How to adjust your rim brakes

• Allen key set
• T10/T25 Torx wrench
• 10, 12, and 13 mm open-end wrenches
• PH2 screwdriver
• Needle-nose pliers
• Repair stand (optional)
• Torque wrench (optional)

Start by unhooking the brake cable. Then press the brake arms firmly against the rim. Viewed from the side, the brake pads must sit parallel to the brake track. To adjust them, loosen the fixing bolt slightly, hold the brake arm against the rim, and align the pad. Then tighten the bolt again while keeping the arm pressed in place, lightly counter-holding with your other hand. Repeat the process on the other side.

Hook the brake cable back into place. Spin the wheel and check that it runs freely. If the pads sit too close to the rim or drag, reduce the cable tension. If you pull the brake lever and the pads only engage when the lever is almost touching the handlebar, or do not contact the brake track at all, increase the tension. You can make small adjustments using the barrel adjuster on the brake lever. If that isn’t enough, loosen the cable fixing bolt on the brake arm, reset the tension, and retighten the bolt to 6-8 Nm.

Check from the front whether both V-brake arms sit at the same angle. Ideally, they should be positioned symmetrically and aligned with the wheel. You can adjust the angle of each arm by turning the small adjustment screw on the side of the brake arm with an Allen key or Phillips screwdriver. Turning the screw clockwise increases the distance between the arm and the rim.

On a road bike rim brake, the pads must sit parallel to the brake track when viewed from the side and be aligned with the rim in the direction of travel. Loosen the pad fixing bolt slightly and pull the brake lever so the pad contacts the brake track. Align the pad carefully, then tighten the bolt again while holding the brake lever firmly in place.

A road bike rim brake mounts to the fork or rear triangle using a central fixing bolt. Both brake arms and pads should sit at the same distance from the rim.

There are two common ways to correct the position:

 

1. Loosen the mounting nut slightly. Use an open-end wrench behind the spring to carefully shift the entire brake body to the left or right. You can also hold the brake lever down while the nut is loosened to help center it. Once the brake body is aligned, retighten the nut to 5-7 Nm while counter-holding with your hand or wrench.
2. If your dual-pivot brake has a centering screw on top, turn the small adjustment screw with an Allen key or PH2 screwdriver until the brake sits symmetrically. If that does not provide enough adjustment, use the first method instead.

Check the cable tension. Many brake models have a quick-release lever on the cable to make wheel removal easier. Make sure it is closed before adjusting the brake. Without pulling the brake lever, the pads should sit about 3 mm from the brake track. The brake should engage after roughly one-third of the lever travel. Spin the wheel and make sure it runs freely. If the pads sit too close to the rim, reduce the cable tension. If they are too far away, increase the tension. Make small adjustments using the barrel adjuster on the brake body. For larger changes, loosen the cable fixing bolt slightly, reset the tension, and retighten the bolt.

First, check that the brake pads are properly aligned. Press them firmly against the brake track and note their position. From the side, the pads must sit parallel to the brake track and be aligned with the rim in the direction of travel. To adjust them, pull the brake lever so the pads sit against the rim, then loosen the pad fixing bolt slightly with an Allen key or open-end wrench. If the cable tension prevents proper alignment, reduce it slightly before making the adjustment. Align the pad so it sits square on the rim and at a 90° angle to the brake arm. Then pull the brake lever firmly and retighten the fixing bolt while counter-holding with your other hand or wrench. Repeat the process on the opposite side.

Adjusting cable tension on cantilever brakes is slightly less straightforward than on other rim brakes. Spin the wheel and check that it runs freely. If the pads rub against the rim, reduce the cable tension. If you pull the brake lever and the brake engages too late or does not contact the brake track at all, increase the tension. If your brake lever or cable hanger has a barrel adjuster, use it to fine-tune the tension.

If there is no barrel adjuster, or if you need a larger adjustment, there are two possible methods. On Y-link systems, where the main brake cable runs through the link, loosen the main cable fixing bolt on the brake arm slightly. If your brake uses a separate cross cable, carefully loosen the fixing bolt on the cable hanger that secures the main cable. Adjust the cable tension as needed - use pliers if necessary - then retighten the bolt to 6-9 Nm. On cantilever brakes with a Y-link, make sure the main cable runs vertically upward from the link above the brake.

Check from the front whether both cantilever arms sit at the same angle and are centered relative to the rim. You can adjust each arm by turning the small adjustment screw on the side of the brake arm with a hex key. Turning the screw moves the arm inward or outward and slightly affects the position of the opposite arm as well. This is why centering a cantilever brake can require a bit of fine tuning. On models where the cross cable is fixed to the cable hanger, loosen its fixing screw with a hex key or Phillips screwdriver before making adjustments.