Road brake hoses and parts

Choosing a brake hose and its fittings

The hose connects the lever to the calliper. Replace it if it leaks, if it has been cut, or, more commonly, when shortening the routing after changing handlebars. In every case, the hose is never the only part you need to order.

Shimano models

• SM-BH90 : the most common high-end road and mountain bike hose, available with straight-to-straight and banjo fittings.
• SM-BH59 : the previous generation, still used on many setups.
• SM-BH96, BH60 and BH61 have their own connection hardware: a BH90 fitting bolt will not fit a BH59.
• On SRAM brakes, the Stealth-a-majig requires its own fitting kit.

The olive and insert: the real consumables

Every time you cut a hose, you compress a new olive a new one and press a new insert into the end. Neither can be reused: the olive is deformed by tightening, and the insert is damaged during removal. They cost only a few euros each, but without them the installation cannot be completed. Buy them with the hose and keep some spares.

Bleed and calliper parts

• Bleed screws with their O-ring, and bleed screw caps for newer callipers.
• Retaining pins and clips for the pads, which can get lost during replacement.
• Piston and seal kits for the calliper, if a piston sticks or the calliper seeps fluid — often cheaper than a new calliper.
• Master cylinder piston kits for SRAM levers.

Universal hoses

Jagwire offers universal hoses with brand-specific fitting kits : one hose, with a fitting kit to suit your system. Handy for choosing a colour or making a repair, provided you get the right fitting kit — that, not the hose, determines compatibility.

To find out more: How to bleed Shimano disc brakes

See also: Road bike disc brake callipers · Brake tools · Complete road brakes