Brake adjustment
 

Just bought a new Raleigh Detour 3.5 and of course it was all tuned up for me at the shop before I left with it. The thing is, in order to fit it in the car, I had to take off the front wheel. The shop guy showed me how to take it off and put it back on real quick and I remembered how but I don't have any other experience doing this. The bike has Shimano linear pull brakes. As soon as I got home I put the wheel back on and the brakes were constantly touching the wheel. I then took it back off and put it back on again and then the brakes were not touching the wheel all the time anymore but the brake handle "stuck" so that when I pressed it, it would not automatically come back up. My dad looked at it (who isn't a bike expert let me say) and thought that it needed some adjustment down below so we unscrewed the "clamp" thing a bit and I moved the brake arm in toward the wheel a bit. The brakes were then stuck on again. Did this several times at different positions and the brakes were either stuck on or the handle got stuck.

I may try and mess with it some more but I was planning on taking it back to the shop and having them fix it up again and show me how to get it back right. Is there something I'm missing or do you have any advice? Thanks.

Most likely, your wheel was not centered in the dropouts.

Most likely, your wheel was centered, but you didn't get the "noodle" remounted correctly.

:popcorn

Most likely, this is where things went wrong. If the shop set the brakes up correctly in the first place and tightened all fasteners properly, nothing should have been touched.

Go with your second option and take it back to the shop. Get them set up correctly again and listen to all advice they give.

Linear brakes are pretty easy to set up. Check here for more information:
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=21
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/canti-direct.html

Bikes don't like being "messed" with. Make proper repairs when necessary, but don't go "unscrewing clamp things" without knowing what you're doing. Read parktool, sheldonbrown and other sites...and keep dad away from your bike:)

Hi,wat u mean by da "clamp" thang?

desertdork, thanks for the info. I'll definitely keep dad away from now on lol.

I actually went back out and adjusted them again to get them back to the way the bike shop had it so that I'm back to my 2nd problem - the brakes work fine but when I press them, they "stick" so that in order to release them fully, I have to pull the break lever back up manually. You said this could be due to the noodle. I compare the front noodle to the back and it looks set right. I'd agree though as that's the only thing I had done to the bike since I got it home.

In general, does anyone know what the solution to the problem is when the brakes stick like that? Thanks.

I'd check for friction or an obstruction in the cable housing.

Unhook the brake noodle; this should put enough slack in the cable for you to pull the first section of cable housing (closest to the brake lever) free from the first cable stop on the frame. Now you can slide the housing away from the lever and inspect the condition of the housing's end. Sometimes, the end doesn't get cut cleanly; this leaves a rough edge or a crimped opening that restricts or grabs the cable. This poorly prepared housing end can also break the cable's strands and cause premature and unexpected failure. There are probably four such housing ends on this cable, all of which are worth inspecting. Note: sometimes a metal or plastic ferrule is slipped over the end of the housing, but this can be concealing a problem.

If you do find some concern with the housing's condition, let the LBS take care of it. It takes a dremel or a special housing cutter to clean up the ends of the cable, and the cable will need to be removed (possibly replaced) and reinstalled to perform the work regardless. The dealer is responsible for seeing that all new bikes have brakes that are 100% up to snuff. Let the shop get it right for you this time.

Note: If the brake lever and brake arms were somewhat floppy and not truly sticking, I'd suspect an issue with insufficient tension on the brake arms' springs (adjusted via the tension screws near the mounting bolt).