hanging bikes

Glancing Aft

Active Member
I know the pros and cons of hanging a bike have been brought up to some extents in other threads but I wanted to discuss it again. One of my bikes I’ve been hanging I only take out every other week or so. It has hydraulic disks and when I take the bike down I find the brakes to be very soft/mushy usually to the point that I have to adjust the caliper before riding. Is this a result of hanging the bike or do I need to bleed the brakes? Once I adjust the caliper the brakes seem to be okay.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
the squishiness of the brakes is due to your geographic region. Move back to NJ and they will feel good again.
 

J-Dro

Well-Known Member
Sounds like you might have a small amount of air in the brake lines that works its way up to the fluid reservoir while the bike is hanging. I would try to bleed the brakes.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
Sounds like you might have a small amount of air in the brake lines that works its way up to the fluid reservoir while the bike is hanging. I would try to bleed the brakes.

I have only limited experience with Hydro brakes but this would be my first step. Try the typical maint. stuff to see if it resolved the problem.

People hang bikes in all type of configurations. If that were causing the issue we have an industry epidemic.
 

jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
Hanging vertically is a no-no. If someone pulls a lever while hanging then air will float up into the lines.

This might also be an issue when doing backflips. Not sure though..
 

mtnbiker5

Active Member
Bleed

I've had similar problem with my avids. Someone mentioned getting the Avid Bleed kit. Has anyone out there done this and if so is it easy to do or a mess?
 

Glancing Aft

Active Member
Hanging vertically is a no-no. If someone pulls a lever while hanging then air will float up into the lines.

I have been hanging the bike vertically, so in addition to bleeding the brakes I'll try to reconfigure the closset/shed. Damn condos and their lack of storage space...
 

Purple Liquid

Shop: Efinger
Shop Keep
You CAN hang bikes vertically. My Stumpy gets hung up everyday by the rear tire and I have yet to have a problem with my Avids.

My XTs are fine, my XTRs are fine... even my Cantis are okay! :D

Attached are pictures from the shop two years ago. The layout of the store has changed, but we still hang bikes from the ceiling.
 

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dhsean

Member
Try not to hang them if you don't have to. I have a similar problem with my Avid Juicy 7s and Codes. If you do hang them then adjust the adjuster all the way soft and then hard again and it should reset somewhat. I have the bleed kit and feel like I have become a Pro at bleeding the brakes but no matter how good you are they will have some air and when you hang them it will make them mushy.

I heard that Avid bleeds the brakes underneath fluid so no air gets in at the factory but the first thing you have to do when you get them is re-bleed them. Goes to show it is just about impossible to bleed without some air.

How come we don't have this problem with cars? :hmmm:
 
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rlb

Well-Known Member
Sorry to be captain literal...haha Probably because there's a ton more fluid in a car system, so a little bubble doesn't displace a high percentage of the system's fluid like it would on a bike. Plus, once you flip a car its usually done :D Cars don't get as much abuse
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
I heard that Avid bleeds the brakes underneath fluid so no air gets in at the factory but the first thing you have to do when you get them is re-bleed them. Goes to show it is just about impossible to bleed without some air.
QUOTE]

why do you have to re-bleed them first thing? To change the hosuing length?
 

jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
um..

You CAN hang bikes vertically. My Stumpy gets hung up everyday by the rear tire and I have yet to have a problem with my Avids.

.


Maybe with new floor bikes..BUT as the pads wear the fluid level in the master cylinder's reservoir lowers.

With the reservoir then containing say 1/2 air and 1/2 fluid you can have issue.

In theory the rubber bladder that covers the reservoir should pull in as the fluid level drops. Unfortunately this usually isn't a 100% seal and some air is under the bladder..


Just sitting vertically is OK in truth but the issue comes along when you pull the lever. For some reason it is impossible for friends or visitors not to pull a lever as they walk by.


This seems to be the worst with Avids. It probably has much to do with the location of the port in the reservoir.

Try holding a used bike with Avids vertically and pull the lever a few times. In most cases the lever feel will go soft. With Avids you can return the bike to level and pump the lever a dozen or so times and work the bubbles back to the reservoir.

An Avid tech showed me this trick. Try it next time before you decide to bleed them.
 

FFT

Gay & Stuffy
There seems to be a trend among avid users, myself included. I had a set whose lever would go all the way to the bar after being transported in the bed of my truck. Ten minutes after being upright, the pressure would return. I thought I was going crazy until a friend explaine the same sinerio.

Aft: are they Avid?, and I've HEARD that hanging is not good for the seals on a fork, any experts on that one?:confused:
 

mwlikesbikes

Well-Known Member
My bikes hang upside down in my garage most of the time they're not being ridden. I've never had a problem with the brakes or the fork that would be related to it. I've only had fork leakage from hanging when I had worn seals already. FWIW I run Hope Minis (4 1/2 yrs old) on the FS and Hope Mono Minis on the HT (2 mos old) When I take them down I try not to pull the brakes or compress the fork right away.
BTW my Hope "bleed kit" is a piece of clear tubing and a plastic soda bottle!
 
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