Avoiding catastrophic brake failure!
Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2004 12:22 pm
After race one at the last race meeting Graham squeezed between our two bikes from back to front, and brushed past my bike and the front brake lever.
Next thing, something drops to the floor. It was the front brake lever, which had snapped clean off.
On closer inspection the alloy looked as if it had three old breaks in it, and him slightly catching it and pushing it the opposite way, away from the bar, snapped the last bit.
Considering we had just come in from a race, and were just about to go out again, thats a bit worrying.
Didnt think much about it at the time, but although I had checked over the bike after crashing at Croft in September, and a slow lowside (opposite side) in March, the damage was unnoticeable, and I dont really know how long it had been like that.
I hadnt taken the lever(s) off though, so for the sake of 5 minutes its probably worth doing after any minor crash, and at the beinning of the season. Having it break during a race isnt a happy thought.
Next thing, something drops to the floor. It was the front brake lever, which had snapped clean off.
On closer inspection the alloy looked as if it had three old breaks in it, and him slightly catching it and pushing it the opposite way, away from the bar, snapped the last bit.
Considering we had just come in from a race, and were just about to go out again, thats a bit worrying.
Didnt think much about it at the time, but although I had checked over the bike after crashing at Croft in September, and a slow lowside (opposite side) in March, the damage was unnoticeable, and I dont really know how long it had been like that.
I hadnt taken the lever(s) off though, so for the sake of 5 minutes its probably worth doing after any minor crash, and at the beinning of the season. Having it break during a race isnt a happy thought.