[vassock]

So I got my Gravity G29. It came with the rear wheel already assembled. Both disc brake calipers were already attached. So I put in the front wheel, fit it inside the disc brake, and tightened the nut on both sides, one at a time and then alternating until they were really tight. Then I tightened the top allen key slot at the top of the bike where the handlebars go and inserted and tightened the handlebar using the four allen key bolts, going in a circle more or less, until they were tight and handlebar was aligned with front wheel direction. Screwed in the pedals, right pedal going clockwise, etc... I put in the disc brake wire for the front disc brake caliper into the right brake lever. Then I sat on the bike and pushed the pedals a bit. Then I took it back in and ensured wheel nuts were still tight.

There are no shifters or gears, it is SS.

Am I missing anything? I don't want to strip or break it when I ride it.

My only remaining problem is I hear a bit of a metallic hiss when I spin the wheels with the bike upside down. Looks like they may be dragging on the calipers a bit in the front and back. How do I adjust them?

 

[Texico]

If you want to learn how to wrench on your bike, YouTube is your best friend. Find out what make/model parts are on your bike and then search YouTube for "how to adjust/fix/install (part)". That way you can have a visual to go along with the description of what to do.

 

[vassock]

If you want to learn how to wrench on your bike, YouTube is your best friend. Find out what make/model parts are on your bike and then search YouTube for "how to adjust/fix/install (part)". That way you can have a visual to go along with the description of what to do.

I got the front wheel to never hiss, but the rear wheel still makes a bit of the hissing sound at certain intervals, not always. Does anyone have a trick to truing these?

 

[Rustedthrough]

What do you mean by "at certain intervals?" Sounds like the wheel is out of true, or not mounted quite right in the dropouts.

 

[mtbxplorer]

TEKTRO BRAKE SYSTEMS

I would download these instructions and follow Section 2, part 3. There are also pictures.

If you google Tektro Novela, you will also find multiple threads on noise and adjustments. It sounds like some are successful, some ignore the noise/drag, and some upgrade the brakes.

 

[Texico]

What do you mean by "at certain intervals?" Sounds like the wheel is out of true, or not mounted quite right in the dropouts.

I agree with this. By "at certain intervals" do you mean at certain points in the rotation, or just at random points regardless of the rotation of the wheel? Lower/mid level hubs are not really machined to a perfect circle, so you may need to true the rotor or true the wheel and then true the rotor. Best bet would be to take it in to a bike shop if you don't have the ability to check for true. It shouldn't cost too much to do so.

 

[mack_turtle]

get and use a torque wrench. you will thank me later.

 

[TenSpeed]

To properly center the rotor in the caliper, first check all rotor bolts to ensure that they are tightened properly. Then place the bike either in a stand or leaning against a wall. Loosen the two caliper mount bolts that are facing upwards slightly. Grab the rear brake lever and squeeze hard, and while holding the lever, tighten each of the caliper mounting bolts a little at a time alternating top and bottom. Once fully tightened, the rotor should be pretty centered in the caliper. There is a good chance that right out of the box, the rotor might not be absolutely true, that happens quite a bit actually.

 

[wschruba]

To properly center the rotor in the caliper, first check all rotor bolts to ensure that they are tightened properly. Then place the bike either in a stand or leaning against a wall. Loosen the two caliper mount bolts that are facing upwards slightly. Grab the rear brake lever and squeeze hard, and while holding the lever, tighten each of the caliper mounting bolts a little at a time alternating top and bottom. Once fully tightened, the rotor should be pretty centered in the caliper. There is a good chance that right out of the box, the rotor might not be absolutely true, that happens quite a bit actually.

Good rule of thumb here, just remember that with single piston cable actuated brakes, your pistons won't self-center the rotor. A good way of solving the issue is to slip a baseball card (or business card, etc) between the outboard (moving) pad and the rotor. After loosening the mounting bolts, screw/otherwise adjust the inboard (fixed) pad as far in as possible (snug, not tight). Now, you can tighten the fixing bolts, back off the inboard pad, and remove the card. Grab a handful of brake lever to set the pads, and give the wheel a spin...it shouldn't make any noise. Move the inboard pad in until just before it makes contact with the rotor (usually backing it off one stop from making noise is sufficient). I'll just leave this here, but I've never built a bike with rotors larger than 140mm that didn't need to be trued.

You can set your cable tension independently of the pad clearance now, to suit your preferences. Just realize that because of the design of the caliper, the outboard pad sits on a slight angle, so you will never get it nice and straight like a hydraulic brake. You also will likely be unhappy with the stopping power, since the pad surface area is so small.