Bike Brakes Workshop

Learn the essentials of bicycle brake maintenance with our Bicycle Maintenance and Home DIY workshop in Sydney.

Whether you're a commuter, casual rider, or DIY enthusiast, understanding how your bike’s brakes work is one of the most valuable skills you can learn. This practical, hands-on workshop is designed to help you inspect, diagnose, and adjust your bike’s braking system for safer, smoother riding.

In this 2.5-hour workshop, you’ll gain confidence working with both rim and disc brake systems, including mechanical and hydraulic components. With guidance from the experienced team, you’ll learn the key principles behind braking, how force is transferred, and how to solve common issues such as squealing, rubbing, or weak stopping power.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this bike brake maintenance workshop, you should be able to:

• Perform a basic brake safety inspection
• Identify the key components of rim and disc brake systems
• Understand how braking force is created and transferred
• Diagnose common brake issues such as rubbing, squeal, or weak braking
• Adjust rim brakes (pad alignment, cable tension, centering)
• Adjust mechanical disc brakes (caliper centering, pad clearance, cable tension)
• Complete basic maintenance tasks on hydraulic disc brakes, such as pad checks and rotor alignment
• Build confidence in hands-on bike care through guided practice

Course content

What will be covered in this Bicycle Brake Maintenance Workshop?

Getting started

• Introductions (name, pronouns, cycling style)
• Workshop safety briefing: tools, PPE, and workspace etiquette
• Overview of brake system types: rim vs disc, mechanical vs hydraulic

Tools & techniques

• Identifying brake components and their functions
• How force is transferred through a brake system
• Troubleshooting common brake problems
• Hands-on adjustments for rim brakes
• Hands-on adjustments for mechanical disc brakes
• Basic checks for hydraulic disc brakes (pad wear, rotor alignment)

Expect a mix of theory, demonstration, and guided practice. Mistakes are part of the learning process — your facilitator will support and guide you throughout.

Who is this workshop for?

Who is this bike brake maintenance workshop for?

This workshop is suitable for beginners through to intermediate riders, including:

• Commuters
• Recreational cyclists
• New bike owners
• DIY enthusiasts interested in learning basic mechanical skills

No prior mechanical experience is required. Bring your own bike if you can, otherwise, workshop bikes will be available to use.

Course venue

This course is offered at Summer Hill Campus.

The venue details will be provided upon enrolment.