Rear brake failure

[zaphod]

Hi Redhorse

You don't say whether your brake pedal went "to the floor" with no resistance or felt hard as a rock.

If there was air in the lines the pedal would feel spongy.

Had you been using the rear brake a lot. Was it brake fade brought on by it being "red hot"? Brake fade is scary.

Are the rear calipers seized? When were they last dismantled and lubricated with brake grease?

Z

 

[zaphod]

Sounds like brake fade to me:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_fade

Bike weighs as much as a small car. You sit on the rear brake with its single rotor with poor air flow so it doesn't cool like the front rotors - you may even have panniers to make matters worse.

Brake fluid can begin to boil causing temporary air bubbles.

BTW, brake fluid should be changed every 5 years in my experience.

I'd still remove the pads and clean and lubricate them using Coppaslip. It's a 5 minute job to remove them.

Z