tourbiker

I've just got a flat on my new touring bike and can't figure out how the heck to release the brake pads so I can remove the wheel.

The brakes are Tektro Mini-V with the 'travel agent' (cable winds around this to give extra braking leverage - not all Mini-V's have it). The front brake has both an inline barrel adjuster and quick release feature. But, the rear has the flat and it doesn't appear to have either of these features. Or, can I only remove and install the wheel by deflating the tire?

Any suggestions?
Thanks!

tippy

Slide the rubber boot off the end of the noodle.
While pulling the two brake levers together, lift the end of the noodle out of the bracket.
Brake levers will no longer be attached to each other and can be spread apart.
Take wheel out.

Don't forget to put it all back together before going out for a ride.

Retro Grouch 

When he says "noodle" in your case, he's actually talking about the "travel agent".

The reason why you need a travel agent for your rear brake is so that you can have enough cable travel slack to allow the travel agent (or noodle) to release from the bracket. Some riders who run mini-v's set the pads close to the rim and use a noodle that has a barrel adjuster that can be loosened to allow the noodle to release from the bracket.