42
a
b
c
Rim brakes
V-brakes
Functioning and wear
V-brakes
(a)
have two brake arms mounted sepa-
rately on either side of the rim. When actuating the
brake lever, both arms are pressed together by the
cable, the pads touching the rim.
The friction generated by braking causes wear to the
brake pads as well as to the rims. Frequent rides in
the rain and dirt and over hilly terrain can accelerate
wear on both braking surfaces. Some rims are pro-
vided with wear indicators, e.g. grooves or circular
indentations. If the rim is worn down to the point
where the grooves or indentations are no longer
visible, it needs to be replaced. Once the abrasion
of the rim has reached a certain critical point, the rim
may break under the tire pressure. This can make the
wheel jam or the inner tube burst. Risk of an accident!
Functional check
Check whether the brake blocks
(b)
are perfectly
aligned with the rims and are still sufficiently thick.
You can judge the wear of the brake pads by the
appearance of grooves.
If the pads are worn down to the bottom of the
grooves
(c)
, it is time to replace them. Be sure to
observe the according instructions of the respective
manufacturer.
See your CENTURION dealer and ask them to exam-
ine the remaining thickness of the rims when you
have worn through your second set of brake pads
at the latest. He has special measuring devices to
determine the remaining thickness of the rims.
The brake pads must hit the rim simultaneously, first
touching it with the front portion of their surface. At
the moment of first contact the rear portion of the
facing should be a millimeter away from the rim.
Viewed from the top the brake pads form a “V“ with
the trough pointing to the front. This setting is to pre-
vent the brake pads from screeching when applied.
The brake lever must always remain clear of the
handlebars. You should not even be able to pull
them all the way to the handlebars in the event of an
emergency stop. If this is the case, however, observe
the following chapter “Synchronizing and readjust-
ing”. Only a successful passing of all these points will
ensure a correctly adjusted brake.
G
Brake cables which are damaged, e.g.
frayed
(e)
, must be replaced immediate-
ly, as they can otherwise fail in a critical
moment, possibly causing a crash!
G
Adjusting the position of the brake
blocks relative to the rims requires a
considerable degree of skill. Replacing
and adjusting the brake blocks is a job best left
to your CENTURION dealer.
G
Have your rims regularly inspected and
measured by your CENTURION dealer.
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