Mountain bike repair:Disk Brakes- PLEASE HELP

Question
I am new to mountain biking so don't know how to fix everything yet. I just got my bike shipped from my home town in OH to CO and I've been trying to fix it ever since. The bike is last years model of the Myka elite: disk brakes, Specialized- woman specific. I just got a cone readjustment, but now my front brake doesn't work at all- the handle on the handle bars goes all the way to the grip when pulled. I know I have to adjust it but don't know how? It also makes a little scraping noise, can you help? :)

Answer
Becky,

First you have to determine whether the brakes (disk, right?), are hydraulic or cable.  If they are hydraulic (either they will say hydraulic or you will be able to tell that they are tubes because you can't see any cable move at the lever or at the brake when you squeeze the brakes), or they are cable brakes.  If they are hydraulic, save yourself the trouble and take the bike to your local bike mechanic.  He may have to refill the brake fluid.

If they are cable disk brakes (most likely made by Avid), it is possible the cable housing (the tube that the cable slides through) has slipped outside its hole at the brake lever.  Check the cable housing where it goes into the brake lever.  There is a hole on the back side of where the brake lever rests when it is not being squeezed that the cable housing goes into.  Is the cable housing (the black tube around the cable) in the hole or is it sideways out of a slot?  Put it in if it is out and try the brake.

The next possibility is the disk pads are not adjusted close enough to the disk, so they don't contact it, even when the brake is squeezed.  Take a look at the disk brakes.  Usually there is a knob on either side of the brakes pads that, with twisting by hand, adjusts the brakes closer or further from the rotor (the disk).  Try adjusting those in or out to improve your braking.

The only other guess is that the brake pads may have come out.  Take off the wheel and look into the front brake.  Are there tiny little brake pads on either side of the disk?  If not, take it to the local bike shop.

I hope this helps.  If the problem is something else, feel free to give me some more details and I should be able to send you in the right direction.

Good Luck!

Graeme