I just recently acquired a used Nishiki Touring bike from the 80s. The bike is in great condition and I've only had to replace the tires and tubes. I am also very new to bicycling and especially repairing my bike. My front brake is super loose (as in I have to squeeze it in all the way before it touches the rim) so I googled how to tighten a brake. It seems simple, all you have to do is loosen some nut then pull the cable tight. I cannot, however, move the cable. It seems stuck. I can't pull it loose or tight. Can anyone explain how to fix this to me? Also what are the barrels that I'm supposed to tighten? I only have one near the brake and not on the handlebars. I tried to take some pictures so y'all can see what I'm talking about. Thanks in advance!

Sometimes the cable gets crimped and the fixing bolt gets stuck in the caliper. Loosen the nut almost all the way out and tap lightly. This should loosen the cable. If you can't straighten the kink or the cable is damaged, you'll have to replace it.

You don't loosen "some nut." See below - the fixing bolt circled at the bottom is what you loosen so that you can pull the cable through it to tighten the adjustment. The barrel adjuster, circled above, is generally for fine adjustment. The barrel adjuster also has a quick release on it that can be helpful when you need to remove the front wheel. The caliper also needs to be centered (make sure the wheel is centered in the frame and the wheel is straight/true).

Google adjust sidepull brake and look first at the sheldonbrown or parktool results for best guidance. Both sites have almost every procedure you would need to perform. It's best to follow good written instructions and use videos to see the procedure live.

Make sure that your brake quick release is in the correct position (tightest cable) when you adjust your brakes. Don't forget to reset it when you put the wheel back. If it is on the "remove wheel" position, which slackens the cable and allows the arms to open, your brake will work poorly if at all.

Thanks for all the helpful advice already guys! So I've made sure my quick release is tighten (pushed down), but the cable seems to be stuck in the bolt. I've tried using pliers to get a better grip on the cable, but the cable won't pull any tighter or looser. Any thoughts?

It is possible for the cable to be very stuck - notice how flattened it is where it's clamped, rather than round, which is the shape of the hole it is going through. Make sure you have backed off the nut quite a ways and then use a screwdriver to push the other end away from the brake arm. You also need to look at the mechanics of what you are doing. If you just pull on the cable it's not going to move in relation to the clamp/arm - you have to also push up on the arm as well or squeeze the brake together by hand.

+1 Often these pinch bolts get stuck within their arm hole and a prying out is needed to free up the cable.

I can't see for sure from the poor photos but could the cable's QR be a bit off too? It looks to be the inexpensive stamped steel style that sandwiches the adjuster barrel and rides on a flange that the adjuster barrel holder has. Often these flange will spread the QR's sides apart and fall in between the QR's sides. I will pull the adjuster barrel and holder up out of the QR and squeeze the side plates of the QR together so they more fully support the flange and prevent pull through. Andy.

Your brake pinch bolt seems to be of the "hole through the bolt" type, and rust or the normal bending and crimping that happens when it's tightened can make the cable quite hard to move. you need some leverage, and fortunately it's there already.

Loosen the nut and tap the bolt back so the cable side is clearly clear of the brake, but still attached. Place some quarters or whatever between the brake shoes and rim to keep the caliper from closing and squeeze the lever. This should give you plenty of leverage to pull the wire back out of the hole. Of course this is the wrong direction, but once it's free you'll have an easier time pulling it through and down farther so you can readjust the brake.

Remember to close the brake QR and set the adjusting barrel to very near it's lowest position so you can use it to tighten the adjusted brake later as the shoes wear.

Thanks again for all the great answers! Would it help if I took a better picture of the pinch bolt and QR. I sort of understand what y'all are saying, but I am still confused. Sorry about that. I definitely need to do more research about general bike components.

This isn't complicated. The pinch bolt is the lower one in the photo that the cable runs through. It's a screw with a hole through it just below the head through which the cable runs. When the nut is tightened the bolt draws up against the brake "pinching" the cable. Freeing it is simply a matter of loosening the nut (front in the photo) and pushing the screw back a bit so it's no longer "pinching" the wire. However the wire will still be distorted and may not want to slip easily, which is why I suggested using the brake lever as if applying the brake to yank it back.

It may also be rusted in place. I would spray a little PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench on that assembly to get things moving. Then I would likely replace the cables and housing. This is an older bike, and who knows how long those cables have been on the bike, or even how long it sat unused in someone's garage, basement or back closet.

Safety beats economy , dont be cheap it may kill you. Replace the cable, housing, new brake pads too. do the back one too.

Ok I have tried the methods you described and this dang cable is still stuck. I've loosened it and tapped the bolt back, but it's still stuck tight. I also tried the brake lever technique you suggested and it didn't budge at all. Maybe I'm totally screwing this up because I feel it shouldn't be this difficult. I tried to take two better pictures if this helps.

Pinch Bolt



QR

1 Perhaps back off the nut a bit more and tap harder - there's still space between the nut and washer and not enough space where the cable is (see arrows in pic). You need to think about what you are trying to accomplish with the instructions we've given you. You can also try using a flat blade screwdriver to increase the space where the cable is, or even sidepull cutters to wedge it open.

2. That brake q/r is indeed not working properly. the plate with the two holes in it and the matching one in back should be sitting under the bottom of the adjustment barrel. Note how the plate is not sitting fully on the cylindrical part. The brake is not going to work or adjust properly until that is fixed. See pic -

3. Any bike co-op nearby, knowledgeable friend, or (horrors) bike shop that could help you? There may be more challenges to this bike and I think in-person help would be valuable to you.

Remove the nut, then remove the bolt, cut the wire end off, take the bolt off the wire.

Does the brake open on its own and close by hand? If not, lubricate it and work it until it does. If it won't, replace it.

Grab the end of the wire with a vise grip, pull: does it pull the lever tight? Will closing the brake lever pull the wire into the cable? If not, lubricate the cable with graphite; if that won't loosen it you may need a new wire and/or cable.

Walmart sells something they call a 'repair kit' that has a set of derailleur and brake cables and wires for about $6. That's the cheapest deal in town, just for the wires. I have a bunch of spare cables in my box of spare parts.

These are steel. They can rust. I've fixed up friends' old unused bicycles and found the wires and the insides of the cables rusty. If you really want to ride a bicycle replacing them is a negligible cost.

I dress the ends of my cables with 'Goop' ('cause that's what I have around) and, occasionally, a bit of shrink tubing (unshrunk) (same).

I suspect RUST. If you have any oil and acetone or nail polish remover, mix up a small batch of a mix of the two, mostly acetone and only a bit of oil, and soak the bolt. Wait 24-48hrs. and use the lever trick making sure to add wedges or spacers so the brake can't close when you squeeze the lever. Then squeeze the lever like you're coming into an intersection at high speed, and see a cement truck coming from the right on a collision course.

BTW0 the worst case scenario is that the bolt and cable are rusted together. In that case, you can buy a new bolt (they're still available) and cable and start fresh. Simply cut the old cable above the bolt.

Finally got it!! Wow it took me hitting that screw pretty hard with a rubber mallet to finally get it loose. I was then able to tighten the cable and now my brakes work great. Sorry for all the confusion guys. I really appreciate the patience and help!