Experienced cyclist Jonny McBain continues this mini-series by providing advice on how to cure squeaky brakes on bikes, a curse for the rider and also a pain for those walking nearby.
Squeaky disc brakes (pictured) are caused by dampness until they are warmed up. Once the brake is warmed-up it should go quiet again but Jonny warned: “If it doesn’t stop squeaking then there is a chance that you have contaminated the brake pads.
“That normally comes from using the wrong products to clean the bike or you get over spray of oil from the chain which catches your brake pads. There is nothing you can really do apart from replacing the brake pads.”
The easy fix, said the former mountain bike champion, is prevention rather than cure. Jonny, owner of Pedal Power in West Calder, said: “Don’t go crazy with the oil. The key with oil on the chain is little and often. That will keep the chain nice.”
Is having a chain bath a good idea? He replied: “Definitely, it is not something you would do after every bike ride as it is quite aggressive on the chain, but, once a month or once every three weeks, depending on how much you ride your bike, is appropriate.
“Remember, as you apply oil to the chain the oil attracts mud and dirt as much as it is lubricating it and it is sticky and, after a while, that turns into its own grinding paste. That needs to come off. Doing that means your bike will run way sweeter for longer.
“If you leave all that muck on that means components will wear out more quickly and, when you are cleaning your chain, don’t neglect the two little jockey wheels at the back.
“They attract so much dirt and mud. Take a little knife or screwdriver and run around the jockey wheels and take off the dirt. When that comes off it is satisfying, it is to me.”
He added: “The more maintenance you do on your drive chain the less you will have to spend on it in the long-term. It will make everything last longer.”
Above are a selection of the range of the helmets, accessories and bikes available in the extensive Pedal Power shop at West Calder. Pix by Nigel Duncan
Experienced news, business, arts, sport and travel journalist. Food critic and managing editor of a well-established food and travel website. Also a magazine editor of publications with circulations of up to 200,000 and managing director of a long-established PR/marketing company with a string of blue-chip clients in its CV. Former communications lecturer at a Scottish university and social media specialist for a string of successful and busy SMEs.
