Author Topic: Rear U brake issues (Read 844 times)

moochalargo · « **on:** June 18, 2011, 04:10 PM »

Just got from the evil bay a Subrosa letnum 24 with skyways. He wanted a floval like me but the subrosa was cheap so he has got that.
Well he loves it but the rear brake is shocking! It's a u brake and mounted under the seat stays and it's next to useless.
What can I do to Improve it? I've found sticky blocks on the bay and some cool looking exposure caliper but I have no knowledge of what's best to do.
I did have an mbk bitd that I sold my Curtis pro to get (silly boy) and it had a u brake on it but I didn't have that bike long before moving on. So I know about v brakes and disc brakes and of course the mx1000.

So do u guys know about the subrosa and is there a fix? Need one soon as today trying to prove that the bike had Ni problems I went over the bars on a down hill section up the wood much to the entertainment of the mrs and the boy!!!

Jaymz · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2011, 04:15 PM »

Ive had this problem on two bikes so far and each time it was the fault of the lever. both bikes had V-brake levers and not U-brake levers. There;s some sort of difference in the distance from the pivot of the lever to the cable, if you have the wrong one on a u brake, the lever just pulls and feels spongy.

HEYWOOD BMX · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2011, 05:12 PM »

V-brake levers have a longer pull than u-brake levers but will work fine with u-brakes but not the other way around.Complete bikes often are just slapped together before being boxed.Have you tried slackening off the cable & adjusting the springs so the arms pull away from the rims?
http://www.bikeguide.org/how-to/brakes/index.php

moochalargo · « **Reply #3 on:** June 18, 2011, 05:28 PM »

It's more a case of no matter how hard you pull it only just slows! Not a hope of locking the rear wheel up under braking!

But yeah in answer to your question I've taken off the blocks on the bike and refaced them and made sure they place right on the rim when applied. Is this an issue with a tuff wheel? Although my floval has the same wheels and it locks up really easy???

Jaymz · « **Reply #4 on:** June 18, 2011, 06:06 PM »

Quote from: VOIVOD on June 18, 2011, 05:12 PM

V-brake levers have a longer pull than u-brake levers but will work fine with u-brakes but not the other way around.Complete bikes often are just slapped together before being boxed.Have you tried slackening off the cable & adjusting the springs so the arms pull away from the rims?
http://www.bikeguide.org/how-to/brakes/index.php

nice one fella

pickle · « **Reply #5 on:** June 18, 2011, 06:23 PM »

Nothing to do with it having shitty tuffs on it??

moochalargo · « **Reply #6 on:** June 18, 2011, 06:40 PM »

Lol may be! But he wants "the same as the floval has" lol
I've got some spoked wheels that came out of the floval so could try them but I'm thinking it's mire brake related!
Always hated skyways bitd but like the 24" ones now

john4130 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2011, 10:42 AM »

i would strip it all back clean and refit it making sure you grease everything as you go. grease the brake pivots and stick a little grease on the spring, grease the cable inner then stick it back in and don't put too much tension on the springs, about a quarter turn on them is plenty. and use something like a tech 77 lever.