20 Most Recent Bugaboo Cameleon Jogger Questions & Answers

A bugaboo brake fault can be caused by any one of the three parts that make up the brake system.

1/ The cable and cable adjustment screw.
2/ The brake lever assembly.
3/ The brake shoe assembly.

I've listed the three parts in the order of most likely to cause your brake problem. First I'll give a quick over view of how the brake should work then we'll look at the 3 parts in more detail.

Lifting the brake lever up pulls up on the brake cable, a ratchet in the lever keeps any tension until you press the release button in the centre of the lever. The cable pulls up on a toothed brake shoe and via a connecting axle a matching brake shoe on the other side, these brake shoes engage a set of matching teeth on the inside rims of the rear wheels thus locking the wheels. A spring on the cable side brake shoe disengages the brake shoes when the release button disengages the ratchet in the brake lever. This is a simple system with most parts in plain view so you can see the operation of all parts except the ratchet inside the lever.

1/ The brake cable is the most likely cause of most brake problems. Like all cables they can stretch, stick and snap. If the brake lever seems to work OK but the breaks don't hold very well try adjusting the cable tension by winding out the cable adjustment screw at the bottom of the cable thus taking up any slack and bringing the brake shoes up tighter into the wheel rims. A sticky or broken cable should be obvious by observing the brake action as you pull and release the brake lever. Run some sewing machine or 3 in 1 oil down the inner cable wire if it's sticky. If broken you can make a new cable yourself. You will need a mountain bike cable a solder less nipple and 75 cm of outer cable if yours is damaged. My local bike shop sells these parts for $10.50 they have to order in the nipples. You can reuse the cable adjuster my local bike shop can get them for a $1 each!

The Bugaboo has an odd double nipple design. Your replacement cable will only have one end the same as the Bugaboo. The other end will be either bare or have the pear style nipple. This you would cut off. Using the old cable as your guide, you cut the new outer cable to 75 cm and fit the ferrules supplied with the kit. The matching nipple will be the top (lever) end of the cable, reuse the old adjuster and slip it on to the bottom end followed by the solder less nipple. Set the nipple 89 cm from its opposite. Depending on the cable and nipple you buy you may need to drill the plastic parts out to ease the fit I also cut the screw head off to get a better finish some nipples come with internal grub screws.
If this sounds to complicated just print this out and give it to your local bike shop. Here's one I made all ready to go!

2/ The brake lever assembly is made up of the lever, a release button, a small compression spring and the outer bracket that holds it all on the handle. The bracket also holds the left handle release button. The most common problem is the ratchet fails to hold and this is a safety issue as it can fail quite suddenly!
Before reading any further have you ever lubricated you brake lever? If not do so I have quite a few brake lever faults come to me that are just sticky buttons. Use a silicone spray not WD40. Now back to real brake problems.
Either the small compression spring has broken (unlikely) the screws holding the assembly loosen (hopefully) or the teeth on the button and outer bracket have worn down (most likely). Try first to tighten the two screws, if that does not help take the two screws out. It's a simple mechanism the button sits inside the lever it can move in and out of the lever but can't turn as it has splines that lock it to the lever. A compression spring pushes the top outer edge of the button against the inner side of the bracket; they both have serrated teeth that lock them together. The raised centre of the button protrudes though the bracket. Pushing on the center of the button disengages the interlocking teeth of the ratchet. The compression spring can be found in most hardware stores, worn ratchet teeth can be reshaped with a rotary modeling tool like the Demel.

3/ If the Brake shoes are the problem it will be obvious,broken expansion springs are easily replaced, stripped threads on the cable adjuster can be sorted at your local bike shop and broken parts either repaired by a plastic welder / bumper repair shop or replaced with parts from a salvaged frame.
The most common problem is one shoe engaging before the other (usually the one opposite the brake lever) this is caused by the aluminum connecting shaft getting a slight twist in it. Remove the wheels, take the screw out of the connecting shaft of the shoe that engages first. Lever the shoe out of the aluminum shaft with a large screw driver. Chisel the alignment splines off. refit shoe but don't put the screw in yet. Refit wheels, now put the brake on and check that both wheels now lock up. While brake is still on fit screw back drilling a new hole if necessary, Release brake and adjust brake cable so break shoes just clear the wheel rims, Check brake operation if you find you cant get the lever to a suitable lock position back the cable off a bit more and try again,

To fix it yourself, you need to disassemble the buttons, which can be done with two screwdrivers one a thin slot type the other a Phillips. Here is the process: 1. On the other side of the white button unit is a screw. Remove it using a Phillips screwdriver.

2. You'll now have a black housing with a white button held in by three white tabs. 3. Free the white button from the housing by pressing inwards on each of the three tabs with the slot type screwdriver.

4. You'll now have a black base, a spring and a white button. Pay attention to how the two black parts align to each other so you re-assemble it correctly.
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5. Pop the white button out of the upper black surround. Sand the circumference of the white button evenly until it slips easily in and out of the black surround. A little silicon spray is a good idea.
6. Reassemble unit and check it has full movement (see photo below).
7.On the underside of the button unit a ramp shape should lineup with an opening in the bottom edge.
8. Fit button unit back into upper seat leg, Fit lower seat leg aligning it to the back of the button unit so the push rod in the lower seat leg pushes on to the ramp on the button unit. Note the seat button will not come out and lock until the seat is fitted back on to the chassis pushing the rod up to push the button out to the lock position. Once you have fitted the back screw in you can use a large screw driver to push down the inside of the lower leg to check the white button pops out and locks. If you have any resistance dismantle again to check alignment and the condition of the interlocking teeth of the button and the outer rings. Sand of any burrs and use a little silicon grease. Reassemble and test again.
Repeat operation to the other side if necessary. Buttons are not interchangeable so doing one side at a time avoids mixing them up.
If the tabs on the white button are broken you can buy a new button unit as a part www.babycare.nl/bugaboo-cameleon-seat-frame-push-buttons-p-2664.html

Bugaboo handle issues can be caused by faults in either the release buttons or the hubs and the first job is to try and diagnose the part causing the fault. I'll describe how the locks work then go into more detail on each part.

Two aluminum lock pins sit in channels of the inner hub and extend into pockets in the outer hub, locking the hub. These lock pins are retracted by the rotation of a plastic disk connected to the ends of the lock pins by two small plastic pins on the disk. A wire rod that clips into the disk and runs up the handle to the release button rotates the disk when pulled up buy the release button. There are two versions of the release button. The older pull up knob type and the newer rocker button type. Both versions pull up the wire rod via a plastic block clamped to the wire rod. A compression spring sits above the plastic block keeping it in the downward lock position till upward moment from the release buttons unlocks it.

A lot of locking problems are just poor lubrication so before you start opening parts, get a can of Silicon Spray (Bugaboo use to include a can in their maintenance kit). Any hardware or Gas Station will sell it. Don't use Oil based lubricants like WD40 the main reason being they stain fabrics. Remove the seat unit and lay the stroller on its side faulty hub down. Now look on the inside edge of your handle where it joins the plastic hub, you'll see two slots in the plastic hub and a wire rod in the lower slot. Spray into this slot so lubricant flows down inside the hub. Now wipe off excess with a paper towel and work the release button a few times. If you are lucky your handle now works.

No luck? Then we have to see if the fault is in the hub or the release button. Press or pull the release button while watching the wire rod in the lower slot. It should move 6 to 8 mm. If there is a resistance to this, the hub is at fault. If the rod seems to move freely but the hubs remained locked try pulling the rod a bit further up with a small pair of pliers. If this releases the hub you have a release button fault. If the hub is still locked the fault is in the hub.

Release Button Repair
The old pull up release button is easy to open, a single Phillips screw holds it on and in being so simple makes it unlikely to be your fault.
The rocker button release is not so easy. The left side is part of the brake lever assembly. Remove the two Phillips screws and the inner half of the assembly will come off rocker button attached. The brake lever, inner brake release button and spring will be loose so carefully place aside in a small container till ready to reassemble. The right side has no screws it just clips together. Use a small flat blade screwdriver to pop the joints on the front and back edge's, the inner plate with rocker button attached will come free. There is a metal plate sitting over the hole the rod is in. Take time to remember how it fits in the hole and the angle you take it out. This will make putting it back much easier. The wire rod runs though a white plastic block clamped by an inner metal block with two inset hex screws. The hex key is 0.05 inches or a 99-20 if you have Xcelite hex drivers. Adjust the rod by pulling a few mm though the block and re-locking. Don't take up any more then required to unlock the hub other wise the locking rods won't fully engage in the hubs when locked.

Hub Repair
1/. Remove the capped star lock washer. This is the hardest part of the job. Most people try to leaver this off in the hope of re using. This can mark or damage the surrounding plastic, second problem is star locks are not intended for reuse and will never hold as well as when first used. I supply a free Dome with the other hub parts I sell but if you are getting your hub parts direct from www.shapeways.com/shops/bugabooparts . You will need to find your own domes or reuse the ones you have. To find domes Google "Bak-Fin" or go to www.bakfin.com/starlock/domedcap.html you need the number 8 Domed Star Lock email them to find your local supplier or just check out your nearest supplier of industrial fasteners.
If replacing the domes the quickest way to remove a capped washer is to carefully cut a slot in the dome with an angle grinder and then use a large screwdriver to carefully prize one side up so you can fit another screwdriver under the star lock. Note the walls of the aluminum hub axel are thin and easily distorted,make sure you only lever the capped star lock and not hub axel. Use one screwdriver as a support and another to lift off the capped star lock.
If you need to save the domes for reuse use a small 1 inch painters knife to protect the plastic and only work inline with the handle as there are ridges on the sides.
Some Bugaboos now come with an extra plain Star Lock washer under the Domed one. These are set into the hub and are a bit of a pain to remove. Just pry around the tabs with a small screwdriver. The good news is they are reusable just tap them back on after your repair.
Note it is best to open and repair one side at a time, so you are moving and flexing one side of the handle does not dislodge parts in the other side. The hubs and disks are mirrors of each other and not interchangeable the locking rods are interchangeable. The side with the brake lever is left The Bugaboo parts will have an "L" after their serial numbers.

2/Before ordering parts check the hubs for wear. If too badly worn or damaged you will have too much movement in the locked position. The Frog, Gecko and Chameleon use the same plastic hub so find another frame to salvage hubs from. They are held in by a single aluminum rivet.
3/The inner hub has three parts the two locking pins and the disk. The locking pins can only be replaced if broken, either by ones salvaged from another frame or new copies. I prefer the copies as they have been cut or printed from stainless steel. The disk has two plastic pins that move the locking pins in and out of the inner hub if they have not failed they could at any time after your repair so I recommend replacing them. You need to either repair the disk by drilling out and tapping the pin stumps for 4 mm Cap bolts then cutting them down to suit. Or (my preferred choice) have a new metal disk fabricated that will last a lifetime. Now with 3D printing you have more options check out www.shapeways.com/shops/bugabooparts White plastic disks are $15.00 or stainless steel disks for $30.00 and Locking pins are $15.00 each Shapeways ship to USA & Canada for $6.50 and EU countries for $9.00 the rest of the world is a flat rate of $20.00You can buy parts direct from me at the same pricing but my locking pins are laser cut stainless steel $15.00 and my disks are laser cut aluminum with stainless steel pins $30.00 I include a free Stainless steel dome but shipping from New Zealand to USA / EU is $33.00 unless you go standard parcel post $15.00



4/. Reassemble handle locking hub and check operation. If wire rods seem to be in the incorrect position, loosen the top plastic fittings where the handle extends from by removing the small self-tapping screws (note I'm now finding some frames now have pop rivets,drill them out and replace with self tappers) and wiggle things into alignment.(I use a small amount of the silicon grease used for taps to give a smooth action) If all is working well fit the new capped star lock on the hub shaft and tap home. To protect the dome finish I use a large socket from my socket set and an old rubber washer from a toilet cistern. Repeat operation on the other side.

I can't emphasize enough the need to keep Bugaboo hubs well lubricated with silicon spray. They have to endure incredible forces from the handle. To give you some idea, a crow bar of the same length can pull six inch nails out of hard wood!

You can contact me at [email protected]