My Emtb life ( Ongoing Blog ): Current bike: Haibike Sduro Hardseven 2.5

[Slymobi]

I am about 2 months into my first Emtb and 460 miles on the clock, i have been doing a lot of exploring now i can hit the hills that i couldn't before, which has led to an increase of the " what goes up, must come down logic " resulting in some very heavy breaking and also doing a minimum of 20 miles a week. I also often ride with my 4 yr old son with a self modified shotgun seat setup.
Being new to an ebike i am not advanced in knowing the signs of wear in such a way of also knowing if it needs replacing yet ! But i have a feeling my pads are wearing ?
What makes me feel this is the lever now has much more free play than before, braking is still good and from looking closely ( without removal ) the pads still seem to have a good portion of material left ( im no expert though and unsure how much is good as to speak ). Im thinking better to be safe than sorry so asking for advice on pads please as ive read that there are resin, ceramic etc.. and im confused as to what i need.
The brake system is listed as Tektro m275 180mm 2 piston disc brake.
Thanks and regards in advance.

 

[steve_sordy]

You should be able to adjust the lever stroke to account for pad wear, so that you don't squash your fingers next time you brake. This feature also allows you to adjust the brake lever position for different sized hands.

If there is still pad material above the metal spring that keeps them apart then you are good to go. But if there is almost nothing showing above the spring and you are heading off to somewhere steep gritty and wet, then change the pads before you go! I just changed my rear brake pads because the spring was clicking on the disc! That is sailing a bit too close to the wind, even for me.

Resin pads are a good all purpose material, some prefer semi-metallic because they last a bit longer in abrasive conditions, but there are many different pad types. Have a look at Disco Brakes. DiscoBrakes.Com :: Shop :: DiscoBrakes Shop and page down to Tektro.

Also, you ought to be keeping your eye on chain wear. They can wear rapidly on some ebike/rider/location combinations. Once they do, they can trash the rest of the transmission quite rapidly. You can buy cheaply a chain wear gauge (get one with 0.5% and 0.75%), or you can remove the chain and measure it with a metal tape measure. All techniques on YouTube and/or Park Tool.

 

[Slymobi]

You should be able to adjust the lever stroke to account for pad wear, so that you don't squash your fingers next time you brake. This feature also allows you to adjust the brake lever position for different sized hands.

If there is still pad material above the metal spring that keeps them apart then you are good to go. But if there is almost nothing showing above the spring and you are heading off to somewhere steep gritty and wet, then change the pads before you go! I just changed my rear brake pads because the spring was clicking on the disc! That is sailing a bit too close to the wind, even for me.

Resin pads are a good all purpose material, some prefer semi-metallic because they last a bit longer in abrasive conditions, but there are many different pad types.

Also, you ought to be keeping your eye on chain wear. They can wear rapidly on some ebike/rider/location combinations. Once they do, they can trash the rest of the transmission quite rapidly. You can buy cheaply a chain wear gauge (get one with 0.5% and 0.75%), or you can remove the chain and measure it with a metal tape measure. All techniques on YouTube and/or Park Tool.

Thanks, yes i have adjusted the stroke and there is pad left but i want to be prepared and have replacement pads at the ready, this is where i could do with some help as im not sure what to search for to find the correct compatible pads ? All the pads ive seen do not list the m275 as compatible.
I clean and lube the chain regularly and just waiting for payday as i have a bunch of " wanted list " items to get including a chain tool so will most likely get a new chain too ( that will be my next needed advice lol ).

In all honesty im open to recommended upgrades in all areas for the Hardseven 2.5 ( except a new bike lol )
Regards

 

[steve_sordy]

Let Google be your friend, or the search function on You Tube, or even an email to the nice people at Disco Brakes.

 

[Slymobi]

Mmmm so im almost certain i need A10.11 or P20.11 pads so gonna go ahead and get both lol. Learning as i go unfortunately.

 

[Slymobi]

Back once again like a renegade noob so im also wanting to upgrade my tyre !! Currently have the WTB ranger as came with bike on purchase: 27.5 x 2.35. The rim is 25mm so wondering whats the max width i could fit ?
I would love to rock some 2.8's but unsure if i can do that on this stock 25mm rim ? Advice welcome and appreciated

 

[Slymobi]

So after all the advice ive decided with the dryer weather on its way and to avoid total noobness missmatching i would play it safe. Im gonna order 2 sets tektro A.10.11 pads, 2 x 60 x 584 tough toms, KMC 9 speed chain and some chain cleaning / removal tools with spare links. The rear WTB is definitely worn already whearas the front is like new so the tough toms can be just for the rear to see how they go. The cleaning tools will just make the work easier for me as i am pretty much a clean after every ride person anyway. Feel like the chain and pads are still good but no harm in changing early and keeping existing as emergency backups.
Learning as i go and loving it.

 

[Mr_Price]

I’m a returning noob, someone wiser than me will be along shortly. I’m not sure y can replace the chain without replacing the cassette?

 

[Slymobi]

I’m a returning noob, someone wiser than me will be along shortly. I’m not sure y can replace the chain without replacing the cassette?

Thanks, the cassette and chain ring are fine, i believe the reasons for swapping out chains regularly is to prolong the cassette and chainring life ?

 

[Mr_Price]

Thanks, the cassette and chain ring are fine, i believe the reasons for swapping out chains regularly is to prolong the cassette and chainring life ?

That makes sense. Still learning here myslef. ??

 

[Slymobi]

Easy bike wash stand diy. Front wheel wedges perfectly into gate, very quick cut of 2 gate posts at 9 inch in height ( didnt even need the tape measure for this one ) one block slightly tapered for skid plate to sit on better, screwed onto scaffolding board left over from shelving. Result

 

[Slymobi]

Its Yeah day so purchased:
1 x new saddle ( black and greeny yellow to match stuff already on my bike,
1 x Pair of Ergon GA3 mellow yellow grips to match the saddle,
1 x pair of yellow brake lever grips to match the grips and saddle,
1 x set of various haibike stickers to match..... Yeah you get it now lol,
1 x kmc 9 speed chain,
1 x set of new chain and cassette cleaning tools,
1 x chain tool with spare links,
2 x Schwalbe 27.5 x 2.35 tough toms.

Should keep me busy / happy for a while

 

[Slymobi]

Pffffft the yellow for the saddle, grips and lever covers are all different tones of yellow lol so not as matchy matchy as i expected but still an ok combination for now. Re-ordered some different coloured lever covers along with a last attempt at a set of green lock on grips for the child bars / extender.

Had a satisfying day doing my first ever front and back wheel removal clean, cassette clean, disc brake pad check and realignment, chain stretch check and full on chain clean and re-lube.

500 miles into the bike and its all really good still.

Note: Need to get myself a cassette remover tool / lockring next but need to research which lockring i need.

Learning as i go

 

[Mr_Price]

Pics or it didn’t happen.

 

[Slymobi]

Pics or it didn’t happen.

Haha, im waiting on the newer colours to see which works better.

 

[Slymobi]

For now !

 

[Slymobi]

Tacky decal but i likey.

 

[Slymobi]

Got my tough toms today too so get round to fitting them soon hopefully.

 

[Slymobi]

just created a diy MRS bottle mount that seems to work really well, goodbye velcro for me
Decided also to do the down tube decal but leaving a trace of the original white lettering to get a 3D effect !! Not so 3D but still looks good will upload pics and explain the procedure tomorrow.

 

[Mr_Price]

Nice!

 

[Slymobi]

DIY MRS:

Edit update: Although the below worked without any issue i decided to buy some m5 T slot nuts and fit using the standard bottle bolts etc. Bit fiddly to get the T nuts to correct position to bite but once in place they seem very sturdy.

Quite a simple but effective idea, i just needed something that will fit into the MRS opening but then be able to turn into the sides to lock out. So 4 rigid pieces of plastic, 2 pieces for each bolt ( sizes shown in pics ) nothing special or specific in sizes, a centre hole that i threaded with the actual bolts used ( just make sure they are not too long or you will need to pad the holder etc ), The hardest part was getting the bolts and DIY plastic lock screw aligned and to bite , using hex key and tweezers i Eventually i got them both biting and then realised the cage was upsidedown lol so back to the beginning again. Take 2 was a bit quicker and successfully have a sturdy ( time will tell ) MRS bottle mount. This removed the need for the velcro straps so thought nows a good time for the green decal

 

[Slymobi]

Daddy day so at the park with the little man riding shotgun.

 

[Slymobi]

Got the Tough Toms fitted. Easy getting them on than getting the WTB off.

 

[Planemo]

DIY MRS: Quite a simple but effective idea, i just needed something that will fit into the MRS opening but then be able to turn into the sides to lock out.

Just for anyone wondering, you can buy these fittings from Haibike as a kit 'The Multimount' and it's not expensive.

 

[Slymobi]

Just for anyone wondering, you can buy these fittings from Haibike as a kit 'The Multimount' and it's not expensive.

Yeah but thats no fun

 

[Planemo]

Oh I agree, I am well up for 'McGuyvering' anything I can, just thought I would throw it out there

 

[Sander23]

May i ask where you get those decals?

 

[Slymobi]

May i ask where you get those decals?

HAIBIKE S1 Decals, Stickers, Mtb. Cycling, Bmx, Car, Van | eBay

You Are Buying A New Set Of HAIBIKE Die-cut Decals. This Sheet Contains 14 Decals In Total With The Following Sizes DIE CUT DECALS. These decals are die cut with no background, only the text or logo will stay in the surface.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Slymobi]

First ride out on the new tough toms, felt really good and could feel the grip difference to the WTB ranger straight away. Felt the rear slide a couple of times on some sharp turns but like magic auto corrected and i reckon thats the Toms sidewall grip doing its job. Halfway home i got multiple intermittent error 71 and battery kept failing, off on off on seemed to work a few times but only got me about 50 yards each time before it reoccurred. So this has happened to me before and last time i just removed the battery, powered on the control ( this will display fir a split second then go off obviously as theres no battery lol ) check connectors and quick blow to remove any obvious dust etc, install battery and off i went.
Not so easy this time !! I forgot my pliers and spent 45 minutes getting that bloody cover off, i had to use the foot rest bar from the shot gun seat to act as a hammer to slowly knock lift the locking slide on the cover. What a royal pita but once removed the above method once again fixed the error 71 and after a re-fit of the cover and shotgun i was off again without issue. I have now decided to leave the battery cover in its unlocked state as i have the shotgun seat and velco to protect the frame from the seat fittings to hold the cover in place.
Todays ride was a Happy but not happy kind of ride.

 

[Slymobi]

Nice ride today, virtually the same as yesterday but without battery fail