Sounds like a good question to ask your Trek dealer. Diagnosing this over the forum isn't impossible, but an in-person inspection is far more likely to discover what's going on and why.

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Carl Matson

Also give your front skewer a check for tightness, and also see if your front wheel is wobbly on the hub (bearings coming apart). I've had that make the bike feel unstable like the headset is loose. Back wheel check isn't a bad idea either. Both will affect the steering.

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Carl,
I have been looking for the replacement aero arm pads (263403) for a 2011 speed concept 7.0 and haven't had any luck. Can I still get them or do I need to find an alternative?

Thanks in advance Bill

No longer in production as far as I can tell.

the SC pads 437028 don't match the profile exactly...there's a little bit of overhang all the way around...but the velcro should be compatible (I just checked some at my desk). attached a pic showing the mismatch as viewed from the backside of the pad.

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Carl Matson

Thank you Carl.

If you can deal with the extra pad stack, check out the Cee Gees Cushys. I think they were making this variant in the past. There was a lot of confusion on their end about the pad shapes between the SC integrated and clipon bars. They ended up with 3 shape offerings I think.

I will take a look. Thanks

I have a 2015 SC7.5 and it has a clicking noise when I turn the bars from center to the side and back past center to the other side. One click each side. (All this is while standing next to the bike). I can hear the click and feel it on the frame. Any ideas? I can not see anything rubbing.

Could be your rear brake cable (or shift cables) knocking about in the frame.

in addition to GreenPlease's excellent suggestion, I'll add the possibility that it's the cable housing and/or double-ended ferrules catching and then releasing as they passes over the internal steerer/stem clamp area under the stem...those can be pretty tight quarters, particularly on the low stems.

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Carl Matson

Is it something to worry about? Something I can fix or have fixed? Or just a noise.

If you can confirm it's just the cables knocking about (remove the stem cover and check visually... just be careful as the stem cover is a it delicate, don't over tighten when putting it back) then I wouldn't worry about it personally.

GreenPlease is on the right track...remove the stem cover and watch and listen. If that doesn't seem to be the issue, you can always bring it to your Trek dealer and have them check it out.

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Carl Matson

Hi Carl,
Recently I bought a gen 2 speed concept 9 and ride it with zipp 404/808 wheels. Now I have a problem with the front and rear brakes. After braking, they won't go back into position and rubbing the wheels.
Dealer checked the cables and their tension, but this weekend it happend again. All the times it happened, I had an ride in (heavy) rain. Is there a solution for this problem?
Greets
Nils

I am having the same problem on my 2015 SC 7.5. Not just after it rains. On the repair stand the rear brake operates fine, smooth, and returns normal. Then after a ride, the right side wants to drag the rim. Cables are free, no grime anywhere.

Hi Nils

Maybe if I had the bike in front of me I could figure it out in a minute or so. Over the internet...hard to do. These things generally have to be seen, in person.

My first thought is something isn't right with the brake cables or housing. After installation, there's normally a small amount of bare cable showing below the brake wedges...if that's left too long, or isn't bent out of the way, it will contact the brake spring after you release the brake lever and prevent the wedge from returning all the way.

Here's an example of one that I would say is left too long, but it has been bent (in this case forward) to clear the spring. It's on a gen1 SC front brake, but the principle is the same for F&R brakes on both generations of the bike.

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Carl Matson

In your case, if it's caused by what I described to Nils above, I'd expect no difference between being on the workstand or out on the road...so that may not be the issue, but it's worth taking a look.

On the stand, when you say the brake works normal, is that with the cover on or off?

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Carl Matson

Hi Carl
Thank you for fast answering.
I made a picture before and after braking. The cable is not interfering with the spring.
The dealer already replaced the cables with Shimano Dura Ace and at that moment it worked fine.

Its a mystery, it worked fine, untill we got bad weather in Europe.
Unfortunaly I participate IM Frankfurt coming weekend, and I am afraid to have to fall back to my old bike as back up, a gen 1 sc 7.5
Grtz
Nils

those are before and after pics? they look almost the same to me. if either one is truly a before picture, then the brakes are set up incorrectly to begin with...the wedge is clamped too high on the cable or the barrel adjuster at the lever* is dialled out too far.

the brake arms should rest on the narrowest part of the wedge when the brake is not being used.

again, this picture is from a gen1 rear, and again the principle hasn't changed for gen2. note where upper brake arm rollers are resting.



it is a common error to think that brake pad width is adjusted by either moving the wedge up the cable or simply dialling out the barrel adjuster (*if you're running the Bontrager RXXXL brake levers). width adjustments on gen2 SC F&R brakes are meant to be done with the 2mm setscrews on the brake arms





won't guarantee that fixing this will solve the problem by itself, but we at least need to start from a properly set up brake :-)

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Carl Matson

The brakes work fine with the cover off, while on the stand, then replace the cover and while rolling on floor, operating the brakes everything works good. The pads come down stop the rim and release back to resting. Test that several times, no problem. Then after a ride, I test the brakes rolling around and notice the right side is back dragging the rim. I notice the 2mm set screw that adjust the pads turns pretty loose. Wondering if it is vibrating out of adjustment. Do the set screws need some Loctite?

I suppose that's possible...though it would be the first time I've heard of that happening.

the rear brake assembly bolts to the frame with a pair of M6 through the brake assembly plate...I wonder if one or both of those is loose and the entire brake is gradually shifting/angling sideways over the course of a ride.

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Carl Matson

Hi Carl

Thank you for your reply.
I adjusted the rear brake like you said.
Looks like the problem is solved, this is the same routine for the front I assume?

One more question, how tight has the skewer in the wedge to be?
I take normal force till the skewer is tight, or should i use full power?


Again thank you for saving me in this :-)

Greets
Nils

excellent!

same for front (assuming same setup error)

by "skewer" in the wedge I'm assuming you mean the nut that is clamping on the brake cable? torque spec for that is 4-5Nm...and if your'e using the very slippery Shimano DuraAce cable you'll probably want to go right to 5Nm.

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Carl Matson

Worth mentioning... (always) use a torque wrench and don't over torque this bolt. I've worked on a couple of Gen1's (not sure if the gen2 is the same) where somebody ham fisted it tight and broke the little plastic piece on the back. Most still function, but it can cause more rear brake woes.

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expanding on your post:

that plastic fin on the back of the wedge is only designed to be a guide (ensuring the wedge pulls up straight when the brake is activated)...it is not designed to withstand the force of cable clamping. this is true for both generations of the rear brake.

the correct way to clamp the cable is to grab the wedge in a pliers while using a torque wrench on the nut. page that said, it's OK to tighten the nut just enough to maintain position on the cable by using the fin and brake arms to hold things in place, but after that the wedge must be pulled out and gripped with something else before applying the proper torque.

from the gen2 owners manual:

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Carl Matson