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10-11-07, 02:59 PM
I just bought an '06 Specialized Tricross Comp (yeah!!!!) from someone in Maine. He shipped it here to Chicago and I just unpacked it. I'm very psyched and the bike condition is as advertised. It was nicely packaged and broken down somewhat for shipping. My question concerns the front brake cable. Please excuse my lack of proper cycle terminology:
The cable for the front brake is as follows: silver cable comes out of the left handbrake lever, has loose plastic sheath on it, and goes down to the v-brake mechanism. I notice that the brake cable is way too loose. There is a loose fitting that has a slit going lengthwise. I slightly adjust the top and bottom of the fitting so the slit is lined up, thread the silver cable thru it and readjust the fitting so the slit is not open from top to bottom. I tighten up the fitting. The brake cable still seems long (after attaching to the brakes). The fitting, which is screwed into a bracket attached to the verticle tube (above the fork) is loose, so I move the fitting such that it is no longer directly above the "v" for the brakes. This lengthens the cable and my front brake now seems to work ok. I've tightened the swiveling mechanism that holds the braket that the fitting is screwed into. I'd be surprised if the cable should not be vertical and it is ok to have it like I have it, on an angle. As you look at the bike from the front, the cable goes from the middle of the V up and to the right, maybe a half inch or an inch to the side of being directly above the v.
So, before I take this bike up to a significant speed, what should I be doing about this brake cable and fitting. These were all loose when I got them, I guess for disassembly for packing. Being a novice, I want to set this up right. BTW, I looked on the Specialized web site and couldn't find assembly instructions for a Tricross.
Thanks. If it would help, I can post pictures.
The cable for the front brake is as follows: silver cable comes out of the left handbrake lever, has loose plastic sheath on it, and goes down to the v-brake mechanism. I notice that the brake cable is way too loose. There is a loose fitting that has a slit going lengthwise. I slightly adjust the top and bottom of the fitting so the slit is lined up, thread the silver cable thru it and readjust the fitting so the slit is not open from top to bottom. I tighten up the fitting. The brake cable still seems long (after attaching to the brakes). The fitting, which is screwed into a bracket attached to the verticle tube (above the fork) is loose, so I move the fitting such that it is no longer directly above the "v" for the brakes. This lengthens the cable and my front brake now seems to work ok. I've tightened the swiveling mechanism that holds the braket that the fitting is screwed into. I'd be surprised if the cable should not be vertical and it is ok to have it like I have it, on an angle. As you look at the bike from the front, the cable goes from the middle of the V up and to the right, maybe a half inch or an inch to the side of being directly above the v.
So, before I take this bike up to a significant speed, what should I be doing about this brake cable and fitting. These were all loose when I got them, I guess for disassembly for packing. Being a novice, I want to set this up right. BTW, I looked on the Specialized web site and couldn't find assembly instructions for a Tricross.
Thanks. If it would help, I can post pictures.