Sometimes you don't notice things unless you look closely. Let's examine them together, and I'll provide explanations so you can check your own beloved bike.

▲ICAN Road Bike A22

Brake Cable

It's very rare for the brake lever itself to go bad, so if you don't feel any discomfort, it's probably fine.

The next thing to check is the "cable."

As I wrote in another article, there is an "initial stretch" and the cable usually stretches after about a month of purchase, so adjustment is necessary.

After that, it can also rust.

Sometimes the exposed parts rust, but water can also get into hidden areas and cause rust to form.

Cable abnormalities can change how the brake feels when you squeeze it, so be sure to check if you feel anything unusual.

Humans are also excellent sensors.

■Brake Shoes

Brake shoes are the parts that clamp the wheel from both sides to stop it.

There are several types of brakes, but the shape of the brake shoes is almost the same.

This depends on the bicycle, but in my case, it's easy to remove with just one hex wrench.

After removing it, looking at the surface that contacts the rim reveals a lot.

From the outside, it looked fine, but one side of the brake shoe had no grooves left.

When the grooves are completely worn away, the brakes will no longer work.

It's best to replace them.

If you order from Amazon, they apparently arrive the next day.

So you can do maintenance on Saturday and replace them on Sunday.

For famous manufacturers like Shimano, a pair (one set for left and right) costs just under 1,000 yen, while unknown brands offer front and rear (two sets for left and right) for just under 1,000 yen.

This means there's about a twofold price difference, so please choose what suits you.

I also checked the rear wheel.

Although it's worn, there are still grooves, so it can still be used.

This is the first time I've replaced the brake shoes on this bike since I bought it about a year ago.

The fact that the front wears out more quickly suggests that I use the front brake more often.

In that case, I could just replace the front wheel's brake shoes, but since I might forget to replace them later, I decided to replace both at the same time this time.

I think it's a good idea to keep the ones that are still good and use them as temporary replacements while waiting for new parts to arrive for the next replacement.

If you ask a bicycle shop to do it, the parts cost and labor will probably be about the same, so replacing both at the same time will likely be cheaper overall.

The washers for brake shoes are a bit special, so I'll show them to you with an image.

There are two sets of special washers in front and behind the brake caliper.

I don't know the official name, but "tapered washer" should be fine.

Because this angle varies depending on the bicycle, there's a mechanism that could be called a "self-taper function" that automatically adjusts to the correct angle when tightened.

It's just a set of spherical convex and concave parts.

If you simply remove the screws without thinking, you might not remember how they were, so be sure to observe carefully before disassembling and reassemble them exactly as they were.

One more thing about brake shoes.

If you look at the rubber on the contact surface, you'll probably see some silvery specks embedded in it.

These are not originally part of the brake shoe, but rather flakes of the tire rim surface that have peeled off and gotten stuck, or small stones and foreign objects picked up from the road.

When these get embedded and clamp the rim, they will damage the rim.

This kind of damage is unavoidable with rim brakes.

I've never seen anyone disassemble their brake shoes and remove metal fragments every time they ride their bike.

No matter how important your bicycle is, this is an area where you need to accept it as "just how it is."

If you switch to disc brakes, a dedicated disc will absorb this, so the rim won't get damaged.

If this bothers you a lot, please consider a bicycle with disc brakes.

Now, there's one important point to note during installation.

Brake shoes are slightly curved to match the tire, but if the angle is wrong, they can rub against the tire (rubber part) and gradually wear it down. Please be careful.

This is what the brake shoe looks like when installed correctly.

In contrast, if the angle is off, part of it will come into contact with the tire, resulting in a state like this.

Resistance when pedaling or abnormal noises can occur, so you need to check for these irregularities without ignoring them.

■Tires

Finally, the tires are crucial for effective braking.

As shown in the image, there's still plenty of tread left, so it's fine to keep riding as is.

When these grooves wear out, replacement is necessary.

It's best to replace them before the grooves completely disappear, so a quick visual check during weekend maintenance, etc., should suffice.

Around the brakes (mainly the front fork), there's a black, powdery dirt, which I believe is brake shoe residue.

By regularly wiping it off during checks and maintenance, you can keep your frame clean for a long time.

My bicycle has a white frame, so this dirt stands out.

I always clean it before taking photos.

External Writer: Koichi Okuno

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