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Should linear pull brakes be really, really hard to open? When I fixed a rear flat, I actually detached the cable from the guides on the tube to make it looser.
Recently when I did a front tire, it was almost impossible to open the brake.
The mechanism looks so straightforward that I can't imagine I'm doing anything wrong, but I've been wrong before, so thought I'd ask. It looks so easy in the videos.
If the brake is tight, it may be very difficult to release the cable - just can't get much free cable by holding the brake pads against the rim. If your barrel adjusters are screwed out, you can screw them in to get more free cable. It's also possible that the narrow opening in the cable hanger is too tight for your cable to pass through easily. If that seems to be the case, just widen it a bit with a screwdriver.
I did fiddle with the barrel adjusters -- in fact, that's the only way I got the brake closed. But it was still really hard to work with.
I'm not sure what the cable hanger is (I looked on Sheldon Brown). The cable goes straight from the barrel adjuster -- then there's a metal cylinder just before the noodle (I'm not sure what to call the cylinder).
Thanks!