V-brake pads make contact but don't apply pressure to wheel I own a hybrid Trek bike that uses V-brakes. When I apply the brake, the brake pads make contact with the wheel's rim, but don't apply enough pressure to actually brake the wheel. (No matter the level of pressure I apply, there isn't a substantial difference in the level of braking.) My immediate response was that the brake pads might be worn or too thin — so I installed a new pair. Unfortunately, the same problem persists.
I would appreciate any guidance on what might cause the problem. Do I need to find a better or thicker pair of brake pads? I apologize if this problem appears straight-forward; I am a newbie to both bike repair and the bicycle StackExchange community.
The question should be addressable based on the description above, but I have linked a very brief video here that demonstrates the problem.
I find it useful to narrow down which part(s) of the braking system are having issues.

It looks like you've got a partially-frayed cable with a strand sticking out just past the &quot;noodle&quot; tube, and a long tail past the clamp bolt. I'd trim off the strand and cut the tail to be maybe 1.5&quot; long. Use a crimp cap, solder or even strong tape on the end to prevent it from fraying. Also, the flexible rubber &quot;worm&quot; between the noodle end and the clamp bolt should snap over the lip on the end of the noodle so it stays fixed relative to the noodle.\

Can the brake arms stop the wheel? Just grab the tops of the two arms and squeeze using your hand. If that won't stop the wheel then the pads need to be adjusted to be closer in or there's something blocking the linkage from fully closing.

Another factor is whether the wheel is true or not. If not, the rim will &quot;wobble&quot; from side to side inside the brake pads when it is spinning and you won't be able to adjust the pads to be properly close to the rim.

If you've got issues re: 2 or 3 above, fix them by e.g. following the instructions at parktool.com


AA makes good points about the other end of the system.