How to fix bike brakes?

[olmue]

So...any bike repair experts around? We've all had to move up a size in bikes this year, and after MUCH looking, I finally found a used bike for my 13YO. Everything looks good on it (only three of the five gears appear to work, but the thing runs smoothly)--but the back brake is stiff, and doesn't actually stop the bike. You depress it, and the brake pads contract, but not tight enough to actually stop. Questions:

1. Is this the sort of thing a normal person can just fix? Or is it a bike repair shop sort of thing? (I don't want the bike repairs to cost more than the actual bike did.)

2. Do you just buy a whole new brake set? Or is it something like replacing the cable? (And no, I really don't know what I'm talking about by that.)

3. Or is it something where if I just spray enough WD-40 on the bike, everything will work smoothly?

4. Or do cables loosen up somehow? Should I be tightening it or something? 

I just feel like I don't know enough to know what questions I should be asking or what I should be even googling. (Yes, I'm aware Google exists. That's where I find videos of bike repair enthusiasts from Sussex, England throwing around jargon that I don't think even exists over here--it would sound mighty odd, let's say--and waving around bike parts that don't look like what's on this bike at all.)

I realize you can't fix my bike for me. But um, if anyone knows what questions I should be asking, I'm all ears.

Comments

Re: Fixing Bikes

[olmue.livejournal.com]

Well, several applications of WD-40 have helped some. And new brake pads. And tightening the brake cable. The gears are going to take some thinking about, though.