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Elixr5 hydraulic brake maintenance for newbie

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  • 31-03-2018 4:23pm
    #1
    BoardsMember
    Registered Users Posts: 4,484 ✭✭✭


    Hi folks. I have been out a few times on my new bike and my rear brake lever has way too much play on it, i.e. I need to pull the lever nearly all the way to the handlebar before I get decent action from it.

    I am trying to understand how this all works. From what I can read online, it seems that I will need to bleed the brakes, possibly multiple times, and this is due to the fact that factory bled Elixr5 can be poorly done.

    Is this right?

    Can't find the link now but I read somewhere that the lever needs to be let all the way out, or something like that, when you bleed/re-bleed, in order to get a good bleed.

    So I'd like to get some sort of verification on this - do I need to bleed?

    I want to be sure there is not a simple adjustment solution, this is the first set of hydraulic disk brakes I have had so I am completely ignorant.

    If I need to bleed them, is this the type of kit I need: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/avid-disc-brake-bleed-kit/rp-prod30137?gs=1&sku=sku93663IE&pgrid=53513330318

    I'd prefer to get proficient at this type of basic maintenance, so any help or advice, links to best self-help videos would be very welcome.

    Thanks.


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    #2
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,592 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    if your bike is new, and you bought it in a bricks'n'mortar store, get them to fix the problem for you.
    they may not do it for free if they're able to claim you made a mistake doing it and invalidated the warranty.


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    #3
    BoardsMember
    Registered Users Posts: 4,484 ✭✭✭BoardsMember


    Bought it online so don't have the option of bringing it back to the bike shop.


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    #4
    BoardsMember
    Registered Users Posts: 4,484 ✭✭✭BoardsMember


    Going to try to build up the pressure by taking the wheel off and pulling the brakes. Read somewhere that is a way to adjust them. Not too hopeful....


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    #5
    iwillhtfu
    Registered Users Posts: 6,372 ✭✭✭iwillhtfu


    BoardsMember wrote: »
    Going to try to build up the pressure by taking the wheel off and pulling the brakes. Read somewhere that is a way to adjust them. Not too hopeful....

    It'll work but don't pull them all the way or you'll have to prise the pads apart to get the wheel back in. Leave it into a bike shop they'll sort it for less than €20 I'd bet.


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    #6
    BoardsMember
    Registered Users Posts: 4,484 ✭✭✭BoardsMember


    iwillhtfu wrote: »
    It'll work but don't pull them all the way or you'll have to prise the pads apart to get the wheel back in. Leave it into a bike shop they'll sort it for less than €20 I'd bet.

    Hah! Too late. I tried that on the front wheel to see does it work and it did. Had to prise apart gently with a knife, but seems to be ok now. Then bottled doing it on the brake with the issue, the back brake. So it is ok to do it this way you think?


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    #7
    BoardsMember
    Registered Users Posts: 4,484 ✭✭✭BoardsMember


    BoardsMember wrote: »
    Hah! Too late. I tried that on the front wheel to see does it work and it did. Had to prise apart gently with a knife, but seems to be ok now. Then bottled doing it on the brake with the issue, the back brake. So it is ok to do it this way you think?

    Did the back wheel the same way and seems to be ok. Wonder is this a crude way to do it. Still unsure what the case for bleeding is. May still invest in a bleeding kit for when I need it.


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