Cable disc brakes. I kept putting it off but it was riding like shit and didn’t feel safe, brake levers nearly contacting the handlebar. I had it in my head that the adjustment was like a 30 minute job. Grabbed Allen wrenches, a couple third hands, screwdrivers. 5 minutes and two Allen bolts later, all done. Topped off the tires with air, quick test ride, meat’s back on the menu. No real point to this post, but maybe you’ve made a quick adjustment or repair that made you happy?
I’m assuming rim brakes from the text, those usually have enough brake pads for several years or even a decade until the rubber just hardens to unusable. The cables stretch also over time
No.
OP specifies that they are cable disk brakes, first three words in the post body. There are many possible reasons for why the brakes could be loose, but the first step should be making sure it isn’t because the pads are done.
If they are and you adjust them back to tight, you’ll end up wearing through the pads and start wearing away your caliper pistons.
OP may not be aware of the pad wear, as checking how much material is remaining usually means taking the pads (or wheels) out to inspect them, as the they can be fairly obscured by the caliper.
I’m not talking out my ass here, I’ve worked on both hydraulic and cable disk brakes.
Depending on the quality of the pads and how much you ride, they can wear out very quickly, or last many years.
It’s likely that the pads are fine, but I don’t know if OP has worked on their brakes before, and whether being aware of how worn the pads are is a detail they know about.
You will KNOW when your pads are worn down to nothing. The metal on metal grinding, and horrendously long stopping distances should be a dead giveaway.
It still happens.
It’s crazy to me how out of sync folks can be with their equipment. The feel of the brakes, the sound of a slightly under lubricated chain, the click of a loose spoke. I don’t know if I am over sensitive to things, but when something isn’t right with my bike, I know instantly.
Yeah, I can feel how clean and lubed my chain and sprockets are based on how smooth pedaling feels.
But that’s not how most people work, if performance drops over time, if how something sounds or feels only changes gradually, they probably won’t notice and investigate closer until something almost completely stops working.
I make no assumptions when working on other people’s bikes, I check every possibility.