[squired]

Hi all. I have an odd one with the disc brakes on one of my bikes. The last two times I’ve ridden the bike it was as if the right brake had lost pressure, but I’d have to squeeze almost to the handlebar before the brake engages. Then on both occasions it was suddenly braking as normal after about 45 minutes. Today it feels extremely soft again.

Unfortunately the two bike shops with mechanics near me both closed, so I don’t have a local place to take the bike to. Any suggestions on what might be the cause would be much appreciated. 

Topic

[hawkinspeter]

Sounds like air bubbles in

Sounds like air bubbles in the hydraulics and bleeding them is probably the answer which is not particularly difficult with the right tools. There’s some bleeding kits easily available to match the brake system, but make sure you don’t mix different types of fluid (e.g. mineral oil and DOT fluid).

[ktache]

Presumably hydraulics?

Presumably hydraulics?

Air in the system, a good bleed often a good fix.

Why it gets better after a while is a mystery.

When my need bleeding, it’s either bubbles in the system, mostly at the pistons, or the hygroscopic nature of the DOT fluid, meaning a flush.

[Author]

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