Bicyle brakes

Most of us feel unsafe when our brakes feel a bite spongy. Most of us never do like slack pulling up efficiency. The cause is often reassembly after replacing brakes, pads or dissembled for some reason.

Examining the inner wire in bike dealer show rooms  gives a clue to what is causes slack braking power.  You will note how the inner wire cable anchored onto the securing bolt on brake arms are always straight. You won't find  any bends or kinks a vindication of what they are supposed to be.

Any bends or kinks the cable pulls rim brakes lopsided to one side effecting the brake rubbers pressing the rim in a "V" instead of both flush. The same with disc brake pads. The "V" pressing of the pads makes less than half contact at any given time the cause of slack braking. It also causes inefficient moving away from the rim, ( applies to disc brake pads on the disc ) dragging on it causing the pads to ware out very fast and a feeling a drag while riding.

If you have replaced brakes or pads at some time check the inner wire cable on the brake arm lever. If a bend or kink it needs to be relocated so it is as straight as bicycle shop bikes.  If a bend start with adjusting both handle bar and brake arm adjusters all the way back
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Loosen the inner wire cable anchor bolt enough you can slide the inner wire under the acorn or Allan key nut out leaving the nut attached. The brake springs should release the tension spreading rim brake bike arms apart or in the case of disc bake models to no tension.

Refit re-positioning the inner wire cable threading under the loose nut to the most covenant position the wire is straight making sure there is no bends or kinks like you see of dealership showroom  bikes are. Depending whether your left or right handed requires both hands to reassemble because of the spring mechanism holding the brake arms open is always against you.

If there is still a bend odds are the wire has been bent. Inner wire cables can generally be bent straight and try again.

Adjust the brake arm the brake pads close with one hand sliding the brake arm up the inner wire cable under the loose nut while holding onto the tail of the inner wire cable adjusting the distance of the brake rubbers of rim brake bikes. In the case of a disc brake bike is a rather hit an miss a friar but can be judged pretty closely. You will feel a bit of a struggle against the spring  tension witch inevitably makes things difficult. Keep a firm tension on the brake arm.

Once you have the brake pads close enough you need to hold pretty steady against the spring tension or you will loose the adjustment because the brakes springs tend to spread creating to much slack in the inner cable when you tighten the nut. You will be back to square one with spongy brakes. Make sure the tension of the spring doesn't do that. One trick helps compensate.

Adjust the brake arm a little more closer up. By the time you tighten the anchor bolt enough you can let go and the spring tension will move apart slightly in compensation and you can tighten the nut.