About this Event
Please be sure to read this class overview in full before booking your place.
Set within the beautiful grounds of historic Osterley Park in a dedicated study room, this is a hands-on class for people who want to learn how to service rim brakes like V-brakes, dual-pivots, etc. The class is run by Hounslow council, taught by a mechanic from Back In The Saddle Bikes and is FREE for anyone who lives, works or studies in the borough thanks to funding provided by the council (the £5 ticket price is refunded at the end of the class as cash).
If you're fed up with having noisy brakes that always need adjusting, or that only have weak stopping power, this class will teach you how to get them working properly. Over the course of two hours, one of Back In The Saddle Bikes' highly experienced mechanics will take you through how to recable brakes, fit new brake blocks, and then get them optimally set up to give you the best braking. They'll also show you how to clean and maintain your brakes.
PLEASE NOTE: hydraulic rim brakes, disc brakes, roller brakes and hub brakes are not covered in this class.
This is a hands-on class, so you'll be carrying out the work yourself on one of Back In The Saddle Bike's demonstrator bikes as part of a small group, since this is a much more effective way of teaching than just watching a mechanic going through the repairs. Tools and gloves will be provided though if you'd prefer to use your own toolkit where possible, that's also fine.
PLEASE ARRIVE AT THE STABLES CAFE IN FRONT OF THE CLOCK TOWER 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE CLASS STARTS.
Agenda
Class syllabus
Info: Brakes Syllabus
Cleaning existing pads and wheel rims as part of a regular maintenance regime
Replacing pads if the existing ones are too worn or contaminated for cleaning to be worthwhile
Removing existing brake inner and outer cables
Cutting new cables to the correct length and then fitting them, along with ferrules and end caps
Adjusting the brakes and cables to get the most effective, reliable braking possible.
Untitled agenda
Gears syllabus
Info: 1) How to clean the chain, cassette, chainring(s) and derailleur(s) of an existing cabled (mechanical) set-up. PLEASE NOTE: this class does not deal with electronic shifting systems
2) Removing the existing rear gear inner and outer cables once they start to show the problems that typically arise over time (wear, corrosion, etc).
3) Cutting new cables to the right length and then fitting them, along with ferrules and end caps
4) Adjusting the High and Low limit screws as well as the inner cable tension to get fast, smooth gear changes every time
Event venue & nearby stays
National Trust - Osterley Park and House, Jersey Road, Isleworth, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.