Bicycle brakes squeak. How to stop??

Question

Hey, Well last year I bought a used bike and installed brand new Brakes and Brake pads onto the bicycle. Now when Im riding the bike and sqeeze the brake, it makes a sqeaky noise, I know that its from the rubber of the brake pad against the rim, but it is annoying and emmbarrising when Im sqeaking down the streat. Does anyone know how to fix this??

Answer 1

Pour oil on them

Answer 2

DON'T EVER GET OIL ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR BRAKES!!!!  THAT IS THE MOST IRRESPONSIBLE AND DANGEROUS ANSWER I'VE EVER HEARD. first clean your rims with Scotchbrite to get rid of any OIL and other dirt that my have accumulated  from use, then take a med.grit sand paper and rough up the brake pads this removes the glaze that my be causing the problem. if this doesn't cure the squeal then you may need to adjust the toe in ( the angle the pads hit the rim) it's a simple job so if you're going to do it yourself go to the Park Tool website for directions if not take it to your Local Bike Shop I'm pretty sure they won't charge you much to do it. I hope this helps ;-}

Answer 3

the brakes need to be toed in.. they should not hit the rim flat! they should not be touching the rim as you ride.. only when you pull the brake lever should they touch.. this is a 5 min fix for an experienced tech.. it's all in the angle of the pads..and the tension on the brake cables!

never put oil on em ..????

If it's a wal-mart bike( toy) good luck .. you get what you pay for.. !

take it into your local shop!!

edit: I gave the simple answer .. based on this question .. yes It could be a few other things . but anyone that would know about brand names of brakes. and parts .. would know how to adjust their own..

Answer 4

Do not pour oil on them!!! That will totally ruin your brakes especially disk brakes. The best option would be to take it to your local bicycle dealer and have them install new brakes and pads and have a technician take a look and see what the cause of the squeaking is. It is probably excessive wear and tear from hard riding or it could be something other than the brakes completely. If it turns out to be the brakes and pads, pick out some Hayes or Shimano brakes, they are very reliable and don't break easily. You can also purchase a warranty just in case you ever need more repairs. Just don't oil the brakes! :)

Answer 5

lol oil?  NO WAY you'll lose friction and stopping power.  You just have to adjust the pads, sometimes they don't grip well enough on the wheel and they squeak.  Make sure your pads are tight enough, but that you can actually stop while biking and twist them a tiny bit with your hand.  I had some squeaking occur last week after I lubed up my chain and just stopped a few times put some pressure on a few pads, and they've settled in nicely and I've had no problems at all.

Answer 6

I'm no mechanic, but I have a strong feeling that putting oil on the brake pad may silence your squeeky bicycle.