!
Buy rim brakes. Stop selling us slow bikes just to make more money. Save your money people
It depends. I live in a humid mountainous area. I rather replace rotors than rims.
Why is there always one who chimes in with a tale of woe about the demise of rim brakes
Lol
I live in a flat area and have disc brakes on my road bike. I wouldn't have it either way. They're not slower, at least not noticably. They're nice to have, especially when things get damp. I'll never go back to rim brakes.
Most of you boys are a marketer’s ‘damp’ dream 😂
im first
Nice work! What did you make of the video? ⚙
The cycling press is damaging it's already tarnished reputation by their endorsement of these disc brakes which are clearly unfit for purpose. I feel it's only a matter of time before the pro peloton stage a protest, and refuse to race on disc brake bikes...
Don't hold your breath...
Yeah I think it’s hilarious watching the mechanics trying to change a wheel quickly
I cannot understand the problems a lot of people seem to have with disc brakes. I ride relatively simple MT 200s on 4 bikes since years, also on a MTB and a fat bike where you have no other option any more, and they are fine and don't cause any trouble, despite costing just 25 € per caliper/lever set
THE PROBLEM IS you haven't resolved the issue, the pistons are still NOT RETRACTING properly. If the pistons did retract when you release the brake lever, why would you need a tool for pushing the pistons back in? The truth is there is NOTHING in today's hydraulic brake mechanism to retract the pistons properly, It's a problem pushed on the user by manufacturers. .Not to mention that you never showed us that both pistons should now be moving at the same extent. In all parts of your video, at least one piston is stuck, even when you're done with your maintenance.
Good luck doing this with a multitool when this happens during ur ride or if u dont have a stand. Rim brakes ❤
If you dont have disc brakes then just watch another video - get over it
I think the same could be said for the majority of maintenance tasks on a bike. This is certainly never going to be a roadside repair or one that will ever be that way, the problem will gradually occur over a prolonged time as opposed to ok one min and not the next and can be fixed when you have time and tools to do so.
you just put the bike upside down and push the pistons back in with your fingers (if small enough) or your multitool (carefully) or a small branch etc, - but this is nothing you should normaly need to do on the road side. if a piston becomes sticky it normaly happens gradually over a longer time.
I ride both rim and disc, you just sound as if you know nothing about hydraulic disc brake bikes.
@Lee Young meet in the middle, that's why I use cable actuated disc brakes.
*Really its due to the fact that I'll ride cold enough to where braking is compromised but the weight savings is nice too
LOL What a FARCE of stupid technology. I have a TRP Spyre cable brake on my Rohloff14. It'll lock tight instantly. Never rubbed or squealed once. Very little fuss needed.