Best Brake Pads??

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris Mayhew on October 17, 2011 at 5:29pm

Are you using carbon rims? Swiss stop yellow.

 

 Otherwise get the Kool Stop salmon pads. File the lip off them. Best pads you will ever buy, esp for the money. The green Swiss stops are about as good, not quite as grabby, but don't last nearly as long.

 

If you can return those pads (say a local shop) I would. If you can't don't sweat it. It's not like pads last that long in 'cross!

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Permalink Reply by andrew on October 18, 2011 at 1:27am

Kai,

Grab Cyclocross Magazine Issue 7 (avail print or digital) for a bunch of cyclocross brake pad reviews.  There are two new ones (KoolStop CrossPad and SwissStop's new pad, along with brake power comparisons and setup tips) in Issue 14 as well.  The salmon pads now have non rim-rake option in case you don't like the plow tip and don't want to file it off the lip that's on the Dura - it's the Dura2 pad. There are multi-condition pads available as well. 

 

Shimano's pads are well-regarded and often the standard others measure their pads against, but the big downside is that they do eat the metal of rims. So long-term your rims may wear a bit faster. 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on October 18, 2011 at 5:04am

I'm with Chris - I too am a big fan of Kool-Stop's salmon pads. They've been the biggest difference on all of my brakes. And the Shimano pads tend to pick up grit and grind away your rims, like Andrew mentioned.

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Permalink Reply by Bill Bailey on October 18, 2011 at 1:07pm

I can't speak on the Shimanos, but Tektros stock pads picked up grit and it would get aluminum chips embedded in them. They were very hard and plasticy. The Salmon KoolsStops really increased my braking power and hold up well. I do want to try the new CrossPads, but I'm not rushing out to replace my old plain salmons.

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Permalink Reply by Matt McNamara on October 19, 2011 at 10:58am

Swiss Stop RED all the way! They are durable, carbon and alloy compatible - perfect for those mid race wheel changes - and I only used two sets all season in mud, grub, grime, and gnarliness. Expensive, but worth it IMHO...

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Permalink Reply by andrew on October 19, 2011 at 5:41pm

I would be super careful in swapping carbon and alloy wheels without swapping pads due to embedded metal in the pad that can eat a carbon rim.

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Permalink Reply by John Mansell on October 25, 2011 at 7:34am

If you are using carbon wheels for cross, the small amount of metal left in the pad is the least of your worries.

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Permalink Reply by Dannyboy21 on March 16, 2012 at 4:36am

Elaborate on this comment ... What are the bigger worries?

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Permalink Reply by David whitlock on March 16, 2012 at 5:24pm

The sand/mud/rocks/grass/blood/bone/hair between your pads and your carbon rims as-well-as any embedded pieces of aluminum from the aluminum rims that you just switched out. 

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Permalink Reply by Kai on March 16, 2012 at 5:37pm

"LIKE"

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Permalink Reply by andrew on March 16, 2012 at 6:01pm

how have you been enjoying the salmon pads?

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Permalink Reply by Kai on March 16, 2012 at 6:14pm

As the season went on and the courses here in New England got wetter and muddier I did feel that I had better stopping power with the salmons. With several big names companies coming out with Disc brake XC bikes this year; that might be the BEST way to go for sure.

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