How to Adjust Brakes on Street Bike's Schwinn World Sport Bike

The Schwinn World Sport bike uses sidepull caliper brakes. While dual pivot caliper brakes come standard on modern road bikes, the sidepull caliper was the staple on vintage models.

Common sidepull caliper brake adjustments include changing cable tension to make your brakes tighter and centering your brakes so the brake pads hit the rim at the same time. Both adjustments take only a few tools and can be done by the home mechanic.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Cable Adjustment

Things You’ll Need:

Set of hex wrenches
Set of open end wrenches

Step 1

Turn the barrel adjuster all the way down. This will loosen the brakes.

Step 2

Use a hex wrench to loosen the brake's cable bolt.

Step 3

Squeeze the brake arms together toward the rim, stopping a few millimeters from the rim.

Step 4

Tighten the cable bolt with the hex wrench while you hold the brakes in place with the other hand.

Step 5

Press the brake lever tightly to make sure the cable doesn't stretch or reset, changing the distance of the brakes from the rim.

Centering

Step 1

Loosen the bolt on the rear of the brakes with a hex wrench.

Step 2

Use an open end wrench on the large washer on the opposite side of the rear bolt. Rotate the wrench until the brakes are centered.

Step 3

Keep the wrench on the washer to help prevent the brakes from rotating as you re-tighten the rear bolt with a hex wrench.

Tips & Warnings

Tighten the rear bolt slowly when making centering adjustments. This helps keep the brakes aligned. It's not uncommon to have to re-center the brakes again, as the rotation of the hex wrench on the rear bolt can rotate the brakes with it.

Article Written By Kathrine Cole

Kathrine Cole is a professional outdoor educator. She teaches rock climbing, backpacking, cycling, and bike maintenance classes. She is a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School, a Wilderness First Responder, and a Leave No Trace Trainer.

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