Releasing dual pivot calliper brakes / + mudguards

[telstarbox]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AshnLFlYuBvfFXj8q9xBI4UkS8fOvAJr/view?usp=drivesdk

Tempting fate here. My bike has the brake mechanism as shown in the above photo. When I get a puncture what do I need to do to "open up" the brake so I can take the wheel out of the dropout?

[Manotea]

Lift the lever on the right hand of the picture. This will open the brakes mebbe a cm, i.e., not a huge amount but hopefully enough.

p.s., dont forget to reset it when refitting the wheel otherwise you may find your brakes don't...

[telstarbox]

Sorry Paul, do you mean the tiny lever on the left pivot (right hand side of the bike)?

[citoyen]

You shouldn't need to open the QR to take the wheel out if the tyre is flat. Although if you inflate the tyre before putting the wheel back, you will need to open it.

Lift the lever on the right hand of the picture.

ITYM the left.

[telstarbox]

I did wonder that, at the moment the inflated tyre is only slightly wider than the gap between the the pads so it should squash out if the worst happens.

Thanks both !

[Manotea]

Just lift the lever... there's only one of them, whichever side of the picture it's on! 

[Brucey]

[rogerzilla]

Some setups also have a QR on the brake lever - use whichever is most convenient bur REMEMBER TO RESET IT AFTERWARDS!

[Brucey]

if the button is on the brake lever, the consequence of failing to reset it is merely that you have to reach a little further for the brake lever next time you go to use the brakes.

 Campag brake levers need to be manually reset (so that you can run with the brake at increased reach/clearance if needs be) but some other levers (such as a few older shimano models that  have a brake lever-mounted QR) have an auto-reset feature; the first time the brake is used, the button  pops back out and everything returns to normal.

Caliper mounted QRs vary; mostly they don't open so far that, with a well adjusted brake, you have no brakes at all if you leave the QR open. However if you have badly adjusted brakes to start with, leaving the QR open will leave you with no brakes.

BTW most caliper mounted QR mechanisms have only two positions, but a few have an internal detent system so that you can run with the QR in any position safely; this allows 'on the fly' brake adjustments.

cheers

[mattc]

Campag brake levers need to be manually reset (so that you can run with the brake at increased reach/clearance if needs be) but some other levers (such as a few older shimano models that  have a brake lever-mounted QR) have an auto-reset feature; the first time the brake is used, the button  pops back out and everything returns to normal.

These are absolutely brilliant!

I have some that came on an old-ish bike that was built round a CX frame. (Brake only, not brifters. With cantis asithappens, not discs.) - I assumed they were a CX "thing" i.e. for quick wheel changes.

Whatever; now I've used them I wonder why ALL brake levers are not made this way! :heart:

[telstarbox]

Just to resurrect this for a related issue (and with reference to the same image link above):

 I've bought some Raceblade Pro XL mudguards and tried to fit them. The manual says to keep the front guard clear of the fork and the brakes, but I've fitted the rear one running 'through' the rear brake and this seems to work fine with braking. As you can see from the photo the front brake has a lot of space around the tyre as well so does it matter if the guard goes through the brake?

[Tim Hall]

I'd say as long as the brake doesn't foul the mudguard you'll befine. Fit the guard, squeeze the brake lever. If it doesn't foul the job's a good 'un.