PhiloNovice

Hi, all. I'm a novice bike owner who bought a Schwinn Copeland Hybrid a year ago (I know; I know. I said I'm a novice). I'm trying to learn more about bike repair and maintenance. I recently patched a tube, changed a tire, and adjusted my rear derailleur, so I'm starting small. I have two questions.

First, I need to adjust my rear brakes, but there isn't enough cable left to do so, which is also very frayed at the end as is. My local bike shop told me I should just replace the brake line. Can anyone guide me toward what I need to do this? Can you recommend any videos or materials walking me through the process?

Second, my bike started making a weird squeaking noise when I pedal, almost like a duck quacking. It's more pronounced when I'm in a higher gear on the right side, and is especially loud when I stand up to pedal uphill. Anyone have a guess as to what the cause might be? Any sense of how I might fix the underlying issue? I tried to post a video but the format wasn't accepted.

Thanks in advance for feedback. I'm new to biking, the forum, and I appreciate any advice.

andrewclaus

It looks like the rear brake on that bike is a linear pull type. Look at the Park Tools website for a video on how to adjust. It's fairly easy. Pad replacement is a little more difficult, but not much.

As the brake pads wear, you need to pull extra cable through the bolt on the caliper. So it doesn't make much sense that you're "running out of cable." What sometimes happens is the barrel adjusters at the brake levers get run out all the way and need to be reset. That's covered in the Park video.

If you need to replace the cable, get a cable end cap to stop the fraying. The cable type is very common, and is the same as is used on every mountain and hybrid bike for decades. Road bike cables have a different end.

It also looks like this bike has a front disc brake. You should be using that brake most of the time, not the rear. It's the more effective brake. Of course, it also needs maintenance and you'll eventually need to find the video for that. Pads are a little more expensive than the rear brake, and adjustment can be a little more finicky when you're starting out. Be sure to keep the rotor free of any oil or grease.

The noise can be one of many loose or worn parts. I'd start with checking the bottom bracket (find a video). Make sure the pedals and chain ring bolts are tight.

PhiloNovice

Thanks, andrewclaus! There's barely any cable going through the bolt on the caliper to be pulled on, but maybe there will be once I follow the instructions in the Park video and adjust the barrel adjusters. If that doesn't work, I'll replace the cable as you suggest and get a cable end cap.

As for the noise, I'll start with the bottom bracket, pedals, and chain ring bolts. If the noise persists, I'll check back in.

Thanks again! I really appreciate your help.

Andrew R Stewart 

I believe the OP is saying that his rear brake inner cable doesn't extend past the anchor bolt much and the little that does is frayed. This is a very common result from allowing the cable end (that extends past the anchor bolt) to be moved about during riding. If this extended portion is not secures around the arm some how (and some/many arms have a tab to do this) it will get wagged back and forth (legs/foot brushing past the cable end hanging out in space) and in time the proverbial paper clip will break.

So I agree with the shop's suggestion to replace the cable, with andrewclaus's suggestion to cap the cable end (not that this would prevent the cable from braking and thus the raw end fraying) and then bend the extended portion of the capped cable down and wrap/clip to tab it along the arm. Andy

PhiloNovice

Yes, this is what I meant to say, Andrew. Thank you for clarifying my post and for your advice!