Two years ago, during an Ironman, this undisclosed friend didn’t notice he was putting forth extra energy on the bike to overcome the brake pad pressed against his wheel until he got to the run. “I just thought my taper wasn’t as good as it needed to be, because I wasn’t feeling so fresh on the bike,” he recalls. “But then when I got to the run, well, let’s just say my legs were fried.”

That’s an understatement. Needless to say, that was one Ironman he didn’t win. So let’s talk about brakes – while they are working. It’s called preventative maintenance.

The good news is, unless you have a seriously vintage road bike, you’ve got dual-pivot caliper brakes, which are less likely to get out of whack than their predecessors. Dual-pivot refers to caliper arms moving on separate pivots. In the past, brakes were more likely to come out of alignment, pulling to one side, due to a single-pivot design moving on a sidepull. The cheapest models would be in a near constant state of rubbing.

Dual pivots eliminate that problem because only one caliper acts as a sidepull – the left one. This brake pad will travel at a downward arc toward the wheel rim. The right caliper acts as a centerpull, moving at an upward arc as it approaches the rim. The result is better braking power and a more balanced braking system. The bad news is, even with the highest tech dual-pivot caliper breaks, you have to inspect and maintain them every 10 rides or so. But here in Boulder, Colo., we believe a little TLC is worth it to avoid incidents like the 112-mile brake rubbing debacle.

T is for thickness, as in thickness of the brake pad. If your pads have worn to less than half of their original depth, or have worn unevenly, it’s time to replace. Use an Allen wrench to loosen the bolt, then just slide the pads out, put the new ones in, make sure they are aligned with the wheel rim, and tighten down the bolt. Easy-peasy.

L is for levers, your contact point with your brakes. Brake lever travel is adjustable, and really a matter of personal preference. Most people like their brakes to catch when they pull the lever about halfway back toward the handlebar.

Even if you have your travel where you like it, things can change over time, as cables stretch and bolts loosen. Most of us know how to make minor adjustments to travel using the barrel adjuster just above the brake itself. But to substantially tighten your lever travel, use your Allen wrench to loosen the cable pinch bolt on the brake, so the cable can slide. Then squeeze the brake calipers in until they almost contact the wheel rim. The cable will slide further through the bolt at this point. Holding the calipers steady, re-tighten the cable pinch bolt. Release the calipers. Give your brake levers a squeeze. Your brakes should make much quicker contact.

C is for centering, and the impetus to this entire discussion. An off-center brake caliper can cause the dreaded rubbing syndrome. But even a slightly off-center brake caliper (one where the brake pads don’t contact the wheel rim simultaneously) is inefficient and will wear down faster (i.e. need to be replaced faster). Test this by pulling your brake lever (when you’re off the bike, dynamo), and watching the brake pads touch the rim. If they don’t hit at the same time, use your Allen wrench to turn the adjustment screw located on the top of the caliper. Continue squeezing the lever and adjusting the screw until the pads hit evenly.

Special bonus: Check your brake pads after riding in inclement weather. Grit and gunk can get stuck in your pads, eventually wearing away flecks of aluminum from your rim. If those flecks lodge themselves into your break pad, you’ll get a metal-on-metal serenade the next time you ride. Not good – for your ears, your breaking power, or your reputation as a cyclist. If you don’t want to cough up the $10 for a new pair of pads, you can pluck the aluminum out and file them instead.

Ok, now you’re ready to roll.