Video walk-through on how to stop disc brake noise. Why do so many of us put up with disc brakes that make a noise more jarring than a Skrillex symphony?

>>> Best mountain bike disc brakes for 2020

To stop disc brake noise you will need:

• Allen keys
• Tyre lever
• Rotor truing tool or adjustable spanner
• New brake pads if existing ones turn out to be contaminated
• Disc brake cleaner or isopropyl alcohol
• Paper kitchen towel

CAUTION: when working closely on disc brakes take extra care to avoid jamming your fingers into a moving wheel or disc rotor. It may chop your fingertip off. No really.

Picture the scene. You’ve just climbed to the top of a pine-strewn forest track. You stop for a quick rest and all you can hear is the breeze gently stirring the tips of the trees and the birds singing their mid-morning songs.

Serenity, peacefulness and the sounds of nature are a wonderful part of mountain biking.

And then someone (possibly you) comes riding along with brakes that sound like a turkey mated with a seal, being murdered… by a dentist’s drill.

Not only is disc brake noise blinking annoying, it can often lead to a lack of performance, so you may as well get it sorted.

Disc brake noise comes from two sources; misalignment or contamination. In the above video our mechanic extraordinaire, Al Vines, will talk you through how to spot and, more importantly, how to solve both of these problems.

Thankfully no real mechanical knowledge, tools or even competence are needed to sort out this common mountain bike issue – just a lot of patience and some elbow grease.