Bleeding My Own Brakes…

I used to work at a shop a LONG time ago. It’s been almost 10 years! Lots of things changed in that time. One of the major advances has been in brakes. Most high end bikes now use hydraulic disc brakes. This makes the bike more like a motorcycle than a bike, but with the advances in materials, disc brakes are almost as light, and fare more powerful and consistent than rim brakes.

One skill that I never developed was bleeding disc brakes. Before I left, I learned how to bleed Magura Hydraulic Rim brakes. I figured that it couldn’t be that much harder and if I could learn the skill, I could save a lot of money on getting other people to do my brakes. I already do everything else myself.

Instead of buying a bleed kit, I built my own using some examples from this guide. After a couple tries, I was very surprised at how easy it really was. My only concern was always the mess, but with the DIY bleed kit, it was a fairly clean setup. I couldn’t believe how much better my brakes felt after a proper bleed. I went through a whole thing of DOT 4 brake fluid to learn, but it was worth it, and I now have a skill that will save me money long term.

Having tackled this, I ordered some new brake lines for my bike. My rear line was so crimped, it was almost impossible to push fluid through it. I got some Goodridge Brake lines and proceeded with the upgrade. I cut the lines to length, and got them all assembled to the brakes. After bleeding them, I couldn’t believe how much easier it was to get fluid through a good line. My rear line was totally shot.

The new lines are fantastic! I’m finding it so easy to bring the bike to a stop with less effort. Modulation is excellent. I looked at my old lines and couldn’t believe how flimsy they were compared to the Goodridge lines. I guess if they use them on Race Cars, they have to be good, and they were!