SRAM Guide brakes ... not really stopping me

SRAM Guide brakes ... not really stopping me

Author
Discussion

JD82

Original Poster:

365 posts

135 months

Sunday 15th December 2019
quotequote all
Before I go to the bike mechanic, just wanted to check if anyone had an easy fix. Yesterday my Guide disc brakes nearly had me flying into a tree fairly quickly as the lever on both went all the way to the handle bars. They have reach adjustment but not bite point adjustment as far as I can tell. I never had this with Tektro brakes, which are supposedly worse?
It’s a newish bike and built by Wiggle. I’m not a complete mechanical idiot but also still new to fiddling with disc brakes.

Thanks for any advice

Captain Raymond Holt

12,230 posts

194 months

Sunday 15th December 2019
quotequote all
Sounds like the maybe need a bleed.

Do they just go straight to the bars or are they spongy?

Watchman

6,391 posts

245 months

Sunday 15th December 2019
quotequote all
Are they cable or hydraulic? Cable disc brakes can be adjusted just like rim brakes. Very easy.

Hydraulics don't need adjusting once they are filled and bled correctly. If you have hydraulics and they're behaving as you describe, then they will need a bleed. It's easy to do but you will need a small spanner, a small Torx head screwdriver, fluid and a good bleed kit.

Tall_Paul

1,915 posts

227 months

Sunday 15th December 2019
quotequote all
As its a newish bike, have you bedded in the brakes?

Also, how do you store the bike, right easy up or upside down?

JD82

Original Poster:

365 posts

135 months

Sunday 15th December 2019
quotequote all
Captain Raymond Holt said:
Sounds like the maybe need a bleed.

Do they just go straight to the bars or are they spongy?
They feel spongy to me - definitely vs my old tektro ones

JD82

Original Poster:

365 posts

135 months

Sunday 15th December 2019
quotequote all
Watchman said:
Are they cable or hydraulic? Cable disc brakes can be adjusted just like rim brakes. Very easy.

Hydraulics don't need adjusting once they are filled and bled correctly. If you have hydraulics and they're behaving as you describe, then they will need a bleed. It's easy to do but you will need a small spanner, a small Torx head screwdriver, fluid and a good bleed kit.
Thanks - will look up some YouTube vids. They’re hydraulic.

JD82

Original Poster:

365 posts

135 months

Sunday 15th December 2019
quotequote all
Tall_Paul said:
As its a newish bike, have you bedded in the brakes?

Also, how do you store the bike, right easy up or upside down?
Brakes should be bedded in by now I think abs they seem to be getting worse... bike stored upright. If I pump the brakes when stationary they firm up, but I use they are spongey and then hit the handle bars if I go quickly.

JD82

Original Poster:

365 posts

135 months

Sunday 15th December 2019
quotequote all
JD82 said:
Brakes should be bedded in by now I think and they seem to be getting worse... bike stored upright. If I pump the brakes when stationary they firm up, but in use they are spongey and then hit the handle bars if I go quickly.

Watchman

6,391 posts

245 months

Sunday 15th December 2019
quotequote all
JD82 said:
Watchman said:
Are they cable or hydraulic? Cable disc brakes can be adjusted just like rim brakes. Very easy.

Hydraulics don't need adjusting once they are filled and bled correctly. If you have hydraulics and they're behaving as you describe, then they will need a bleed. It's easy to do but you will need a small spanner, a small Torx head screwdriver, fluid and a good bleed kit.
Thanks - will look up some YouTube vids. They’re hydraulic.
I'd be happy to have a look if you were ever near to J5 of the M5. I have all the tools and experience needed.

Mr Ted

251 posts

107 months

Sunday 15th December 2019
quotequote all
Check all the hydraulic connections are tight (8mm spanner I think) then bleed them, its worth buying the Sram kit as you will need the adapters to connect to the fill port on the master cylinder and the bleed port on the caliper. Follow the instructional video on the Sram site and since this is Pistonheads I guess you've got a pot of Dot4 on the shelf!

Driver101

14,376 posts

121 months

Sunday 15th December 2019
quotequote all
Her hydraulic brakes failed on her road bike. It's Ultegra brakes and Giant's Connect stem with the mechanism and chambers there.

It was replaced under warranty, but apparently the failure is common according to the bike shop.

That's not acceptable on a bike at any price. It feels even worse when the bike cost a fair amount of money.

JD82

Original Poster:

365 posts

135 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
Thanks everyone - think I have an action plan now! Bleed kit and do properly.

Sheetmaself

5,679 posts

198 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
Mine went like this, hydraulic Shimano 535 brakes. After a bit of working out the issue i found i had knocked the pad in while putting the wheel back on.

Fixed it by pumping the lever without the disc in place which brought the pad out further and then took care not to knock it when putting the wheel back on a second time.

May be worth a go.

JD82

Original Poster:

365 posts

135 months

Wednesday 18th December 2019
quotequote all
Sheetmaself said:
Mine went like this, hydraulic Shimano 535 brakes. After a bit of working out the issue i found i had knocked the pad in while putting the wheel back on.

Fixed it by pumping the lever without the disc in place which brought the pad out further and then took care not to knock it when putting the wheel back on a second time.

May be worth a go.
Good shout - will try this first and see if it's an easy fix. Will the pads not get 'stuck' together?

Sheetmaself

5,679 posts

198 months

Thursday 19th December 2019
quotequote all
shouldn't do, or at least mine didn’t. They were pushed together but then when inout the wheel in the disc seperated the pads and all was good again.

JD82

Original Poster:

365 posts

135 months

Monday 20th January 2020
quotequote all
Sheetmaself said:
shouldn't do, or at least mine didn’t. They were pushed together but then when inout the wheel in the disc seperated the pads and all was good again.
Finally got round to looking at this - exactly as you said and worked on both discs so brakes now performing like new at zero cost! Thanks!

Sheetmaself

5,679 posts

198 months

Monday 20th January 2020
quotequote all
Great, glad to hear it was something simple and no cost is always a bonus!!

Bathroom_Security

3,340 posts

117 months

Friday 24th January 2020
quotequote all
My guide r's are like this, new bike though. Going to bleed although I might try the pumping thing suggested.

Had some Shimano 535s go completely unusable as well after not riding for a year, bled them and they were fine, heaps better than the guides on mine as they are currently to the point where I dont see how I'd need anything better (excluding some downhill of course, maybe a trip to Wales would change that too)

Brummmie

5,284 posts

221 months

Friday 24th January 2020
quotequote all
These make the Guides feel so much more solid and powerful..

https://clbrakepads.co.uk/pages/bicycle-performanc...

Bathroom_Security

3,340 posts

117 months

Friday 24th January 2020
quotequote all
Brummmie said:
These make the Guides feel so much more solid and powerful..

https://clbrakepads.co.uk/pages/bicycle-performanc...
Will they not squeal like a pig lol. I did consider some sintered pads for mine but bottled it went standard

Just bled mine properly. They are improved a fair bit but nothing on my shimano 535. Considering replacing them and may even try swapping the 535 from my norco. They do stop well though even with a 95kg rider (me) but the one finger sensitivity isn't there

Maybe I do need sintered pads.