Bicycle Mechanics - brakes broke :madface: need suitable replacements

ok well if you remember these...

http://hostthenpost.org/uploads/3938bc4e03a9ba8804ea0dc274507374.jpg

i posted a few weeks ago, proved their cheapness today, and the left side broke completely on the front. The part that compresses the spring for tension is plastic and wound up breaking. So now i need a cheap suitable replacement...and im gona switch the lever out as well. Im a bit unsure as to what my options are in terms of quality and levers, but heres what i was looking at....give me your feedback...

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/imgWrapper.aspx?img=/br/BR407A10BLK__F.jpg&type=3
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/BR407A10-Shimano+Alivio+Br-M421+V-Brake+Blk.aspx

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/imgWrapper.aspx?img=/bl/BL702A01SLBK.jpg&type=3
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/BL702A01-Avid+Fr-5+Brake+Levers.aspx


id like to try to keep this whole thing under 50 bucks if at all possible. :thumb: thanks for any input in advance

For v-brakes, I highly recommend the Avid Single Digit 7 brakes. These will cost you a bit under $50 if you hunt around. But this is just the brakes. Is anything wrong with your current levers? Anywho - the SD 7's are excellent. I have read many reviews, and all of them sing their praises. I have them on my custom hybrid, and would join the chorus. They are really good.

Here is one source:

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/BR306A00-Avid+Single+Digit+7+Linear+Pull+Brake+08.aspx?sc=FRGL

Beware of cheap offers from overseas - notably Hong Kong - as they send either ancient prototypes. Or fake knock-offs. The jury is still out on which.

21.95 for the front assembly is perfect, the levers on the bike are also "so so" i know that the lever for the front side does not close all the way no matter what the adjustment is with the screw, and the cable tension screws on the lever are also completely destroyed after 1 adjustment. The levers are entirely plastic with the exception of the handle and the spring.

Deore V's should run you under $20 USD and a set of V/Canti Tektros should alslo run under $25 USD. Well within your budget. This setup should be primo for a long while.

Deore V's should run you under $20 USD and a set of V/Canti Tektros should alslo run under $25 USD. Well within your budget. This setup should be primo for a long while.

theres a bunch of different tektros on jensons site, any particular model?

I recently picked up some very similar Alivio V-brakes for my '96 Trek 950. They work well and seem quite robust.

anyone else have any other suggestions, the alivio brakes are unfortunately out of stock at jenson, i might wind up going with the avid 7's

i second the avid sd7s!!! i have some sd5s on my xc bike right now and they're pretty darn awesome! a buddy has sd7s and he raves about them. as far as i can tell the sd7s and sd5s are basically the same except the sd7s are lighter and have better brake pads. i'd go with the avids!

well i took the front brake assembly off tonight and heres what it looks like....

http://www.hostthenpost.org/uploads/faf1c5a2ae0aa9f6510c785bf8ac1a20.jpg (http://hostthenpost.org)
http://www.hostthenpost.org/uploads/982a009c48c58325ff16bb881aabae2f.jpg (http://hostthenpost.org)

as you can see on the left side, the metal spring tore right through the plastic adjustment piece, the right side is fully intact but it was only a matter of time before the same thing happened. Couple questions though, am i gona be able to take my revoshifters off fully assembled off the handle bars to slide the new levers on? Case in point...

http://hostthenpost.org/uploads/a3a4c696d61636f92a80155f7b6dd373.jpg


also, this may seem like a stupid question but is this spacing normal between the pedal arms and the center hub?

http://www.hostthenpost.org/uploads/3e7fcb05e39cb41ecd056c2990575182.jpg (http://hostthenpost.org)

Get the avids.

Your brake levers don't look that bad in the photo, but I'll leave you to make that call. If the brakes are really that new you might be able to send them back to wherever you got them from, assuming you in fact did nothing to encourage their failure. As for the crank to bottom bracket spacing, that looks normal. Some bikes that is big, some it is small. I'm assuming you have square taper cranks so you would definitely know if something was loose (it would wiggle). As for the new brakes themselves, the posts above are all good, and Avid makes good brakes (as does Shimano).

Can't go wrong with Avid SD-7!

Of course, any Shimano, Avid or Tektro v-brake that I've tried has worked ok. I mean, even the cheap Tektro or the Avid SD-3 will work... Might not be as strong, and it'll be much more of a pain to adjust and keep adjusted, but it'll work.

SD-7 is just a really good idea though.

are those grips lock-ons? it looks like it. if so those shifters should be easy to just slide off. is there a hex bolt underneath that keeps it tight? loosen it up and they should slide off no problem.

be aware that the hand grip may be difficult to remove without destroying them. I have resorted to a heat gun and still had a fight on my hands. If you use a heat gun be careful not to melt the grip.

i went with the avid SD5 brakes and the avid FR-5 levers, and yes the levers were that bad, im gona go have a look at the hand grips real fast while its in the garage and see if theres any easy way to attack this.

ok so i checked it out...and im not sure where the screw is holding the shifters tight to the bar, but im assuming that its underneath this cap here..but i dont want to snap anything...also, the handle bar grips are on there pretty damn tight, im gona assume that the red peice is just an end cap that just pops on the end?

http://www.hostthenpost.org/uploads/42e3354d4997ea5ba9f69880021b82d1.jpg (http://hostthenpost.org)
http://www.hostthenpost.org/uploads/632ff518a57f26a6dc15d89193c1457f.jpg (http://hostthenpost.org)

The red end could be molded as part of the whole grip. Take a photo or two of the underside of the shifter/brakes/grip to spot any fastening bolts.
Also, pick up a bottle of isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) at the supermarket. If you can get it in between the grip and the bar, it will lube the grip to help it slide off, and evaporate afterwards.

That doesn't look like a screw-on grip to me. They don't tend to hide the screws that hold them on. If you get them off (scalpel? explosives?), you could change to something else for grips & shifters.

Called Ergon GR2 I think, these cost some coin - but I do highly recommend these for the grips. The picture doesn't show it, but there is a alloy metal-band at the end of these. They keep your ulnar and median nerves open & stretched during rides. Read: No more waving your hands around like you just escaped:

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp323/nagognog/F91DE8F8-1D09-7033-8494830C42136DAF.jpg

I put Alivio brakes on one of my cheap bikes (after the old brakes failed in the exact same way yours did), and the brakes work fine. They aren't amazing, but they are certainly much better than the crap that was on your bike before.

Cheap bike = 20 dollar brakes

Nice bike = get something more robust

Considering your bike came with awful brakes, I'd recommend the Alivios.

My philosophy is: Get the best you can. They can always be transferred to another bike. In the case of brakes - they can save your life in the meanwhile.

Sch - My Alivio V-brakes cost about $18 total for front and back (closeout shopping in the off season) so don't knock "20 dollar brakes"! :)

the screws are near the front, underneath the bars.
theres metal parts of the shifter there
its ussualy a phillips screw. but have seen thin allen bolts

you could get a cup of hot water and put the end of the bar in there. will soften the grip a bit

I struggle with the shifter to push the grip off.

That doesn't look like a screw-on grip to me. They don't tend to hide the screws that hold them on. If you get them off (scalpel? explosives?), you could change to something else for grips & shifters.

Called Ergon GR2 I think, these cost some coin - but I do highly recommend these for the grips. The picture doesn't show it, but there is a alloy metal-band at the end of these. They keep your ulnar and median nerves open & stretched during rides. Read: No more waving your hands around like you just escaped:

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp323/nagognog/F91DE8F8-1D09-7033-8494830C42136DAF.jpg


not gona be changing the grips or shifters at all, this is a brand new 200 dollar bike

not gona be changing the grips or shifters at all, this is a brand new 200 dollar bike

what kinda bike is that? i like full rigid frames.

what kinda bike is that? i like full rigid frames.

olpran patriot, 18"

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=olpran&x=0&y=0

i came across them on amazon, the only people in the country that sell them are this crosslake sales, i wound up buying through their ebay store cus shipping was less money. They are decent bikes for the money, i didnt want to spend over 200 bucks but i also didnt want to buy a cheap walmart bike. This had a full shimano and prowheel drivetrain system with a 6061 aluminum frame, it rides great. With a better seat i installed, and some better brakes, i dont think ill be getting rid of this for years.

hey guys, these brakes and levers are gona be in on thursday, but i completely forgot about ordering new cables and stuff...the front cable was destroyed, it was in horrible shape. All i have left from the front is the housing that was pre cut and capped. Any suggestions on what i should get to cable them up, and what exactly is gona be required.

olpran patriot, 18"

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=olpran&x=0&y=0

i came across them on amazon, the only people in the country that sell them are this crosslake sales, i wound up buying through their ebay store cus shipping was less money. They are decent bikes for the money, i didnt want to spend over 200 bucks but i also didnt want to buy a cheap walmart bike. This had a full shimano and prowheel drivetrain system with a 6061 aluminum frame, it rides great. With a better seat i installed, and some better brakes, i dont think ill be getting rid of this for years.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but considering what you paid for the bike, shipping, and the new parts you now are buying, maybe
buying from a bike shop would have been a better deal.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but considering what you paid for the bike, shipping, and the new parts you now are buying, maybe
buying from a bike shop would have been a better deal.

400+ for a bike is ridiculous, id rather put that money into a car. I spent 200 on the bike, and 40 bucks for a new brake system, im still completely satisfied.

Spawne, where in Jersey are you? If close enough, I can probably come and help you with the swap and brake adjustments, etc. I'm in Bergen County.

im down in camden county, thats way down in south jersey :)

Spawne, I'm glad you are satisfied with the bike. You are getting good help here and props to SSBully for offering his services.

Enjoy the ride.

Sp - brake cable is a standard item that you should be able to get quite cheaply at your local bike shop. They probably carry "universal" cables that have both types of end anchors with one at each end (cut off the end with the type that doesn't match your brake lever). Pick up a couple of those little aluminum cable end crimp caps while you're at it. Once you have the cable installed and adjusted, crimp a cap onto the end to keep it from fraying. Good luck!

Sp - brake cable is a standard item that you should be able to get quite cheaply at your local bike shop. They probably carry "universal" cables that have both types of end anchors with one at each end (cut off the end with the type that doesn't match your brake lever). Pick up a couple of those little aluminum cable end crimp caps while you're at it. Once you have the cable installed and adjusted, crimp a cap onto the end to keep it from fraying. Good luck!

thanks for the tip, guess ill stop by peddlers tomorrow and see how much they are charging ;)

thanks for the tip, guess ill stop by peddlers tomorrow and see how much they are charging ;)

Dang, Camden County is a sclhep for me! Tell ya what, hit up your LBS tomorrow and grab the brake cable and cable tips, shouldn't cast you more than 5 or 6 bucks. When the rest of your parts get in, PM me and I'll walk you through it, even if it means on the phone, we'll get you done! Hitting the rack for the night. Good luck!

Dang, Camden County is a sclhep for me! Tell ya what, hit up your LBS tomorrow and grab the brake cable and cable tips, shouldn't cast you more than 5 or 6 bucks. When the rest of your parts get in, PM me and I'll walk you through it, even if it means on the phone, we'll get you done! Hitting the rack for the night. Good luck!

when you get a chance tomorrow, check out what i posted on the front page, biggest problem im having right is now deciding where exactly is the screw or bolt that holds those revoshifters on the handle bars, i dont want to loosen the cable on the inside of the shifter lol

got it done today, had to hit up home depot for some high grade cable cutters lol didnt have anything at the house that could cut through the strands of stainless steel cables i bought at the bike shop. Everything looks and works fantastic now, the stopping power is unbelievable. I almost flipped right over the front of the bike at low speed when i jammed on the front brakes to test them out, all i have left to do now is pick up some of those crimp ends at the store tomorrow and cut down the cables to size.

http://www.hostthenpost.org/uploads/42dd8f1477f91a8868d1747da5b39e85.jpg (http://hostthenpost.org)
http://www.hostthenpost.org/uploads/4a886167f5867fa5ad7371591fd90c15.jpg (http://hostthenpost.org)

and to those who want an easy way to take your grips off, a hammer, and a wrench to match the size of the bar, works wonders, i had those grips off in 3 hits.