Repaired the SHIV in Various Ways

Everything I'm about to write is the absolute truth.
If anything, I'm the one wishing it were a lie or some kind of joke...

A customer brought me a Specialized SHIV for service.
They purchased it at Silvest Cycle about 11 months ago.

I'd heard from a friend of the bike's owner about a month ago
that they'd eventually be bringing it to my shop
(the friend is one of our customers)
so I was somewhat prepared.
Apparently there's an issue with the Magura hydraulic caliper brake.
Though "issue" turned out to be a massive understatement.

This SHIV is built from a frameset, and the frameset includes
frame, fork, headset, aero bar set, seatpost, crankset,
and Magura hydraulic brakes as a complete unit.


Triathlon bikes have different frame geometry regulations than UCI rules,
and they're somewhat more lenient.
So accessories like this one—which seem designed purely to close off the front triangle—
aren't prohibited.


It's called a Fuel Cell.


A mounting bracket for the Fuel Cell is bolted into the bottle cage hole on the seat tube,
and a plastic lower section slides into it.
Once it clicks in place, it won't come out without releasing the tabs.


Then a rubber upper section is mounted on top.
Storing items used infrequently (things you don't need while riding) in the lower section
and energy food in the upper section is convenient.
There's no waterproofing, but both sections have drainage holes in the bottom,
so water won't accumulate during rain riding.



The brake is a Magura RT8.
They make two models—this RT8 and the lower-spec RT6.
The retail version of the RT8 has caliper arms that are red on one side and black on the other,
while the RT6 is black on both sides.

This RT8 being all-black is a special specification as a frameset accessory.



↑Here's how it works in operation.


When a pod with an arrow-shaped part at its tip
gets pushed out from the brake caliper...


The arms move and the brake shoes clamp the rim.


The mechanical principle differs in the number of pivot points, but it's basically
like hydraulically spreading a clothespin.
Though not shown in the diagram, there's a return spring on the back of the caliper
equivalent to the spring in a clothespin.

The problem was that after braking, the caliper return was abnormally slow—almost sluggish—
and the pod wouldn't fully retract. That's why I accepted the job.

But—and this is incredibly hard to believe—here's what Silvest Cycle did about it:



They wrapped a rubber band around the caliper to help it return.

When the customer picked up the bike after the second time leaving it there,
they were told it was beyond repair and handed a rubber band.
This wasn't a temporary fix (horrifying as that would be)—it was their final answer.

Attention everyone!
If you let Silvest Cycle work on Magura brakes,
this is what happens!


When I watched the customer carefully pull the rubber band out of the Fuel Cell
and passionately explain "It's essential equipment for races, if not for practice!"
I had to hold back—thinking to myself "I must not laugh here."

If a rubber band is genuinely required for the Magura brake to work,
then so be it. But with proper maintenance, you shouldn't need it at all.



I squeezed the brake lever hard.
The brake does function, but there's sloppy play before the caliper engages.
It's unmistakably the sensation of air bubbles in the brake fluid.
There's an electronic drivetrain satellite switch, but the lever grip is so loose
that it's interfering with the switch. That's dangerous.


The extension bars attached to the base bar move side to side for some reason.
The right bar especially makes a creaking sound—"creak, creak"—every time it moves.
It moves in a fan shape, so


↑I tried closing them in.


↑I tried spreading them out.
And here's the thing: the customer reported that
the right bar suddenly fell off while riding.
The customer hasn't told Silvest Cycle about this.
I would have stormed in and demanded answers.
Afterward, the customer tightened the right bar's fastening bolt really hard,
but it didn't actually solve the problem.
As long as the bar moves, simply over-tightening the bolt
only delays how soon it loosens (and eventually falls off).
The fact that the over-tightened right bar still makes noise when moved side to side
told me immediately what the real issue was.

To be clear: the customer hasn't made any adjustments to the bike
since receiving it—not once, until the bar fell off.


The two bars had significantly different heights, so I asked the customer
if this was a deliberate position preference.
I needed to know, in case I had to preserve this setup.
"No, not at all. Make them level please," they said.

This uneven height isn't the original state—it happened after the bar fell off
and was reinstalled.


The mounting base for the extension bars:

↑right side

↑left side
It's like having a saddle that rocks back and forth on a seatpost with a single loose bolt.



The rear brake was also sloppy just like the front, so
the customer—now distrustful of Silvest Cycle—took it to
the Esaka Specialized Concept Store (hereafter "Rabbit Street") for adjustment.
I guess they thought "It's Specialized's own shop, so it should be safe."

But somehow the RT8 was replaced with a retail-version RT8.
The customer was told beforehand "We'll replace the brake," but
if you replace something, it means the brake had a defect warranting replacement.
If a working product was replaced unnecessarily, that's essentially fraud.
If replacement was necessary, the shop should have explained to the customer
exactly what was wrong and why replacement was required—
but they gave no such explanation.

I wanted to first try adjusting the original brake (the all-black RT8),
so I asked the customer to bring it in.
But "Rabbit Street never returned the original brake," they said.
The shop didn't even ask "What would you like to do with the old brake?"
Of course, the customer paid for the red/black caliper (and labor).
They never said they didn't want the original brake back.

The only reason to replace a hydraulic caliper I can imagine is seal degradation
causing brake fluid leakage. The bike is less than a year old,
and Magura warrants against oil leaks for five years.
If there really was a defect requiring replacement, the proper response would be:
"This is a warranty issue with the framemaker (Specialized),
so please contact where you purchased it."
For overseas online purchases, that might be a dead end,
but this was purchased from an authorized dealer.
Without seeing the original brake myself, I can't say for certain,
but I suspect the issue could have been resolved by simply re-bleeding the system.

But even if the rear brake had been fixed...



When I squeezed the brake lever, there was so much air in the system
that the lever bottomed out against the bar tape.
Replacing the brake caliper was pointless.
From the previous image, the pod still isn't retracting, and
the brake mounting is off-center, causing the right brake shoe
to drag continuously on the rim.


Magura hydraulic calipers can be installed on any road bike
as long as it has bullhorn bars.
Maybe that's why the rear brake is designed with the shoe orientation
assuming seat stay-mounted caliper placement. Probably.


↑The brake shoes are reversed left and right.
They probably just slapped on the seat-stay version shoes as-is.
This isn't even a Magura issue at this point.
If there weren't a fool-proof shoe retention screw,
this could have been life-threatening.

The customer hasn't touched this at all.
In fact, other than re-tightening the right bar after it fell off,
the customer hasn't adjusted anything.
I confirmed this point carefully with the customer
because I wanted to establish who was responsible.

When I took it for a short test ride in front of the shop,
the brakes barely worked and it was scary.
I couldn't descend a hill—no way.
A mechanical brake would stop better than this,
and the rear brake could at least be held and you could pedal through.

To be clear: up to this point, I've only test-ridden it,
shaken the bars, and squeezed the brake levers.
I haven't started any actual service work.
The bike is exactly as the customer brought it in.
Unbelievable, but true.

May divine punishment fall upon these garbage shops
that are only interested in extracting money from customers.
I might get burned by association for writing this, but
as long as the customer's interests are restored, that's a minor concern.


One more detail:
If you straighten out the handlebar, you'll notice


↑this part is mounted at an angle.
And it's tightened well enough that you can't bend it back by hand.
Since it's not a functional bar component, it won't cause injury if removed,
but it shows a lack of attention to detail.


The bottle cage bracket mounted on the saddle:



The lower fastening screw is loose, making the whole thing rattle.



That covers the current state! Now for the repairs:

I removed the extension bar pad base.
The 4-prong tool (similar to an awl) is pointing at the problem screw.


Out it came.


The bar was rocking back and forth daily, and you can see the scuffed marks on the base.
The screw's threads have left an imprint in the base where they were grinding.


So this is what happened during riding.


I could have re-machined the screw, but I went with a fresh one for peace of mind.
It's not that expensive, and
if anyone asks for the original screw back, I'm ready to explain
exactly why a new one was necessary.
↑Yes, this is clearly in response to the rear brake situation.


The split washer I added under the head is insurance.
I calculated the screw length accounting for the washer too.

As a side note: the steel screws used on stems are not stainless steel,
but rather plain steel or zinc-plated steel.
This is because stainless steel's tensile strength is lower than steel's,
and they prioritize shear strength over rust resistance.
That said, titanium screws are actually on the weaker side in terms of strength... hmm.



Now it's locked down solid.
Even when I grab the extension bar and shake it hard,
it barely moves—just a faint flex from the carbon bar itself.
The fan-shaped rocking and creaking it had before was clearly abnormal.


I straightened out that angled part too.
Little details matter.


I also gave it a wash.
There's mysterious discoloration on this frame that won't come off
no matter how hard you scrub it with your finger.


Here we go!



And again!



And harder!
There's a strange cutout on the outer chainring,
and this is actually the correct position.
The slot matching the crank arm's underside would be on the back,
and there's a chain drop prevention pin there anyway.
Maybe it's a guide for swapping chainrings without disassembly?
(Just a guess.)

Edit: I received several comments saying the cutout is for power meter installation.
I'm embarrassed to have relied on the comments section for the answer to my own ignorance.
Thank you very much.



For the brake adjustment itself, I got the pod retracting nicely
and the lever returning with a smooth, satisfying feel.
No rubber band necessary whatsoever.
I'd wager the rear brake didn't actually need replacing.

It wasn't just a routine adjustment, though.
I made a special tool specifically for this job and used it.
But it's not an essential tool—I've already confirmed the adjustment could be done properly
without the special tool too.
(I'll detail that special tool in the next post.)


To Silvest Cycle and Rabbit Street:
If you have any objections or explanations regarding what's written here,
I'm willing to listen, but only if you can have a constructive conversation
about restoring this customer's interests.
Otherwise, I'm simply too busy to waste time on it—I don't have that kind of schedule.
This one issue has already taken a week of my time,
and I've even taken unscheduled days off.

One last thing: If the original RT8 rear brake still exists somewhere,
please return it to the customer.
I want to re-adjust it and verify whether the brake actually had any defect.
If it's lost, then perhaps you should offer compensation.