Bicycle Mechanics - GF Mullet - Disc breaks are making noise....

About a month ago I got a Gary Fisher Mullet, from day one my disc breaks started making clinging noise. It sounds as if I have cans attached to the back of my bike and I'm dragging them down the streets. I tried to adjust the breaks but that doesn't help much. I took it to the shop where I bought it from and the guy said this is normal because of the pitch fork, or something like that anyways he made no sense because I don't see how a $600 bike could be making that noise. I want to take it to another shop but I work all day everyday so the only time I am free is when every store is closed. Is there anything I can do myself, is there a remedy for this and how common is this because I searched the net and can't seem to find anything on this subject.

Thanks.

Up at the top of the page is a link helpfully titled 'Search the Forums'. Ask it to search of 'Disc brake noise'. You'll get a ton of information, way more than I could give.

That being said, is it a constant rubbing or is it intermittent? Could it be from a bent disc? Have you tried lightly sanding down the brake pads? How much use have the brakes gotten since you bought it (sometimes there is short break in time before the brakes quiet down)

Disc brakes are either fantastic or a huge PITA. Is it 'pinging'?

From what you're saying, I'd gather that it's pinging, but rapidly and maybe in a few spots. The pinging happens when you've got a big bend in the rotor and as it's hitting the brake pad, it's making a pinging noise similar to a tuning fork. These can be easily adjusted with a rotor bending tool. But, disc brakes, when properly adjusted, should make zero noise. If the rotor isn't hitting the pads, it will make zero noise.

From the title I thought maybe your girlfriend had gotten a bad haircut. :)

Yeah her hair got caught in my breaks, gave her a mullet cut, and now the breaks are making noise hahaha.....



Disc brakes are either fantastic or a huge PITA. Is it 'pinging'?

From what you're saying, I'd gather that it's pinging, but rapidly and maybe in a few spots. The pinging happens when you've got a big bend in the rotor and as it's hitting the brake pad, it's making a pinging noise similar to a tuning fork. These can be easily adjusted with a rotor bending tool. But, disc brakes, when properly adjusted, should make zero noise. If the rotor isn't hitting the pads, it will make zero noise.

That's exactly what the problem is. I was forced to take the breaks off because I was a musical instrument on wheels. I'll try to get it over to a shop and let them fix it because I'm a newb with bikes and I don't want to make it worse. Hopefully wont cost me a fortune. Thanks a lot guys.