Hey, Im putting Magura HS-33 brakes on my KH24, but im having a hard time setting them up.
At first, I set em up so that the brake pads were as close to the rim as possible without touching. It was all good because not much lever travel was needed, and I had a LOT of stopping power on steep hills. This was working fine until i tried to idle. apparently the uneven weight on the pedals pushed the rim up against the pad on one side which stopped me instantly and ejected me from the saddle.
I then went back in the garage and changed it so the pads were farther away from the rim. Right off the bat I noticed a huge difference in the amount of lever travel need to engauge the brakes, and the lack of power on really steep hills, but I could idle pretty well.
Im just wondering how people like to set their brakes up. what works, what doesnt.
I use 3 or 4 business cards to space the pads away from the rim when setting the Magura brake up. That seems to work for me. There is no need to toe in the Magura pads like is normally done for V-brakes. Setup the Magura pads so they contact the rim flat with no toe in.
If the pads are too close to the rim you’ll get unintentional brake rub when idling or climbing or doing other things that put torque or sideloads on the wheel. You’re also going to need to keep the wheel true and all the spokes tight. Maybe you’ve got some loose spokes that are allowing the wheel to flex more than it should.
If you’ve got Profile or KH cranks you’ll need to make sure the cranks are on tight. The cranks squeeze everything together and that tight squeeze is what keeps the bearings from rocking which keeps the wheel from rocking which keeps the brake pads from rubbing. Also make sure the bearing caps are tight enough to keep the wheel from rocking in the bearing holders, but don’t overtighten them or else the bearings won’t spin properly.
Awesome, thanks for great info and the fast reply! That takes care of that question
Nother question about brakes tho…
Im using the delta lever extender, and im trying to figure out a good hand setup. I need to be able grip the seat handle very tight while going down a bumpy steep, but I also need a lot of braking power. Right now im using my middle finger to pull the lever while I grip with the other fingers. Seems to be working alright, but is this what other people do or is there a better way?
I’ve only ever used Tony Melton’s brake-equipped muni once and my new brake-equipped muni for a couple of minutes (not on the trails). The hand position that has worked well for me so far is having only the middle finger on the level. With HS-33’s at least I believe this provides enough braking force even for the steepest hills out there. But once again, I’ve only briefly used Tony’s muni on the trails. So at the moment I’m braking with just the middle finger on the lever which doesn’t have an extender fitted to it at this point. I have one available to add if I choose. My hand grabs the seat at about 30 degrees or so around to the left.
If you haven’t done so already, make sure your spokes are properly
tensioned. One of the reasons the KH24 is so affordable is they skimp
on wheelbuilding. Tight spokes will help prevent the wheel from
wobbling side to side as you pedal. A good bike shop can do the job
if you don’t hhave the skills yourself.
I use my index and middle fingers on my brake lever extender. My thumb rests on top of the seat handle and the other two fingers grip the bottom of the handle. Seems to work fairly well. Try a few different hand positions to see what works best for you.
