What causes this issue?
This issue is caused either by worn out brake pads, or with an oil leak from the hose head going into the lever or caliper.
Worn out pads: replacing them will solve the issue.
Oil leak/air in hose: here we first 'bleed' the brakes and if the issue persists, we run a full check and replace any parts necessary.
Is this issue covered by warranty?
Where to have this issue fixed?
First, we confirm the root cause of this issue - simply head over to the App and we will help to diagnose the root cause.
Soft brake caused by worn brake pads -> You can purchase brake pads here and have these fitted at your local bike shop.
Soft brake caused by oil leak/air in hose -> If your brake pads are OK, or if you see your brakes leaking fluid, then the first step is to 'bleed' the brakes to remove any air in the brake hose and refill the oil. This can be done either at a local bike shop with the instructions below, or with a Cowboy trained technician.
If the brakes have already been bled and the issue persists, we will connect you to a Cowboy certified technician or bike shop to run a full check and if required, to replace the parts.
To help you decide the best course of action, we recommend heading over to the App and selecting 'I have a problem with my bike, charger or app' so we can find you the right solution.
What spare parts are needed?
If required, brake pads are available here.
Repair Instructions
(If you are using a bike shop to bleed the brakes, you can show these instructions to them)
Brake bleeding instructions.
Syringe head: SRAM standard, part of any universal bleeding kit (we usually use the kit from Decathlon).
There are a few key differences compared to the “usual” brake bleeding procedure:
To optimise breaking performance, we need to set the pads very close to the brake disc. Therefore, we designed and produced a specific Cowboy Cruiser/ST/Classic, Cowboy 4/ST bleeding tool:
The “BLEED” side allows us to place the pistons in the correct position during the bleeding (so the pads will be close enough to the disc after the bleed).
The “CHECK” side is useful to confirm that the pistons are in the correct location before and after bleeding. We advise to use it to check if the pistons need to be pushed back in place before inserting the “BLEED” side.
The Cowboy Cruiser/ST/Classic, Cowboy 4/ST brake pistons pistons are made of plastic: we should use a plastic tool to push them back if needed. Tire levers work great.
After bleeding, you should keep the top syringe connected while you slowly pull the lever 10x vertically, then 10x horizontally. It is quite easy for air bubbles to remain stuck in the Cowboy Cruiser/ST/Classic, Cowboy 4/ST brake lever, this will help to get rid of the last ones.
You will need insert and olives from Shimano: BH59 Olive and Insert Jar fitting Y8H298040.