If the wear lines on your brake pads aren’t labeled, they should be marked by grooves on the side of the pads instead. You can order new brake pads online or pick some up at your local bike shop. Make sure your wheel lines up correctly in the dropouts as well, or else it won’t make good contact with your brakes. [2] X Expert Source Jonas JackelBicycle Shop Owner Expert Interview. 18 February 2020.
Crouch down to get a good look at the brake pads as you’re squeezing the brake lever. If your bike has a quick-release mechanism, check that it isn’t loose or hasn’t come undone. Otherwise, your brakes won’t squeeze tightly on the wheel. [4] X Expert Source Jonas JackelBicycle Shop Owner Expert Interview. 18 February 2020.
Loosen the barrel adjuster attached to the loose brake cable by turning it counterclockwise. Loosening the barrel adjuster will actually slightly tighten the brake cable. After you loosen the barrel adjuster, pull the brake lever to see if it fixed the problem. If the brake cable is still too loose, you’ll need to adjust it on the caliper. Leave the barrel adjuster as it is. Don’t tighten it yet.
Don’t unscrew the bolt all the way. Just rotate the Allen wrench counterclockwise 2-3 times until the bolt is loose.
If you can’t turn the tire at all, pull less hard on the brake cable so it’s not as tight.
Test the brake cables again by pulling the brake levers. When you pull the levers now, there should be 1 ½ inches (3. 8 cm) between the lever and the grip on the handlebars.
