Brake Maintenance

Off-road brakes take a beating: mud, water, dust and heat cycle them harder than most road riding ever will. This is one system where "it felt fine yesterday" isn't good enough.

Pads

• Check thickness regularly — most pads have a minimum thickness marked, but as a rule of thumb, less than 1mm of friction material left means replace now.
• Mud and sand accelerate pad wear a lot faster than road riding — check more often than the manual suggests if you ride wet or sandy terrain often.
• Bed in new pads gently for the first few stops — grabbing hard immediately can glaze them.

Discs

• Look for deep grooves, warping, or a blued colour (a sign of serious overheating).
• A warped disc shows up as a pulsing brake lever/pedal — that's not "normal", replace it.

Fluid

• Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time, which lowers its boiling point — change it at least once a season, more often if you ride hard or in wet conditions.
• A spongy lever that a bleed doesn't fix is often old, moisture-laden fluid, not just air.
• Check the fluid level regularly; a dropping level usually means the pads are wearing (normal) — but check for leaks too (not normal).

Warning signs that mean "stop and fix it now"

• A lever or pedal that goes soft or comes further to the bar/floor than usual.
• A grinding noise (metal-on-metal — the pads are gone).
• Any visible fluid leak at the caliper, line or reservoir.