Brake adjustment

[VArider]

My month old Radcity 4 commuter bike needed a brake adjustment, the rear brakes squeaked from the start but I thought it was part of the "bedding in" process but it kept getting worse.  I tried the adjustments in the guide -
https://radpowerbikes.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004786874-Brake-Adjustment-Guide

No adjustments improved the rear brakes.   I then decided to remove and inspect the caliper brake assembly but it's now worse, un-ridable.  I noticed the mounting bolts had a series of washers, five (5) on each bolt, total of 10.  Some of washers were next to the screw head and some below the caliper assembly but above the frame.    It looks very jerry rigged !   Has anyone else encountered this?
anyone have a diagram or photo on the sequence of the five washers that surround the bolt?

I have messaged the Rad Power bikes Help center but so far no response.  I understand it may take a couple of days.

Any response appreciated.    ..... I think I will have to go to a local bike shop 

[Jack Ducan]

Knowing how to fix bike brake cables will help you prevent any form of accident and ensure a smooth and enjoyable biking experience. The first thing that you should do is inspect whether your inner cable is clean or building up dirt. If cleaning and lubricating your bike brake cable did not resolve the problem, you may consider replacing bicycle brake cables by following these steps: removing a frayed or bent bike brake cable to prepare for bicycle brake cable repair and replacement, sliding the cable out from the brake lever, cutting and inserting the new cable into the cable housing. Secure the cable to the casing by sliding the caps at the edges of the cable housing into their proper position.

[RadJohn]

Wait to see what Rad says. They may offer to pay for adjustment by a local bike shop if it squeaked from the start (my Mini did too, the factory adjustment was abysmal).

Forget about the brake cables, the chance of that being you problem on a ~1 month old bike is probably <1%.

As to the stacks of washers on the brake mounts, that's fairly common on bikes with disk brakes. On close inspection you may find some of them are beveled, cone-shaped or cupped which allows the stack to be skewed at slight angles which will hold when tightened. This allows you to align your calipers/pads to sit flat against your disks, making up for production tolerance misalignments,  minimize noise and maximize stopping power/heat transfer, IF you adjust them properly using a bicycle brake adjusting "third hand " tool, or even rubber bands on the brake levers to hold them firmly applied, and wiggling the caliper too align the whole shebang while tightening the mounting bolts.

If you don't have a lot of experience working on bikes and have to rely on Rad provided tutorials, you could be at a disadvantage, as, though well meaning, some leave a lot to be desired. There are other tutorials on the web, the best for you may be the ones that makes the most sense.

Don't get discouraged though. I've done hundreds (at least) and although I can nail some on the first try, sometimes I have to redo a daemon possessed set multiple before I get it right.

What part of Virginia are you from? I spent 20+ years in Arlington, Alexandria and Richmond (a L-O-N-G time ago).

[VArider]

Wait to see what Rad says. They may offer to pay for adjustment by a local bike shop if it squeaked from the start (my Mini did too, the factory adjustment was abysmal).

Forget about the brake cables, the chance of that being you problem on a ~1 month old bike is probably <1%.

As to the stacks of washers on the brake mounts, that's fairly common on bikes with disk brakes. On close inspection you may find some of them are beveled, cone-shaped or cupped which allows the stack to be skewed at slight angles which will hold when tightened. This allows you to align your calipers/pads to sit flat against your disks, making up for production tolerance misalignments,  minimize noise and maximize stopping power/heat transfer, IF you adjust them properly using a bicycle brake adjusting "third hand " tool, or even rubber bands on the brake levers to hold them firmly applied, and wiggling the caliper too align the whole shebang while tightening the mounting bolts.

If you don't have a lot of experience working on bikes and have to rely on Rad provided tutorials, you could be at a disadvantage, as, though well meaning, some leave a lot to be desired. There are other tutorials on the web, the best for you may be the ones that makes the most sense.

Don't get discouraged though. I've done hundreds (at least) and although I can nail some on the first try, sometimes I have to redo a daemon possessed set multiple before I get it right.

What part of Virginia are you from? I spent 20+ years in Arlington, Alexandria and Richmond (a L-O-N-G time ago).

I eventfully got a bike mechanic to get it adjusted.  I still don't like the way the rear brake calipers are stacked on the frame.  Looking at other bikes it seems a more custom fitted brake caliper with just 2 washers would be better.
I'm in the southeast part of Virginia, close to Virginia Beach