Ask Veloaded: brakes, wheels and tubeless

What are the signs I need a hydraulic brake bleed?

Common signs a hydraulic disc brake needs bleeding:

• The lever feels soft or spongy
• The lever pulls further toward the bar than it used to, or comes close to touching it
• The bite point changes during a ride or a long descent
• The lever feels inconsistent between pulls

These usually mean air in the system or old fluid. Don't ignore them, especially if you ride steep descents. Note that worn pads or contaminated pads and rotors cause different symptoms (weak or noisy braking), so it's worth having the whole system checked. At Veloaded Cyclery we bleed with the fluid the manufacturer specifies, mineral oil or DOT, and check pads and rotors. Call (714) 760-4908 to book. See our hydraulic brake bleed page.

How often should I refresh tubeless sealant?

Tubeless sealant dries out over time, and once it's gone your tires lose their ability to seal small punctures. How quickly that happens depends on the sealant brand, your climate, tire volume and how much you ride. Hot, dry Southern California weather can dry sealant faster than you'd expect.

Follow the sealant manufacturer's guidance, and check more often if you're losing air or haven't looked in a while. A simple check is to remove the valve core or unseat a section of bead and see whether liquid is still there. Tubeless sealant inspection is part of our Veloaded Essential Service, and we can refresh it or do a full tubeless setup. Call (714) 760-4908 to book.

Where can I get a wheel trued near Santa Ana?

Veloaded Cyclery at 3420 W MacArthur Blvd Suite B, Santa Ana, CA 92704 does wheel truing and spoke repair. If your wheel wobbles, rubs a brake pad or rotor, makes a pinging sound, or took a hard hit from a pothole, it's worth having it checked.

Truing isn't just straightening: a good job also balances spoke tension so the wheel stays true. We work on high-end carbon wheels as well as alloy, and we're an authorized dealer for ENVE, Princeton and Scope. If a rim is cracked or badly damaged, we'll tell you honestly rather than truing something that isn't safe. You can drop wheels off or ship them to us by arrangement. Call (714) 760-4908. See wheel building and truing.

Can I keep riding with a broken spoke?

It's best not to. When one spoke breaks, its tension is lost and the wheel goes out of true, which puts extra load on the spokes around it. Keep riding and other spokes can fail, the rim can be damaged, and on rim-brake bikes the wheel may rub or lock against the brake.

If it happens on a ride, open the brake if needed, ride gently and get home. Then have the spoke replaced and the wheel retensioned and trued. At Veloaded Cyclery we do spoke repair and wheel truing, including on carbon wheels. If several spokes have broken over time, there may be an underlying tension or fatigue issue, and we'll tell you honestly whether a rebuild makes more sense. Call (714) 760-4908.

Why is my disc brake rubbing?

A rubbing disc brake usually comes from one of a few causes:

• The wheel isn't seated straight in the dropouts. Loosen the thru-axle, reseat the wheel and tighten it again.
• The caliper is slightly misaligned.
• A rotor is bent, often from a crash, transport or a bike rack.
• The pistons are sticking or not retracting evenly.
• New pads are still bedding in.

If reseating the wheel doesn't fix it, bring it in. At Veloaded Cyclery we check caliper alignment, rotor straightness and piston movement, and bleed the brakes if the lever feel suggests it. Call (714) 760-4908 to book.

Should I convert my road bike to tubeless?

Tubeless can be a great choice: you can run lower pressures for comfort and grip, and sealant fixes many small punctures before you notice them. It also takes more upkeep. Sealant needs refreshing, setup can be messy, and a larger cut may still need a plug or a tube.

Your wheels and tires both need to be tubeless-ready, and you'll need correct rim tape and valves. Check the rim and tire manufacturers' maximum pressure limits too, since some hookless road rims have strict limits. At Veloaded Cyclery we'll check your setup and tell you honestly whether tubeless is a good fit for your riding, then set it up properly. Call (714) 760-4908 for a quote.