So I spent an hour on the brakes just now and the front brakes are good. I can't figure out what the problem is with the rear. Even if I have the pads so close as to be touching the rim, I can still squeeze the brake lever all the way down to the point it's touching the handlebar. The cable is sliding back and forth through the housing and I don't see any slack in the cable.
The front brake lever is stopping about 1/2 way between the lever and the handlebar with everything adjusted the way I think it should be. Both sets of brake pads are new BTW.
Would putting on new cable housings make a difference?
I think I might have put a shifter cable in there. I'm going to try a new brake cable and see if that does it.
Update:. Switching to a proper brake cable got rid of enough stretch to keep the lever from pulling all the way down to the handlebar. The rear brake will lock up and skid if enough force is applied. It's still squishier than the front, but much better than it was!
Last edited by mtnbud; 06-16-20 at 09:31 PM.