A customer in Tucson made me change how I check brake pads

Had a guy bring in a road bike last month, pads looked fine to me. Thin but not worn to the line. He pointed at the rear pad and said 'that one glazed over, you can hear it.' I felt dumb. I always just look at thickness, never listen or feel the surface. Now I run a finger across every pad before I say it's good. Glazing is a real thing, cheap to fix too. Sand them or replace, takes two minutes. Has anyone else had a customer teach them a basic check they missed for years?

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2 Comments

betty_perry241mo ago

Is it just me, or do we all get stuck in our own little routine and stop seeing what's right in front of us? I mean, that's exactly how we miss stuff in everyday life, not just bike repairs. Like, I check my own mailbox every day and never noticed the hinge was rusting until a neighbor pointed it out last week. It's wild how a fresh pair of eyes can catch what we've been staring at for years. Makes you wonder how many other simple things we're totally blind to, you know? Good on you for listening to that customer, that's the kind of humble moment that actually makes you better at your craft... even if it stings a little at first.

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abby_morgan181mo ago

Truer words never spoken. Routine blinds us all.

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