How Much Does It Cost To Bleed Bike Brakes

You need to bleed your bike brakes from time to time because air gets trapped inside the hydraulic fluid. These air pockets or bubbles can cause significant problems for your brakes and could even lead to brake failure.

By bleeding the brakes, you let those air pockets out. How much does it cost to bleed bike brakes?

The average cost to bleed bike brakes is $30 and should be performed every 6 months or 700 to 2,000 miles ridden. You can get a basic brake bleed as low as $20, however most bike shops will charge between $30 and $100 to bleed your brakes depending on the type of brakes you have on your bike.

How Much Does It Cost To Bleed Brakes

When you go to a shop and have a professional bleed your brakes, you are paying for more than just the air coming out of your hydraulic fluid.

The amount you pay depends on a number of factors. For example, taking your bike to a famous, high-end bike shop will typically run you more than a neighborhood small business.

Why Does It Cost So Much To Bleed Bike Brakes

If you DIY your brakes, then no one gets paid for their time, and you only bring whatever expertise you possess to the job.

However, it costs so much to bleed bike brakes in a shop because they are professionals.

Not only is the shop responsible for ensuring they do a quality job, but their employees generally possess more experience bleeding brakes than you have at home.

A professional uses tools and supplies to do their job and materials to clean up, plus they will charge for their time.

On top of those fees, you should expect to pay taxes, and the shop itself needs to make a profit from offering reliable services in a convenient location.

The cost pays a bike mechanics’ salary, and a small part of it goes to the bike shop’s upkeep as well.

How Often Do You Need To Bleed Bike Brakes

There are lots of companies that make brakes. As a result, the different styles don’t all get bled in the same way.

However, as a good rule of thumb, you should bleed your brakes every 6 months if you ride casually and more often if you commute or compete.

Alternately you could arrange to bleed your brakes every 700 to 2,000 miles.

How Much Does A Bike Shop Charge To Bleed Brakes

When you go to a shop, they use labor hours, their own tools, brake fluid, and more to handle your brakes.

You are paying for skilled labor and the training and knowledge that comes with that. Plus, you are saving time and energy. Most bike shops will charge $30 to $100 to bleed your brakes.

There is no single standard price because there are no single universal brakes. Moreover, some shops pay their staff better and use higher quality materials.

Additionally, some shops have a minimum or are located in an area where everything is more expensive.

Just as the cost of buying a home varies by neighborhood and region, so do materials, utilities, location rental fees, and wages for workers.

Is It Cheaper To Bleed Bike Brakes By Yourself

It is cheaper to bleed brakes by yourself. Learning to make repairs and do maintenance on your bicycle for yourself is always less expensive in the long run, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easier.

You will need the right tools, but the only recurring fee is the brake fluid and occasional replacement tools.

Bike Brake Bleed Kit

If you’re looking for a great kit, I recommend the CYCOBYCO Professional Mineral Oil Bicycle Hydraulic Disc Brake Bleed Kit from Amazon.

One of the best features of this kit is that it solves the oil leakage issue. Old self-locking styles are prone to messes, but this redesigned CYCOBYCO kit seals up so you won’t need to clean up so much.

You will appreciate the corrosion-resistant, thickened custom syringes shelves, and better-quality tubes.

Best of all, this kit fits most brake brands that use mineral oil. Check it out by clicking here.

Can Bike Brakes Bleed Without Kit

You can bleed most styles of bike bakes without a kit, but you’re more likely to introduce air bubbles accidentally.

Typically brakes can be opened and drained without too much trouble, but getting more fluid into your brakes without the correct tools requires a lot of patience and care.

Moreover, it’s a lot easier if you have a second person.

If you need to bleed your brakes without a kit, I strongly recommend watching this video from Art’s Cyclery.

They will walk you through the whole process and show you how to handle it independently.

How Much Does It Cost To Bleed Mountain Bike Brakes

Mountain bike brakes are no more difficult to bleed than any other bicycle’s brakes. As a result, the cost is the same thirty dollars per brake on average.

The styles and types of brakes from various manufacturers each have a slightly different bleed process, but that is true regardless of the kind of bike you ride.

MTB brakes are hydraulic. As Hot Cars points out, “The process of bleeding the hydraulic disk brakes on your mountain bike essentially removes any air bubbles that clog up the brake line. These build up over time and are not the result of any issue associated with your brakes.”

Helpful Tips To Know About How Much It Costs To Bleed Bike Brakes

Even though the average price to bleed brakes is $30 to $35, what you end up paying could vary a lot. For example, bike maintenance in Alaska and Hawaii is more expensive than in other areas.

In a middle-American rural town, a small shop usually charges less, especially if it only takes a few minutes.

Here are more helpful tips to know about how much it costs to bleed brakes.

• There are two basic types of bike brakes. Some use mineral oil, and others need a synthetic brake fluid similar to that used in cars.

• If you get an estimate before you have your bike brakes bled, always assume it will be more. Unexpected complications could cause the mechanic to take longer, or you could need a new part. Plus, taxes are rarely accounted for in an estimate.

• The most popular brakes are Shimano’s because many major MTB and other bicycle manufacturers buy parts from the Shimano company. You can get a custom kit just for bleeding Shimano brakes and use their proprietary mineral oil, but there are also plenty of compatible universal kits as well.

Final Thoughts

A good brake job will run you around $30 per brake. If you need additional parts or both of your brakes done at once, it will run you more, and costs for labor or parts also vary based on where you live.

Alternatively, you can bleed your brakes at home for around twenty to thirty dollars total if you prefer to DIY.

However, it’s with going into a shop if you are inexperienced or unfamiliar with the brakes on your bicycle.