Hi guys - I've been riding my bike all winter and having a recurring problem plague my ventures. If it's cold enough, the brakes freeze up. At first I can't make them work at all, and when I finally get them free with enough force, they get stuck in the braking position, locking up my wheels -- not much fun in traffic! Any pointers or tricks to keeping this from happening?

I've had problems with cables freezing up, spray lots of WD-40 to displace moisture and try to eliminate cable sags that let water accumulate. I had trouble with my rear brakes, got accustomed to not using them.

I'd suggest replacing the cable housings every year or two. Also, use only small amounts of lubricant other than dry lubricant.

Paul

Your cables are prabably crammed with road gunk.
Can happen quick in the winter.
Use teflon lined cable housings and a few drops of lubricant (tri-flow) on a regular basis.
Remember WD-40 is for Water Displacement and is not a lube.
Enjoy

.If you are riding below freezing there are a couple of things that happen. If the air and your bike is below freezing and the road is below freezing fine..

BUT......

on a heavily traveled road the friction and heat from the cars warms the road to above freezing and you have a little water or slush. It comes around on the wheel and hits any part of the cold bike. The result is you have an ice maker. I have actually extruded ice bars out the front of my front fender until they fall off sideways. There is no amount of preparation that will prevent this. They say ammonia in a bottle will help clear the brakes if you spray it on them. I have never tried it.
If you are in the same weather conditions it will come right back. All you can do is get used to riding without brakes, ride slowly and carefully. Sometimes the back brake keeps working as the front makes a wake in the water of slush. Then the rear wheel rim stays dry. Test the back brake and see what is happening.

If the bike has been in the house leave the bike outside as long as possible before riding to cool off the bike At least if you ride on a frozen road, the ice build up won't be as bad, until you use the brakes and heat the rims. Then it ices up

If you are riding in snow the same thing happens, but at least in the snow you are going slower.

If this does happen and you need to know if it's ice, or cables, or something else, just bring the bike inside and see if it goes away as the bike warms up.

The only thing that I can think for this problem is to try running a front tire that is wider than the back tire. This will help keep the back brake dry by pushing the wet stuff out of the way. Then you have a back brake.

In the snow this happens all the time. My back brake always keeps working on my mtb in the snow as it stays cleaner, the tires are a lot wider than the rims so the front tire clears a path for the back

The Iditabike snow racers usually don't have front brakes. It just slows then down.

I’ve had this problem twice this year. It is scary. I was riding down the hill leaving the neighborhood and had to stop for a school bus. I couldn’t squeeze the brake lever. Then WHAM! It broke free and locked up the rear wheel. I had a difficult time getting the thing to unlock. Both times it happened was after 3-4 days of rain and then temps < 20f.

I can’t figure out if it is the post the brake mounts to or the cable. It happened last week and I did nothing about it. Got on the bike this Monday (10f) after letting it sit in the garage all weekend and it was fine. This makes me thing it is the posts. If it was the cable it doesn’t seem it would evaporate that fast.

If it is the posts, I was thinking of getting some of that spray lock deicer.

Can’t believe the ‘fixies’ aren’t all over this thread telling us we don’t need brakes/cables and such

Small bottle of ammonia works really well. Save my a$$ a few times. If you are really desperate, whip it out and pee on the frozen part. It really de-ices everything very quickly. This pee trick once saved me while trapped in supe cold weather on an epic MTB ride, and my cassete hub iced up, nearly stranding me in the woods in cold temps inadaquetley dressed.

If it is the post that the brakes mount on the frame you should take them off and grease them. If the ice is getting in there the grease will help keep out the water. Don't wipe it all away around the edges of where the brake lever hits the frame a little bead of grease may keep water from getting in. Don't spray the pivots with de icer before the ride. You will wash out some of the grease and make more space for water to come in next time. Unless you need to spray some on the road to keep going.
You might as well lube the cables anyway. At the joint where the inside cable goes into the outside housing, put a dab of grease on the opening and try to fill the opening to prevent moisture from going in. Try carrying some ammonia or deicer for a test. If any thing freezes up again you could try just putting ammonia or deicer on the pivots and see if that releases the brakes or not. Maybe you could isolate exactly where the problem is.

When you look at the brakes to open them could you see ice on the brake shoes or anything else?

The "fixies" ....well..... a single speed rear coaster brake might work fine in icing conditions. It's all enclosed and away from the rims?? I have one that works in the rain like it never gets wet. Hmmm!

Or a drum brake? or a disc?

What did the hub do, or not do? Did the pawls not grab, or ice on the cogs or ?

There wasn't any ice on the pads/rims, but I couldn't see much of anything. Of course it was dark and cold as hell. It took me several minutes to pry the levers ('V' style) apart.

I like your idea about using the deicer to find the problem, but it probably is time to pull the levers and grease things up.

Yea, the pawls went all loosey goosey, and freewheeled in both directions. I think that the pawl froze, and that it wound't engage. My pee unfroze it, allowing me to ride out quickly!

Take the brakes off the bike and leave them at home. Always worked for me.

I'd recommend a fixie if you do that, though.

You never know what you're going to learn around here!

I guess eventually you had to work on that hub with your own hands!

I never really saw a real need for a fixed mtb before. Not that I though there was anything wrong with it.
But I did not see it solving any problems. I'm changing my mind. It would be good in snow where brake icing is a constant thing. The rim brakes actually cause problems.. duh

So would a coaster brake, drum brake, disc etc. but the extreme cold could cause problems with all of those I imagine. Back to the fix again.

Now I know what to do with that frame in the cellar. Maybe a fixie with a front disc would go in the snow.

Uh, move to a warmer climate...

Then what do I do with the front disc brake, fixed gear, double wide rim, studded tire snow, bike that I spent all month building? After all that I decided to have the canilever bosses removed, filled, filed, and then I had the dropouts plated and the frame powder coated. And you want me to move to a warmer climate?

You are just being impratical.

maybe 165 cranks will keep your feet out of the deep snow.....

Winter in the mountains... enjoy your bike, but my gosh living in the stuff... I really do find it quite amazing that some of you in the snow areas actually ride all year. Good on ya. Got to admit I get lazy when it gets dark early.

I love the left coast. I used to go to LA every year to run a small factory for two weeks when the regular guy went on vacation. I love Joshua Tree and that area.

You make do with what you have, sometimes it grows on you. I actually miss the snow in the spring, until a nice hot ride on the road bike.

Rhode Island , about a week ago... endorphins still function in the cold weather!

https://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dad029...LdyZCBkzKrc__c

I love my fixed mountain bike. Been riding for the last week with tons of snow and cold temps that leave freewheels spinning in both directions. Yeah man!

I didn't have any freewheel problems YET, just car problems. A fixie is better than a car too. duh! It was 0 degrees down here in the morning.

I can't remember from the picture, you have a front brake?

What happens on very slippery surfaces, does it skid and then grab and really stress your legs? What do you have for gearing?

I actually run both brakes for a few different reasons: I can't seem to get toe-in just right or something because my brakes tend to squeal. So I like to use both brakes real lightly. Perhaps I should just try new pads. Also, I run a freewheel on the other side of the hub, so... And finally, they were both on the bike when I got it, why not?

Anyhow, no there's no problems with the knees or anything, it rides like a bike. It's setup 40/17.