New Website Notice for Edinburgh Bicycle

Please note that the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-Operative now has a new website. To visit the new website, please follow this link.

If you have bookmarked a page from the old website, please update your bookmarked page so that you can go straight to our new website. Thank you.

The Edinburgh Bicycle website team.

How can I stop brake squeal?

1. Clean the rims with soapy water or Muc-Off. Then rinse well.
2. Check to ensure all fixing bolts are secure. If brakes are loose or rattly, bad vibrations will inevitably ensue, hence noise.
3. Toe in the brakes so the front of the brake block is closer to the rim. This eliminates vibration and hence about 90% of squeaky brake problems.


4. Check your brake blocks for uneven wear. Trim off any raggedy edge with a penknife or borrow Stanley's. At the same time, remove any foreign bodies, such as aluminium shards, embedded in the pads.
5. Replace the pads when they are worn - i.e. when there is no raised tread left.

If in doubt, bring your bike to one of our shops. Brakes are something you don't want to gamble with.