How a Simple Handlebar Adjustment Leads to New Brakepads on the Roadbike

11pm and I am in the garage getting the road bike ready for the mornings early departure. Pump up the tires, check the chain lube, collect the helmet and shoes. Then I notice the pattern of spacers above and below the stem. My back winces a little, maybe its time to raise that a bit? Its only a simple "swap" of spacers, put the big one below and small one on top by the cap.

5mm wrench on the cap, 4mm on the stem, this will take a second. Then I notice something is stopping me from removing the stem? This is a single bar+stem combo, it all needs to come off but it won't go more than a half inch - about 1 cm for you euros out there. Then I see it - my hydraulic brake hose is at its max extension, tight as a guitar string. How did I ever get this on here? Why is this cable so short? After some untaping, I find the hose is NOT being held up by the bar wrap. A solution - loosen up the brake caliper! 5mm wrench and the caliper is off. The bar soon follows, spacers get swapped, 5mm to tension, 4 mm to tighten.

A very tight front brake hose

Then time to put the caliper back on. The already too-short hose before the swap is 1cm (lets just make that the unit) but the bolts do tighten down. Time to spin the wheel - clankity clank the rotor hits. Tighten-spin-loosen-adjust, trying to peak the pads vs disc spacing, nothing is working. Lots of guck in that caliper. Maybe take out the pads?

One flat-head driver later the pads are out. Brake cleaner out, clean off the pistons, plastic tire lever to push the pistons in. Lots of wear, old alloy backed Truckerco pads. I spin the wheel, more noise even without pads. I visually realign the accumulated error. Then I take the last clean yellow set off my pegboard. Pads inserted, bolt and flat-head, find the tiny clip, some more adjusting and a few twists of the 5m and spin and...silence. Boom, done!

Fresh Truckerco Metallic Sintered, My Favorites, Sold Out

Turn off the power, lock up the shed, wander into the house. 12:20am, I am to wake up in 5 and a half hours to ride. I do a quick check for more TruckerCo pads (sold out! damn you Covid-19 sucking up bike parts!) but the RS685 replacement hose exists for $29.95 plus shipping on Amazon.

So I am buying a serious brake bleed event, always good for pictures and stories of frustration! Stay tuned!