nabraxas Posted October 24, 2012 (edited) bought a bicycle in Melbourne, had it shipped out here. put it together & find one ov the disc brakes has leaked all it's hydraulic fluid & doesn't work anymore. Nearest bike shop is 90km away, guess i can get a local freight company to drop it off & pick it up when fixed. so fucking pissed off Edited October 24, 2012 by nabraxas Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halcyon Daze Posted October 24, 2012 Hmmm FRUSTRATING! Maybe try putting your foot on the back tire to brake. Got me by as a kid. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nabraxas Posted October 24, 2012 (edited) it's the front tire brake that's screwed. guess i can ride w/just the back brake but it's not very good at stopping the bike quickly.... & it's kind ov essential on the steep tracks i was intending to use it on. i really had to hold myself back from kicking the thing to death. i'm one ov those people who's pretty calm most ov the time but little annoyances can make me explode & all the rage comes out. i once smashed up a perfectly good PC & printer just because i couldn't get the printer to print on a CD like it was meant to. Edited October 24, 2012 by nabraxas 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoOnThen Posted October 24, 2012 Can you see where it is leaking from ? Can you remove the lever and caliper as a single unit ie without disconnecting the fluid line. If you can you should be able to send the whole unit back to the shop to be repaired. If you are mechanically minded and want to have a go a fixing it your self let me know as I have a lot of contacts in the bicycle industry so I will be able to get you all of the info that you will need to fix it. Cheers Got 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sallubrious Posted October 24, 2012 I never understood why they went to that sort of system. The rim is a perfectly good disk brake and much larger giving it more mechanichal advantage. It seems like they just complicated something that was simple and effective. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Presidente Hillbillios Posted October 24, 2012 (edited) is it not working because it needs bleeding? might be as easy a fix as some more fluid and a good bleed Edited October 24, 2012 by El presidente Hillbillios 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nabraxas Posted October 24, 2012 Can you see where it is leaking from ? no, it seems to be leaking from where the line meets the caliper, but the nut holding the line in place seems fine, so i guess it's coming from inside the caliper & was just collecting on the nut. Can you remove the lever and caliper as a single unit ie without disconnecting the fluid line. If you can you should be able to send the whole unit back to the shop to be repaired. i could do that, but i think i'd rather ship the whole bike & get them to put it back on so i don't have to fuck around w/the damn thing anymore. If you are mechanically minded i was surprised i could even work out how to put the wheel on is it not working because it needs bleeding? well judging by the limpness ov the brake lever i'd say all the fluid has now bleed out. i'll goto the local small "toys & some bikes" shop first & see if they feel confident in refilling the fluid etc. otherwise it shouldn't cost more than $30 to get it freighted to Bairnsdale. thanks for the advice peeps. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quarterflesh Posted October 24, 2012 love the title! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoOnThen Posted October 24, 2012 I never understood why they went to that sort of system. The rim is a perfectly good disk brake and much larger giving it more mechanichal advantage. It seems like they just complicated something that was simple and effective. There are a lot of problems with brake pads running on a rim the main one's are you wear the sides of a aluminum rim out very quickly especially on a mountain bike. If a wheel gets a small buckle in it makes the bike very difficult to ride as the rim rubs on the brake pads where as it doesn't affect a disc brake and the bike can be ridden until the tyre rubs on the forks or seat/chain stays. Brake efficacy is lost when the rim gets wet or muddy it can get to the point that the mud build up on the brakes can make them totally fail. A disc is a lot further away from the water and mud so it is not affected as much. You can design the rims to make them as strong and as light as possible without having to worry about a braking surface for the pads to run on. There are also design issues with making rim brakes efficient which a lot of people over the years have tried to solve the main one is to be able to apply a lot of controlled pressure to the braking surface which a disc brake does very well. Cheers Got Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sallubrious Posted October 24, 2012 I did over 1000 k's a week for nearly ten years on road and mountain bikes and I never had much drama with any of those problems. I did get the odd bit of brake fade on wet muddy rims though so I suppose they have some advantages. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LokStok Posted October 24, 2012 i once smashed up a perfectly good PC & printer just because i couldn't get the printer to print on a CD like it was meant to. disobedient printers need to be beaten occasionally, it keeps the other appliances in line. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IndianDreaming Posted October 24, 2012 ^ SallyD - That's 12.9 laps of the earth! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Max Cady Posted October 24, 2012 The bike sounds like the least of your problems...http://www.lifeline.org.au/Get-Help/Get_Help Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SunChaser Posted October 24, 2012 ^^^Hmm, and by the sound of it juvenile jokes are the least of your problems. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nabraxas Posted October 24, 2012 The bike sounds like the least of your problems...http://www.lifeline....t-Help/Get_Help yeah, you're probably right. the printer incident was the last time i blew up & that was nearly 10 years ago. i did manage to hold it in this time, but 5+ hours later & i still feel pissed, frustrated & generally depressed. i was meant to see the psychologist today but had to cancel as the promised "first thing in the morning" delivery didn't arrive until 3pm. but i am seeing the psychiatrist next week, so my mental health is being catered for, but thanks for caring Max 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sallubrious Posted October 24, 2012 ^ SallyD - That's 12.9 laps of the earth! I should have said up to 1000 k's a week, I didn't train 52 weeks a year and I only did 400 -600 k's a week when I was racing mountains bikes. So there's no way I covered that much ground. @ Nabraxas - Only one incident like that in ten years,it seems like you have it under control anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nabraxas Posted October 25, 2012 it seems like you have it under control anyway. yeah. this bike kind ov meant a lot to me. i've never had a brand new bike. It was always hand-me-downs or second hand, so i was excited. Also i don't drive so he bike was a way to get out & about while also getting my fitness level back up. I kind ov feel like i've turned a corner depression wise & the bike was a symbol ov that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
santiago Posted October 25, 2012 (edited) nabraxas you lazy sod, you do realise if you had started walking to the bike shop when you first posted this yesterday you would probably be getting back about now, man god helps those who help themselves, and do you really think there is something wrong with your bike, this is a simulation man. Edited October 25, 2012 by santiago 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
incognito Posted October 25, 2012 (edited) Nature loves courage Don't be a sook nab ;) fix ur bike!! First a mouse now a pushie, we sabians have insurmountable troubles :0 Edit- word up in actually getting help and addressing it nab, that's the hardest part, so kudos. For what it's worth I think ur a lovely man now get that bike fixed and share that nabraxan kinda love with the world Edited October 25, 2012 by incognito 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nabraxas Posted October 26, 2012 insurmountable troubles yeah it is all abit "first world problems" innit? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites