How to Adjust Bike Cantilever Brakes

How to Repair Your Bike

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What kind of brakes do I have?

The easiest way to differentiate between a cantilever brake and its counterpart, the caliper brake, is to look where the brake is attached to the frame or fork of your bicycle. If the brake is attached by a single, centered bolt, you have a caliper brake. If the brake is attached at two points, you have a cantilever brake. This article will discuss adjustments of the cantilever brake.

You Should Know

An adjustment is not necessary if your brake pads do not touch the rim at the same time, so long as they are centered when the brake is released.

How do I adjust my cantilever brakes?

Several steps need to be followed in order to arrive at a proper adjustment of your cantilever brakes. We will discuss all of those steps in detail.

Tools Needed

- A bike stand makes work much easier
- Allen wrench (probably 5mm)
- Pliers
- Open-ended wrenches

The first thing you should do before attempting to adjust your cantilever brakes is make sure the wheel is properly centered in the frame or fork (depending on which brake you need to adjust). Beginning mechanics often overcompensate with fruitless brake adjustments when the problem can be remedied by a simple readjustment of the wheel position.

At the ends of your brake cantilever arms you will find the brake pads. Each of these pads is attached by a single nut. Squeeze the brake lever to make sure that the pads touch the rim at as high a point as possible without rubbing against the tire.

If the pad position needs to be adjusted, simply loosen the fastening nut and retighten it in the proper position. Make sure the pad is running parallel to the rim, not at a diagonal angle in either direction.

At the brake lever or near the brake you will find a knob called a barrel adjuster. The barrel adjuster will add or decrease tension in the brake cable, which adjusts the distance of the brake pads from the rim.

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