My brakes have been giving me a wicked squeal (again) and a buddy of mine suggested scuffing them up a bit and then cleaning the rim, and letting them sit unhooked/disconnected for a while when it's humid. Dunno if it is gonna work, but I have super bad short term memory issues, and in order to prevent a disaster if I had to go anywhere later today... here's what I had to do:



It'll either be proud of my reminding skills, or think my roommate really sucks at playing pranks.

Who's Leon?

Anyway one of the best things to get into the habit of doing is to do a "brake test" -- simply squeezing both levers to see that brakes feel right -- every time you get on the bike. I've been doing it for 45 years, and it's totally unconscious but I can't count the times it's caught an open caliper release on my road bike, or a disconnected cable on the commuter's canti's.

Legs, dude. Shut Up Legs.

Inspired by what Jens Voigt has on his bike. It got me through a century.

Brake tests are an awesome habit, but leaving the note ties directly into my issues with short term memory. Without getting into too much, its a medical thing and I have to re-train myself to remember stuff. I just thought it was kind of funny that I had to leave a note.

Perhaps you should tattoo this onto your hand, a la "Memento."

Hahaha... with my swiss cheese memory, I can't imagine how many tattoos, crossed out with another one I'd have.

My iPhone already is like "Dude, do I have to remember EVERYTHING???" Yes, yes you do

I understand that, but you at least know you have memory issues and act accordingly. I can't count the number of times I've seen people leave a bike half repaired, one way or another, and jump on, only to get into some sort of trouble.

There are motorcycle disc brake locks that fir through the disc so the front wheel can't turn. You'd be amazed (or maybe not) at ho many people have damaged their bikes by starting up with the lock on the disc. One manufacturer even provided a plastic reminder key which you stick in the ignition lock.

BTW, I wasn't talking about remembering to do a brake test, but about making it an ingrained habit. Habit is much more reliable method than memory. When I learned to set up complex machinery, I was given these simple word "do the same job the same way every time". Once the habit is well ingrained it's almost bullet proof. For example, when we go on a long trip, my wife will invariably ask "did you lock the front door?" -- usually when we're about halfway to the airport. No sweat at my end, I always lock the front door without thinking. I don't even remember doing it, I just do. OTOH - I have to think very consciously if I don't want to lock it, and it's not rare for me to lock my wife outside in the garden when I leave for work.

Not to mention, I don't find the source of that squeak, I might end up detaching my hair from my head.....

I do the note thing with lots of mechanical repairs (and I don't think I have a short term memory problem...where was I). Notes on the dash of the car, notes on the end of electrical plugs. Not a bad habit no matter the reason

Did you ever see Apollo 13? When Kevin Bacon had the "NO!" note taped to the switch that detached the rest of the spacecraft and would have killed Tom Hanks and Bill Pullman? You can really never ever be too safe, I suppose.

Also, any input on tracking down this squeak when I pedal, greatly appreciated.

Have either tightened/lubricated/cleaned every single pivot point and moving joint on that bike, including and not limited to 1. front fork shocks 2. center shock spring 3. the bolts in that entire pivoting assembly where the shock attaches to the back part of the frame 3. Inside and outside of where the cranks go into the crank housing

The only place I havent gone after is the handlebar stem. That's only because why would it squeak when I pedal and the guy at the LBS who worked on her last, got so aggro when he fastened it down, I seriously doubt that thing can move enough to squeak.

I'm about to lose all semblance of my crap, and short of dunking her in a swimming pool of 3 In 1 Oil, I am at a loss. Not to mention, she only squeaks when I'm in the saddle, and after 2-3 blocks.

I want to be patient so I don't become one... but that's wearing thin.

Any chance it could be the pedals or the saddle? Didn't see those mentioned explicitly.

it takes 21 days on average to make a habit..
if the stem is out too far it can cause a squeak
just an idea

Those were places I checked. Process of elimination I decided it had to be the handlebar stem so I went ahead and checked that... either that was the stuff, or the squeak went away on its own.

+1 ^This It takes about 10 seconds to check tires, brakes and QRs every time you get on the bike and it becomes automatic very quickly.

As for the creak, I've had mystery creaks that eventually were tracked down to:
- a square taper crank that had been ridden loose and then retightened after the damage was done
- the interface between the seat rails and the rail clamp on the seatpost
- worn out pedal bearings

leon can be quite annoying too
so he should also shut up

Leon is what crashed Facebook this morning.

Screw that guy

Aha... is that a quill stem? Sometimes they'll creak a little, and regreasing fixes that.

It's that kind.

I dropped some lubricant on the bolt up top, and around the part where the stem descends into the great unknown... seems to have been the stuff, since Mindy is back to perfect working order again

What was the point of disconnecting the brakes?

Buddy of mine suggested scuffing the pads, unhooking them and letting them sit open on a slightly humid day, as a way to kick the brake squeal.

It didn't cost anything, wasn't irreversible, and I'll try anything once

aaaaaaand the creak is back.

I'm positive this time it's in the handlebar stem. However, the last mechanic to work on it tightened that nut down so much that I've literally got nothing that will open it up.

I flipped her upside down, and since my frame is open like that, I drizzled some lubricant down the hole so it'd slide down around the hold it together parts of the stem. Thought process here is if I let it sit upside down, some lubricant will seep in and fill the gaps and hopefully get rid of whatever's giving me that wicked creak.

I am WIDE open to input, here.....

Of course you could have just adjusted the toe in of the brakes.
I'd like to hear the reason for leaving the brakes open on a humid day, and what that would accomplish. The rims arent effected by humidity, unless they are steel, and the brake pads are rubber, again not effected by humidity.

Okay, so you've got the quill type that I was anticipating. Dribbling lube down the center won't fix the creak if the stem is causing it. You'll want to remove the stem, clean the outer surface of it, and grease it pretty well before reinstalling. I recommend getting a set of allen head sockets for your socket wrench, and using that leverage to loosen the bolt.

Three steps ahead of you

I used the allen sockets... and almost busted the wrench. Switched to allen drill bit? Even a power drill wouldn't get it to budge.

Ideas?

Was it a ratchet wrench? Use a regular 3/8" and give 'er... I think a power drill won't do what you need.