Brake Pad Upgrade And How To

Just finished a mini upgrade of sorts for the brakes. I changed my OE Tektro brake pads with a pair of Kool Stops bought from BOTS Bangalore for Rs 2500 (two pairs). I don't know what the model is called precisely but it has V-type Holder written rather prominently on the packaging. I was advised this particular model by the BOTS team's Gautam.

The first thing that you notice about these pads is that they are quite large.  Much larger than the Tektros. This is supposed to be an advantage as it gives you more surface contact. Next, of course, is the dual colour. The black part of the brake is supposed to be more effective in dry weather while the salmon side is for wet conditions. We shall see how effective that is in real life in a few weeks from now. But the online reviews of these brake pads is very very good. Also, they are made in America, if that makes any difference. 

I am happy to inform that I did the installation or swap myself. I had watched a few videos some umpteen number of times. Incidentally there aren't too many of them on youtube. But finally realised that a basic swap is no rocket science. Anyone with a size 5 Allen key and a pinch of common sense can do it. I also chose to do it on the Friday night itself so that I could do a proper road test of my skill on Saturday and could seek Someswar's help over the weekend if things went out of control.

I first changed the front two brakes. Getting the pad to go behind the fork was a little tricky. They are seriously long and were fouling against the forks. But it can be overcome quite easily. Was reasonably satisfied with its stopping power inside the room and thought the pads were touching the rim more or less simultaneously and are equidistant from it. These are the two basic checks one needs to do after installation. Now it was time to test it out on the road. I went out despite the road being a little wet from the evening norwester. The excitement of the situation got the better of me. I had two things to test here. A. My mechanic skill. B. The stopping power of the new brakes.

I think I passed both the tests. On the road I engaged only the front brake a few times without engaging the rear brakes (so that I could understand the new brakes' stopping power). Of course, being only the front brake I didn't apply full force on them. But I think the stopping power is very adequate and much improved over the stock Tektros. It didn't squeal much. Will have to check this out more carefully tomorrow when I go for a full road test. 

Back home I mustered enough courage to now swap the pads on the rear wheel as well. It didn't take too long either. And from the room test it seemed they are working fine. Both are equidistant and are engaging on the rim simultaneously. I didn't go out for a road test to check both of them working together. That is being kept aside for tomorrow morning's ride. 

I have kept the Tektros nicely packed and marked. I intend to take them for the Darjeeling trip. It may not be entirely impossible to fry the brakes on the descent. I clubbed them together for rear and front wheels. I also put a thread between the spacers/washers exactly as they were separated on either side of the brake pad clamp (I am hoping that's the word). This is to counter my forgetfulness about such details.

Overall I am very satisfied with today's performance of mine as a mechanic. Actually it is important to know these basic roadside fixes if one aspires to be a serious tourer in future. I will now write a detailed how to. Although there are a couple of videos on the internet, they leave a lot of unanswered issues that you discover when you actually go to instal the pads. I shall address them in my how to.

How To Change A Cantilever Threaded Post Brake Pad

If you are reading this it is good to inform you that there are various types of brake systems in cycles. I am describing what I have. A rim brake (as opposed to disc brakes). And to be more specific a cantilever brake with threaded post (there is another type called smooth post).

The brake pad has three parts. A threaded post with a hex nut and several spacers, a metallic holder and a rubber shoe. The rubber shoes are generally changeable. That is, if the rubber shoe gets damaged or thinned out due to repeated friction then you can just change the rubber.

First you disengage the brake. After that I took off the existing Tektro brake pad. For this I used a long Allen key size 5 (on street side I may not have that long Allen key and must make do with the  smaller multitool). In fact that's all the tool you need. While taking off one has to be careful about all the spacers and washers attached to the post. They will come off the post as soon as you take off the nut. Depending on the brand, these spacers will vary in number. The Tektro had more number of spacers than the Kool Stop. Now these spacers will be on either side of the clamp to which the brake pad is attached. You should note how the spacers are arranged on the existing system and from there get an idea as to how to arrange them in your particular cycle.

After you decide how many spacers should be on which side, you take the correct pad for the particular side of the cycle (these are marked Left or Right and the direction is also shown with an arrow) and engage the threaded post to the clamp and tighten the bolt. That's all that is there to it. But ...........

There are quite a few buts. First you have to ensure that the rubber sits only on the rim. Particularly the top edge of the rubber should be in line with the top edge of the rim where it touches the tyre. The pad should not touch the tyre. What I did is, I did not tighten the nut all the way. I left about one rotation and adjusted the pad properly first ensuring it was parallel to the rim and then did the final tightening. I also used a rubber band at the back of the pad to ensure proper shoeing (so that the brakes don't squeal). While tightening the bolt one has to hold the pad tight with the other hand otherwise it will also move a little up or down forcing you to rearrange its precise position.

That's all there is to changing the brake pad. I am not sure if this makes sense to any newbie. I wrote it down so that I myself can refer to it next time when I need to change it.

Review After First Road Test

Today is Saturday. I had changed the pads last night. Missed the morning session but went out later during the day for a short test ride of about 3/4 kilometers. Went up the Lake Gardens flyover and came back. The brakes are working fine. Is there any improvement? Initially I thought so. But perhaps got used to it after a few stops. On very hard stops at high speeds there was some squealing. But that might be a new brake issue rather than shoeing in. I did not do any particular cleaning or rubbing of the new rubber before installation. And frankly I don't mind that very little squealing. But if it is a fault of fitment I will want to correct it. A mechanic should always strive for perfection. 

Pedal Installation

Bicycle pedals are a little quirky things. At least the type of pedals I have on my bikes. It is prudent to write down how to instal and take them off. It's an important thing to know if you want to go bicycle touring. Because before you pack a bike in a bag the first thing you do is take the pedal off. And when you reassemble the bike this is the second thing to do (after fixing the handle, that is.)

If you want to cut the crap and just learn how to install or take off the pedal check these two videos I made. It's very simple and can be done with a sliding wrench, as I do. To install a pedal click here . To uninstall or take off a pedal click here . A tip to remember. If you sit facing the bike on both sides then you have to turn the wrench in exactly the same direction. You need not read the rest of the write up here. Just one other thing. Always use grease when you install a pedal. Makes the job of taking it off later much easier. 

The Detailed Story

The two pedals come with L and R written on them. L goes to the left (non-drive side) and R goes to the right (drive side). Obviously. You will need a wrench that is the right size for it. There are specialised pedal wrenches available in the market. But the job can be done using any adjustable wrench that is not too fat. I use this type of adjustable wrench (picture to the right). Typically such wrenches are used by plumbers. I have used it to undo a lot of plumbing stuff in the toilet or hand wash basin. It's a multi-utility kind of tool. It makes sense to carry such a wrench on a tour because it can have other utilities too. If pushed it can even work as a basic pair of pliers also. However, the particular one I have is perhaps an overkill in terms of size. But it does its job very well. There are other smaller models too, which might be better suited for cycle touring. Anyway, off with the instructions of how to instal the pedal. 

The end of the pedal has a bolt like thing with thread on it that goes inside the crank (see image on left). I think its proper technical name is spindle. The initial impulse of a novice would be to hold the thread against the hole and turn the pedal by hand. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. I wish it was. The pedal moves around its axis freely. That is, if the pedal turns on its own axis, the axis itself or the spindle or the bolt does not move at all. So, just turning the pedal won't make it go inside the crank arm.

It has a head with two flat surfaces on opposite sides that you hold with the wrench. In the picture you can see L is written on one of the flat surfaces (the other flat side is hidden below). You hold this flat surface with the wrench and then hold the bolt against the hole in the crank arm where it will go. 

Next you rotate the pedal backward, holding the wrench steady. Don't let the wrench turn with the pedal. The pedal slowly goes in and sits inside the crank arm.

Taking it off is exactly the opposite. That's quite a no brainer, isn't it? You hold the same head kind of thing with the wrench and pedal forward (keep the rear wheel lifted or set the cycle on a trainer/repair stand to do this). You can start off by unlocking the initial stubborn part. For this try turning the head clockwise (without moving the pedal forward). This is a little counter intuitive but that's how it is. 

The first time you install a new pedal make sure you grease up the bolt end. 

Remember this one line - After you hold the spanner  and looking at the pedal - left pedals come off if you turn them clockwise and right pedal comes off if you turn them anti-clockwise.

One universal rule - if you are looking at the pedal, all pedals left or right, tighten to the front. And they all loosen to the back. I am not using the term clockwise or counter clockwise because that's confusing. Confusing because we look at a pedal from two different sides.

All this might sound a bit confusing but there is no rocket science involved. Just sit down with a spanner and the pedals. Any person of average intelligence can work it out. If I can do it, you can do it too.

There are some pedals - usually the more expensive ones like the steel MKS pedals above left - that can be installed using a 6 mm Allen key as well. You will need a long Allen key for that. Of course the one in your multi-tool can also do the job during a tour. But the longer ones make the job easier. To do this you need to reach the pedal from the opposite side.

The pedals on the right are more humble and need a wrench to be installed or taken off.

I use the Allen key for the final tightening of my MKS. Because operating it from the other side through the bottle cages and all is a little messy.

In Simpler Terms (because I myself forget these things after a day)

Take off the left pedal - Sit in front of the pedal. Hold the wrench on the spindle. Turn clockwise, that is towards the rear wheel. It comes off.

Take off the right pedal - Sit in front of the pedal. Hold the wrench on the spindle. Turn anti-clockwise, that is towards the rear wheel. It comes off.

How To Instal SKS Bluemels Fenders On LHT

They call them fenders these days. I prefer to call them mudguards. Here is my account of what I did to instal them (Bluemels SKS) to my Surly LHT. The learning curve, as usual, was very steep. But if I can do it, so can you. Read on if you have the time. I am writing it for my own self. I might soon forget everything that I learnt from this exercise.

Front Mudguard installation 

Tools Required – Spanner # 8 and hex wrench # 4, a pair of pliers and some grease. Later you will realise that you also need a bolt cutter or hacksaw. This is not mentioned anywhere.

This is what I did based on viewing 3 youtube videos on the subject and the literature that came with the product. If I do it again, I will do it in a different way, the reasons for which are explained later. But no harm jotting down truthfully exactly what I did. 

First insert the four plastic end caps in their respective places, namely on either side of the two clamps that come fitted to the MG. It is a little tricky. The plastic end cap has a very thin slit side. The metal clamp should slide through that so that it stays snug. The pointed part should go through the hole. For this to happen smoothly, the hole of the clamp has to be in perfect alignment with the clamp's side. Use the pliers to do this alignment. Please remember, once inserted properly, it is very difficult to slide it back down. I am not sure if this will make much sense to someone unless you try it out yourself.  

Step 2 - Insert the stays with the plastic ends (the non-plastic ones are for the rear wheel) into the end caps. Use the four bolts to secure the stays with the end cap.

Step 3 – Secure the stays against the fork on either side with two of the smaller bolts (use hex wrench #4). Since the inside threaded part of the fork’s end has painted surface, the first time is really hard. I had to turn the bolt in and out several times to strip the paint inside. Once it is smooth add some grease and secure the stays.

If I install another pair of MG I will do these three steps last. The reason is discussed at the end of this description.

Step 4 – Insert the biggest bolt through the clamp and the hole in the middle of the fork and secure the nut on the other end. Use a washer here. Hold a spanner on the nut and a hex wrench on the other end. Tighten whichever is more convenient.

Step 5 – Now secure all the bolts tight but not too tight.

The installation instruction PDF from SKS

Now you will find that the MG is fitted all right but looks awful because it is not in alignment. What none of the effing youtube videos or the official literature from the company tell you is that you need to now cut the stays to size so that the MGs don't look deshaped and misaligned. Here is what they look like with the original stays (without trimming) attached.

Here is what they look like (picture above). Front and rear. Look at the end of the MG where it is attached to the stay. The stay needs to be trimmed by about an inch. I will get a bolt cutter tomorrow and then post another pic. First I have to get a bolt cutter. Bhanubhai (my hardware supplier from Bentinck Street) zindabad. I am off to Chandni tomorrow. Will carry the stay for Bhanubhai to understand what I need to cut. 

I hate it when I have to stop a work for the want of a proper tool. In this case it was a bolt cutter. So the next day during lunch break I went to Bhanubhai and bought for myself a heavy duty Taparia bolt cutter for Rs 800. It's a 14-inch cutter. Anything smaller would've failed actually. The stays are really strong German material.

On second thoughts, I should have probably spent a little more and got for myself an angled grinder. Because with a bolt cutter, you cannot do anything else except cutting bolts or nails, which is not a very frequent requirement unless you are a professional mechanic, particularly the heavy duty 14-inch stuff that I bought. An angle grinder can be used in various situations around the house, including for bathroom cleaning. But then I have made many other such superfluous purchases in life. This is perhaps one more and one of the less expensive spending mistakes in life :-)

Anyway, back home I took the stays off while the MG remained attached to the frame. Held the mudguard in a proper shape parallel to the wheel with a piece of thread tied to the rim and then measured the stay from the center point to the end cap. I marked the cutting point, slightly shorter than where the end cap ends. I put different marks on the two arms of the stay (upper and lower), so that I am not confused later. With one stay thus measured I held the other stay matched to the marked one and put the same marks. The idea is, both the stays on either side should be exactly the same size.

Now came the cutting part. Just one tip, if you are as novice as I am. Hold a towel kind of thing loosely over the end that is going to shoot out in any direction, including your eyes, when it is cut (potential energy converted into kinetic energy, I guess). Collect the ends safely and dispose them off safely later. They are tougher than any nail I have ever seen.

The ends of the stay, now that you have cut them, will be slightly rough. If you are very fastidious about these things you can file them. I did not. I installed the stays once again. Now the fender looks a lot more respectable.

I did one more small improvisation. The front part of the MG was a little raised and not entirely parallel to the wheel, like the hood of a raised pique hat. I did not like the shape. So what I did is put a few washers on the bolt joining the MG to the frame. This somewhat pressed it down. Possibly a longer spacer and therefore a longer bolt would do the job better but then I'll have to get a longer bolt first, to get which I will have to take this bolt off and go to Chandni. Lot of work that can wait.

One other point to mention about the front wheel MG installation. You don't need to take off the wheel to do it.

Rear Mudguard Installation 

It's much the same as the front MG installation. Will mention the differences. The first thing you do is take the wheel off. Then slide the bridge up the MG. The rear MG is attached to the frame in two places, as opposed to only one for the front. Bolt them up there. Measure the stays and ensure that the fit is right. That's it. Here also a spacer would make the mudguard look nice but that would mean getting a longer bolt. I can live with the MG looking slightly pushed out at one end.