How to Replace Brake Pads on a Bike - Disc Brakes

Modem bikes are commonly disc brake designs either mechanical or hydraulic. The traditional simple rim brake designs have been around for decades long before disc now relatively allocated to cheep model line ups today.

Hydrologic are controlled by fluid in a master cylinder on the handle bars. When you apply the handle bar levers they push pistons in master cylinder. Fluid is compressed all the way down the cable lines pushing positions in the caliper pushing spring loaded pads onto the disc. When you release the handle bar lever the spring loaded pads part the disc. Hydraulic drum brake designs operate the same basic principle operating the drum shoes inside the drum.

Mechanical disc brakes like rim brakes are controlled by an inner wire cable inside the outer cable from the handle bars down to the caliper lever just like rim brake designs. The caliper lever compresses spring loaded pads clamping the disc.

An important detail with mechanical brakes there are two designs one of which is your bike. One arrangement one pad is fixed. It doesn't move. When you apply the handle bar brake levers they pull external caliber levers pulling the moving spring loaded pad to the disc. A flexing disc is pressed on to the stationary pad so both pads clamp it.

When you release the lever the spring tension pulls the pad away. The disc flexes away from the stationary pad. Bikes fitted with this arrangement braking power in bike reviews tend to be wanting. The other arrangement both brakes move compressing the disc.

An important detail in trouble shooting is the effect of weather exposure. There are bikes with drum brake designs that tend make theses brakes relatively weather proof. Never the less corrosion stiffness in exposed cables specially brake pad springs may have occurred. Corroded spring system can't move the pads away from the disk properly. One or both pads are inefficiently clearing of the disc.

Corroded inner cable and pad spring stiffness is often the cause of poor brake performance.
A good old fashioned going round freeing up the corrosion with a bit of light oil can do the trick.

Don't just pure anywhere. Look where you put it. Concentrate running down between the brake caliber lever (not between the brake pad gap) concentrating oiling the inner wire cables and spring system. Avoid the pads. It dries them out to hard and dry causing brake squealing problems. Worst case bad juddering. Anti-corrosion spray is tricky as it severely dries up pads. Not recommended. Pads don't need that. They should be left moist.

Replacing pads reassembly skill is by far the most important for getting anything running smoothly again. Make sure you know you can reassemble your brakes to a satisfactory running order. The best bet is is to study You tube tutorials. Type in your search engine keywords youtube park tool how to Replace Brake Pads on Bike Disc Brakes. This clip goes though step by step of every possible brake style you will recognize on your bike.

Poor braking performance is likely due corrosion cable and pad spring stiffness not moving the pads efficiently. A major sign needing replacement is neglect to a point obvious metal to metal scrapping coming from the wheel every time you apply the brakes.

Do it yourself (DIY) alternative to a workshop bike stand there is always the alternative bike upside resting on the seat and handle bars. A detail everything is upside down what would be the right way up in youtube clip videos is is upside down to your perspective. 

Choosing a computer

Retailer appliance stores offer a range of budget tablet, mini note books and laptops to choose from along side expensive laptops. Traditional hard drives are electromagnetic mechanical devices that have a reputation of being slow and temperamental. They are fast becoming obsolete in favor of more stable and faster sold state hard drive technology.

Solid state technology is essentially huge memory flash drive big enough to be a hard drive. While traditional hard drives are still available the technology are now down graded to fire sale model line ups available. If you observe a cheep one that looks expensive bond to be a traditional hard drive model.

Random Access Memory (RAM) is an important consideration as it is our real time processing memory. A single bit of memory is one byte. The standard metric system prefix k- killo- for a thousand, M- mega- for a million, G- Giga- for a billion and T- Terra- for a trillion bytes. About 4Gb of RAM with is adequate for real time word processing programs and school homework processing. Any more is just wasted.

When programs run short of the real time memory (rtm) computers borrow from hard drives. High memory demand programs such as HD, (High definition) video gaming and video editing and creation programs need a lot of rtm(RAM if you like) to spare, up to several gigabytes.

By comparison to solid state technology program with traditional hard drives are distracted by constantly borrowing memory from them has become known as slow and temperamental handling such programs . Choosing a computer is based on  memory rtm RAM  demands. If you are working with high memory demand programs the highest RAM available is the best bet.

Sold state hard drive technology is now favored by consumers and manufactures alike. Having no electromechanical parts rtm response is fast and stable. Eventually traditional had drives will be a thing of the past. The most expensive laptops and tablets are those with a maximum RAM and solid state hard drive memory.

Another important detail is the processing speed. 1 Hertz is the unite of 1 byte per second. Gighertz is considered the standard adequate minimum. High processing frequency and rtm of RAM avialble  can handle high memory drain programs without becoming temperamentally slow. Inadequate  rtm programs are distracted borrowing from the hard drive slowing them down.

Specifying your productivity information to sales personal can guide you to the computing power you only need.  4Gb, of RAM, a 100Gb of hard drive and a processing frequency of a GHz for minor memory drain programs such as basic word processing  and school homework projects is all the power you need.

By contrasts 16Gb or more of RAM, a few Terabyte solid state hare drive and up to 10Ghz of processing frequency that demand high rtm memory demand programs like home theater movie making projects, are available in these power solid state hard drive laptops.

A word of note. The portability of modern computers allows lots of flexibility transport carrying in shoulder bags including riding motorcycles and bicycles. Computers are faster and stable in dry whether conditions.

Most bags are not weather proof. Units are often not protected from damp moisture. In wet whether there is a constant dampness in the air that help keep performance down. Using the absorbent characteristics of paper towels in transport packing specially when using the computer to keep condensation to a minimum can help performance in wet whether transport. Exposed to the elements
in motor cycle and cycling transport use a whether proof transport system

The modern trend is mobile smart phone swipe and tap technology. Retailer stores include same lap top models that don't. What looks like only the click pad with no right and left pad buttons is actually a part of the latest trends avoiding the problem of grit settling down between the left and right clicking pads gaps getting into the electronics. The left and right clicking is available in the single pad. Separate left and right clicking pads are a thing of the past.

How to Replace Brake Pads on a Bike - Disc Brakes