Anyone know anything about disc brakes?

Thanks. I’ve had help from lbs with the bleed so far. I couldn’t stay the whole time so I’m not exactly sure whats been done. But it’s much better then it was.

But I’m about to get a bleed kit so I cN do this on my won from now on. Thank you kindly for the instructions!

No worries.

I hate SRAM with passion (mainly because of DOT5.1) but the two way syringe bleed is the best way to get all the air out without any voodoo stuff IMO.

Also I hearby declare BH90 to be bullshit and can be ignored and use BH59. In theory the bore is bigger but makes zero diff.

Nice one, thanks!

Why use Bh59 and not 90 though?

its what I had in the shed.

Ah I see, no basis for your initial statement then.

Is there any reason not to get these for Shimano levers, one Hope caliper, one Shimano?

Other than there's no point and a waste of money, that is.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/hope-stainless-steel-hose-kit-with-connector

I'm new to the world of disc brakes & getting a bit confused.

Bike has only done about 500km but in often fairly grubby UK off road conditions. Noticed by the end of a ride on Saturday that lever travel had increased significantly since the start of the ride, having a look at the bike a minute ago the lever can now be pulled so the shifter paddle reaches the bars which doesn't seem ideal.

Brakes are Force AXS HRD. Is this likely to be pad wear increasing piston travel or pressure loss in the system? Pads on the front do look fairly worn so can replace these. Is this likely to fix the problem or do I need to purchase a bleed kit? Should I be adjusting contact point throughout the wear of the pads?

What bleed kit should I get for my shimano stuff? There are so many different options of different size. What are the must haves?

I use a syringe on the calliper (currently jagwire) and the Shimano funnel at the bars. Get a litre of oil, the smaller bottles are a waste.

Be sure also to get the adaptor so that you can actually screw the funnel to the shifters. I believe with some previous gen shifters the port was correctly threaded and thus the two were directly compatible, but nowadays this crucial piece seems to be frequently omitted.

Basically to make your life simple just get the appropriate kit from epicbleedsolutions

just get the appropriate kit from epicbleedsolutions

Do this, the funnel adaptors get chucked in with new bikes and shifters now too though, just ask your LBS for one and they'll have a load spare, maybe offer them a beer or packet of biscuits in return.

Thanks! This is what i want to hear :-)

Great! Might have one of those then :-)

Don’t Hope use DOT? Shimano is all mineral oil.

You wouldn’t be the first to wear down a set of pads after a ride in the wet UK grit.

Three usual issues would be:

1) air in the line (needing a brake bleed), 2) the pads need adjusting, or
3) the pads need replacing.

For 1)...
Stand your bike horizontal-ish and pump the lever(s) 6-12 times. If the lever action doesn’t improve see other replies in the previous couple of pages for adjusting pads. If the levers did get firmer, leave the bike horizontal for an hour, then pull the lever once. If the lever action went mushy again, then you need a bleed. If it stayed firm, leave for a day and repeat. If it then goes mushy, you need a bleed. If it stays firm, then sounds like it’s fixed and you’re welcome.

Don’t Hope use DOT? Shimano is all mineral oil.

Hope make RX4 calipers for both Shimano and SRAM road levers so they can do road brakes without having to make STIs.

Thanks for the detailed response, appreciate it!

Replacement pads & bleed kit ordered, will hopefully get this sorted ready for the weekend

I remember someone on here with SRAM hydros also having a similar issue but it was a screw working its way loose somewhere under the hood.

I’m possibly being a bit dense here but when you say horizontal, do you mean lay the bike down horizontally or stand the bike upright?

My bad wording. Just standing normally on its 2 wheels, probably resting against a wall or something to keep it steady for a while. Some people hang their bikes vertically by one wheel, and if you pulled the brakes when it’s hanging like that you might get some air issues.

You want the lever to be the highest point in the system, so any air bubbles can make their way up to the lever. If you had your bike hanging by the front wheel, the calliper would probably be higher than the lever, which would throw off the test I described.

That makes sense, cheers.

Pumping the brakes doesn’t seem to make them any firmer so I’m guessing it’s either the pads or perhaps some screws in the hoods. Will give it a look tomorrow when I haven’t had a 10% Imperial Stout after dinner!

The reach adjustment of one of my Apex hydros tends to loosen up over bumps. That makes the braking a lot softer.