One of the less common brake systems used today, drum brakes provide a gentler but weaker braking effect compared to disc and other caliper-type brakes. Drum brakes require easier and less maintenance as they are completely contained and protected from external elements like water and dust.
Drum brakes can be found on utility and city bicycles, and are more common in other countries. Aleoca’s 24″ Steel City bike features a rear drum brake that is visually appealing and at the same time provides very gentle braking for it’s slow speed cruising in urban areas.
Although the stopping power of drum brakes are lesser, it is important to ensure that the brakes function properly and are able to slow the bicycle down efficiently.
A drum brake on the rear wheel of a city bike
Parts of a drum brake:
How they work:
When the brakes are engaged, the brake cable pulls the arm forward and compresses the tension spring. The movement of the arm pulls the brake lining ribbon to rub against the internal drum. This ribbon causes friction which in turn slows and prevents the wheel from spinning.
The following simple steps will help rectify:
– Drum brakes with poor stopping power.
Step 1: Loosening cable bolts
Before any cable adjustments, make sure the bolt on the cable housing is loosened as shown below:
Loosening the cable bolts will allow the cable tension of the drum brake to be adjusted. To do so, use a spanner (different size spanners available) and turn the bolt anti-clockwise.
Step 2: Adjusting cable tension
To increase the tension of the drum brake (make it more effective), pull the excess cable outwards, and at the same time press the caliper arm and compress the tension spring inwards.
To determine how much cable tension is sufficient, pre-tighten the cable bolt and test the brake sensitivity. As a gauge, the drum brakes should activate when the levers are around halfway depressed. There is no fixed indication however the brake tension must be sufficient enough to bring the bicycle to a stop when rolling.
Once the length of brake cable is determined, tighten the cable bolt back in place.
Also make sure to re tighten the cable housing bolt after making adjustments.
Make sure that all bolts have been fastened properly and also test the effectiveness of the drum brakes before riding.