Winter can spell disaster for brakes. Mud, road grit and water accelerate wear, cause corrosion and may leave you stopping Fred Flintstone-style.
Don’t let grit and grime grind your brakes to a screeching halt, this is what to watch out for and tips on how to repair your brakes in any weather.
Rim Brakes
Signs of Wear:The grooves in your pads are thin or unevenly worn. You hear a grinding noise or braking feels less precise than normal.
Know This: Those grooves are there to channel debris away from your rims, and that noise may be coming from objects lodged in the grooves. Pads that lasted all summer and are half-worn can wear down to the metal in one wet, nasty ride. Even brand-new pads can wear out in one ride.
Do This: Check for embedded objects in the pads. Even if everything seems fine, check pads often and always put a fresh set on your rim brakes for the winter months.
Disc Brakes
Signs of Wear: Most disc brake manufacturers recommend pad replacement when there’s 0.5 to 1mm of pad material left.
Know This: Disc brakes offer the most stopping power and wear the best in adverse conditions, but they can still succumb to the effects of winter, even wearing out in one muddy or wet, sandy ride.
Do This: Although hydraulic brakes are well sealed and rarely become contaminated, change the brake fluid at least once during the winter, because moisture inside the system can cause corrosion and heat-related brake fade. Mechanical discs work well as long as the cables are in good condition (see Cables, below).
Cables
Signs of Wear: Your brakes feel rough and are hard to pull when you squeeze them.
Know This: Water can contaminate cables and create friction caused by corrosion and dirt. Friction reduces overall braking power and your ability to modulate it. In really cold climates, water in the cables can freeze.
Do This: Pull the housing out of the frame stops, slide it back, and wipe the cable dry and clean. Apply a lightweight lubricant to reduce friction and help displace water. Also consider using shielded housing, or running full-length housing to the rear brake to avoid contamination. Also, replace cables often during the winter and avoid blasting them with a strong hose when washing.
Rims
Signs of Wear: Your rim is worn so thin that it fails, causing the tyre to blow off, the tube to explode and the sidewall of the rim to fold outward. If you’re lucky, this will happen while you’re pumping up the tyre, not mid-ride.
Know This: Rim brakes, when exposed to gritty road grime and off-road mud, can grind down the rim’s surface.
Do This: There’s no easy fix for worn rims; replacement is the only answer. Some manufacturers machine depressions into the sidewall to serve as wear indicators. Place a straight edge against the rim; if it’s concave, it should be inspected by an experienced mechanic and will likely need to be replaced.
Bad-Weather Braking Tips
READY: Wet brake pads take longer to stop. Brake early and give yourself more stopping distance.
SET: If pads wear quickly during a ride, adjust the barrel adjuster on caliper brakes or linear-pull brake levers to reduce free play.
STOP: Know your braking surface. Watch out for cobbles, painted road lines and steel surfaces that turn slippery when wet. Apply brakes gently, especially the front, and avoid braking while turning.