Having properly working brakes is a necessity for any kind of biking. Center pull brake systems are not terribly complicated, so you can more than likely identify and fix the problem yourself in just a few minutes.
Check the Wheels
Check your wheels to see whether they are true. When you spin the tires, they should not wobble. If they wobble, your brakes will not work as effectively, even after you adjust them. Truing a wheel is more complicated than fixing brakes, so you might want to first take your wheels off and have them trued at a bike shop. Also, check your tire rims to ensure they are clean and free of oil or grease. Clean them if necessary and retest the brakes.
Check the Brake Pads
Worn or improperly aligned brake pads compromise your braking power. Push on both sides of the brake pads and make sure the pads press on the rim and not the tire. Also, examine the pads to make sure they are not overly worn or rounded. Clean the pads, file them down if they are rounded or, if necessary, buy replacement pads. Replace and align the pads. Make sure the pads are tilted or toed in so the front part of the brake pad presses the rim before the rear part. On newer bike models you simply loosen the screw that holds the pads in place and then tilt the pad in. On old-school bikes, you might need to bend the pad and holder in. Once you’ve positioned them properly, tighten the pads snugly.
Adjust Cable Tension
Put your bike up on a stand so you can spin the wheel while you test the brakes. If you squeeze the brake lever on the handle bar, but not enough tension is in the brake cable to stop the wheel from spinning, you need to tighten the cable. Many center pull brakes have barrel adjusters that allow you to tighten the cable tension. You might find a barrel adjuster near the juncture where the brake cable meets the brake lever on the handle bars or you may find a barrel adjuster where the brake cable meets the caliper at the tire. Some brakes have barrel adjusters in both locations. Squeeze the brake pads so they press against the wheel rim to create slack in the cable and then rotate the barrel adjuster to tighten the cable. When you stop squeezing the brake pads, they should not touch the rim but should be within a 1/4 inch of the rim.
Tighten the Cable
If tightening the barrel adjusters doesn’t take up enough slack to get the brake pads close to the rims while the brake levers are not being pressed, you will need to tighten the cable. To do this, press the brake pads against the rim with one hand and tighten the barrel adjuster to create slack in the cable. Still squeezing the brake pads, loosen the holding bolt that secures the wire above the caliper. Use a brake inner wire pulling tool if you have one or just use pliers to grab the end of the wire. With a twisting motion, pull down on the inner wire to take up slack. Tighten the anchor bolt snugly, being careful to not over-tighten. Test the snugness by pressing hard on the brake levers. The brake cable should maintain its tension. Make further adjustments in cable tension as needed using the barrel adjusters.
Center the Brake Calipers
If brake calipers are not centered properly, when you squeeze the brake levers, one brake pad presses against the rim before the other one does. On many center-pull brakes, you can separately adjust how close each brake pad is to the rim using adjusting screws that are located on both calipers. Tighten the screw to move the pad farther from the rim. You might also need to adjust the position of the entire caliper relative to the wheel. To do this, loosen the mounting nut that secures the caliper to the bike. Hold the calipers in place centered over the tire and retighten the nut.
Test the Brakes
Before you take your bike on the road or down a mountain, test the brakes to confirm everything is tight and snug. You can experiment with how tight you like the brakes using the barrel adjusters. Some people like the brake pads to grab the wheels as soon as they squeeze the levers, while others like a bit more play.
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