When the information comes from a bike shop, they often assume a certain level of knowledge, which can leave those with less experience lacking sufficient guidance.

I took photos while performing the actual work, so I will include them as well.

■ When to replace brake pads

In my case, I noticed the grooves were shallow after removing the brake pads for maintenance.

I hadn't ridden my bike for a month, so the purpose was to do some preventative maintenance.

Other than during maintenance, you probably don't look at your brake pads very often, but one indicator is noise.

Brakes start to squeal when applied.

This isn't always the case, but if you hear squealing, it's a good idea to remove the brake pads and check them, considering other possible reasons as well.

Once you remove the brake pads, what you should pay attention to are the grooves.

Typically, there are two or three grooves, but as the brake pads wear down, the grooves become level with the rest of the pad.

The image shows the brake pads from my bicycle; the two on the left are in a condition where they should be replaced.

The reason is that the groove depth is less than 1 mm.

The uneven wear indicates that my adjustment was poor.

By observing this, I now have information on how to adjust it better next time.

For comparison, here are the new brake pads.

As you can see from the image, the grooves are quite deep, far more than 1mm.

This means that as you use the brakes, the pads will wear down, and when the grooves become about 1mm deep, it's time to replace them.

By comparing the two images above, you should now be able to determine when to replace your brake pads.

By the way, I bought the brake pads on Amazon.

I chose an inexpensive set of four for about 1000 yen.

In my case, I don't go on long tours, and I check them every two weeks during maintenance.

My thinking is that if they wear out quickly, I can just replace them again.

The new ones have blue rubber parts.

This might make it easier to see the grooves without disassembling them.

Also, the grooves are not vertical lines, but V-shaped or slashed.

These designs are apparently for better water drainage and to prevent dirt from accumulating.

Even similar brake pads can have differences in these aspects.

Also, although it might be difficult for an amateur like me to tell, some brake pads have superior rubber material.

Good rubber would likely have good grip on the rim, making for effective braking.

While rubber that doesn't wear down easily might seem to last longer, braking effectiveness should be the priority, so I wouldn't necessarily consider it better.

■ Brake Shoe Replacement

Removal is very simple.

Just loosen the hex socket nut with an Allen wrench.

Now that I think about it, I've never seen a hex socket nut used anywhere else besides securing bicycle brake pads.

Be careful not to lose it, as there are almost no replacements available, and you'll have to buy new brake pads.

Also, the washers that secure the brake pads are quite specialized.

A pair of washers is used on both the left and right sides of the brake caliper bracket.

They are designed as a set of two, and when tightened, they automatically adjust to the correct angle.

Finally, there's a lock washer, and then the nut is tightened.

Since there are many washers, it's important to be careful not to forget the order during assembly or lose any of them.

When securing, you need to tighten the nut while simultaneously paying attention to several things.

One is the position: when the brake pad contacts the rim, it should be in the right position, neither too high nor too low.

Next, when you tighten the nut, the brake pad will rotate, so you need to hold it with your finger to prevent it from turning while tightening the nut.

Instead of tightening it all at once, temporarily fasten it and then fully tighten while checking the position and angle to avoid mistakes.

Finally, once the brake pads are secured, manually squeeze and release the brake to confirm that it's hitting the frame in the correct position.

■ Readjusting the cable

Brake pads gradually wear down.

This changes how wide the brake opens.

After replacing brake pads, always adjust the brake cable as well.

The procedure is to first tighten the adjustment bolt near the brake lever all the way.

Next, press the brake pad against the rim and tighten the brake cable's fixing nut.

Here, too, lightly tighten it, then gently squeeze the brake lever to confirm that the brake pad grips the rim.

As a guideline, the brake should engage when the brake lever is squeezed about one-third of the way.

If the brake only engages when fully squeezed, it's dangerous in an emergency.

Once it's in a good position, tighten the nut firmly.

The next step is to adjust the left-right balance.

Many models will have a Phillips-head screw on both the left and right sides at the position shown in the image.

Generally, tightening these screws adjusts the brake to open wider.

Since there are left and right screws, tightening only one side might not change anything as it becomes a tug-of-war.

In such cases, tighten one side and loosen the other to adjust the balance.

Avoid a situation where only one brake pad touches the rim when the brake is applied.

Also, it goes without saying that when the brake is not engaged, there should be clearance (a gap) between the rim and the brake pad.

About 1mm is sufficient as a guideline.

Finally, re-tighten all the nuts that were loosened.

Re-tightening means inserting the hex wrench again and tightening it slightly to confirm that the nuts are not loose.

If they are already tight, there's no problem, but if even one is forgotten, it can be dangerous.

Humans make mistakes.

Always make sure to re-tighten.

And finally, take a test ride to make sure the brakes are working properly.

Never go on a long trip immediately after maintenance.

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