When information comes from a bike shop, it's often assumed that the reader already knows the basics, leaving those with less knowledge and experience feeling underserved.

I've included photos taken while performing the actual work.

■When to Replace Brake Pads

In my case, I noticed the grooves were shallow when I removed the brake pads during maintenance.

I hadn't ridden my bike for a month, so I decided 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.

If you hear a squealing sound when you brake, it's a good idea to remove the brake pads and check them, even if there might be other reasons for the noise.

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

Typically, there are two or three grooves, but as the brake pads wear down, these grooves become flush with the rest of the pad's surface.

The image shows the brake pads from my bike; the two on the left are due for replacement.

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

The uneven wear indicates that my adjustments were poor.

Seeing this provides me with information to make better adjustments next time.

For reference, here are new brake pads.

As you can see in the image, the grooves are quite deep, not just 1 mm.

As you use the brakes, these will wear down, and when they reach about 1 mm, 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 my brake pads on Amazon.

I chose a cheap set of four for about 1,000 yen.

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

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

The new ones have blue rubber.

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

Also, the grooves are not just vertical lines but sometimes V-shaped or slanted.

This is apparently a design to help shed water and prevent dirt buildup.

Even similar brake pads can differ in these aspects.

Also, although it may be hard for amateurs like me to tell, some brake pads use superior rubber materials.

Good rubber would likely have excellent grip on the rim, resulting in effective braking.

While rubber that resists wear might seem to last longer, it's more important to prioritize effective braking, so I wouldn't necessarily say it's better.

■Replacing Brake Pads

Removal is very simple.

Just loosen the cap nut with an Allen wrench.

Come to think of it, I've never seen a cap nut used for anything other than securing bicycle brake pads.

Be careful not to lose it, as replacements are hard to come by, and you'll likely have to buy new brake pads if you do.

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

A pair of washers is used on either side of the brake caliper position.

These two washers work together so that when tightened, the angle automatically adjusts itself.

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 get the order wrong during assembly or lose them.

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

One is the position: make sure the brake pad is not too high or too low when it contacts the rim, but in just the right spot.

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

Instead of tightening it all at once, loosely fasten it first, check the position and angle, and then fully tighten it to avoid mistakes.

Finally, once the brake pads are secured, manually engage and release the brake to confirm that they are properly aligned with the rim.

■Readjusting the Cable

Brake pads gradually wear down.

This changes how far the brakes open.

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, while pressing the brake pads against the rim, tighten the brake cable fixing nut.

Here too, loosely tighten it and then lightly squeeze the brake lever to check if the brake pads grip the rim.

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

If the brakes only engage when fully squeezed, it can be dangerous in an emergency.

Once you've found the correct position, fully tighten the nut.

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

You'll likely find one Phillips head screw on each side in the position shown in the image.

Tightening typically adjusts the brake to open wider.

Since there are screws on both sides, tightening only one might result in a tug-of-war effect, causing no change.

In such cases, loosen the other side after tightening one to adjust the balance.

Avoid a situation where only one brake pad makes contact when the brake is applied.

Also, naturally, ensure there's a clearance (gap) between the rim and the brake pads when the brake is not engaged.

A clearance of about 1 mm is usually sufficient.

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

Re-tightening means inserting the Allen wrench into each nut again and gently tightening it to ensure there's no looseness.

If it's already tight, there's no problem, but even one forgotten loose nut can be dangerous.

Humans make mistakes, so always re-tighten.

And last but not least, take a test ride to make sure the brakes are working properly.

Never go on a long trip immediately after maintenance.

External Writer: Koichi Okuno

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