Brake Cables

[mark145]

I have an Apollo Furious which is doing ok for a 2year old bike and i have never had to touch a thing on it (other than brakes needing tightened ) well anyway whenever i pull the levers the lever is really hard to pull i figured i might just need new cables but would there be any other reason

Is there a cheaper way to fix this please tell me

Also my left hand crank feels wierd when i ride and the bb is getting stiff could you please help me out and give me some reasons and some solutions

Thanks Mark

[chisholm]

hey,

you should try to oil the cables so it can slip through and become free again.

just oil the bb too, might work

cheers

chiz

[nmt_oli]

If youve never touched an apollo and its been ridden regualary, it will need a good once over to get it feeling good again.

On the brakes front:

make sure pads are lined up and hit the rim square- if they hit at an angle, this can cause mushyness at the lever.

make sure brake arms are free to move.

take the inner cable out of the outer cable, clean, and lube to get smooth cable action (or fit new cables and lube when fitting).

To make sure you get the most from the brakes, clean the pads and rim- pad might need replacing/ resurfacing.

make sure all pivot points are lubed with a squirt of GT85 or similar- does wonders! - also a good quick fix on sticky cables.

On the crank:

If it feels wierd, it may be loose and therefore most likely worn. Check it is tight, if it was loose, try riding it after tighning it- but it will prbably come loose again quickly. if htis happens, replace crank arm.

Apollos don't use cartridge BB's liek most bikes, they use cup and cone style axles, these can be serviced easily with the right tools, and strip clean and regrease followed by tightnign to the correct amount will make it feel like new. Its much simpler to replace with a cartridge BB however.