UKC

Hi all,

I have given my road bike to my mechanic friend for some much needed tlc and a bit of an upgrade. I may be taking it to the Alps this summer and would like to ride some big passes. At home I ride all over Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cumbria. Not much of a [really] bad weather rider. I weigh about 63kg.

Want to improve the stopping power a little, used to cable discs on my mountain bikes and got this reply from friend:

You have a choice in brake pads – Aztecs are very good at stopping you but eat rims like anything – they are approx £7.99 per pair. A lot of riders like Koolstops which are about same price. The best ones are the SwissStop but these work out at approx £20 per pair – so that’d be £40 but they are great stopping power esp in wet and low rim wear.

Anyone got any comments on any of the above ? The wheels are Kysrium and about 9 years old, mostly used in sunny Texas till last few years. The rims are in pretty good shape so far.

Are the SwissStop worth the money ? I am more interested in performance and longevity, dont mind paying a 'little' more for quality if it pays off in the long term, ie not shredding the rims.

Thanks in advance

SArah

In reply to sarahjk:

I think I've gut Dura-ace pads on the roadie - seem fine.

In contrast to your mechanic mate, I swapped from Shimano M-System pads to Aztecs on my mountain bike and found the Aztecs had more stopping power and ate the rims less. Certainly don't remember digging much metal out of the Aztecs, but was at it all the time with the M-System ones.

No idea about Swiss Stop, but will watch with interest, as I do need new pads for the roadie.

In reply to sarahjk:

Koolstop red on the winter bike, red and black on the summer bike, I like them, can't see any reason to spend more on Swisstop

In reply to sarahjk:

When I have my Fulcrums on I use some BBB 8€ pads and they're awesome.

The only concession I ever make to expensive pads is Bontrager cork pads when I'm on my carbon wheels. They're expensive but bloody awesome.

E

In reply to sarahjk:

I put these Clarke brakes on my winter bike, on the recommendation of my LBS. I think they're excellent, and way better that the ones that came with the bike. Also, suppled with spare set of blocks.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/clarks-55mm-caliper-brake-shoe/rp-prod55...

In reply to sarahjk:

Put new inserts in this afternoon.cheep and cheerful Fibrax Science.

All the LBS had

I am sure they will be just fine.

Unlike my thumb ,which I skewered trying to get a worn pad out.

In reply to sarahjk:

You wouldn't catch me spending £40 on brake pads. I use BBB tech stop cartridge pads that cost about £10 for a pack of 4. They are extensively grooved so clear away water reasonably well but still I wouldn't expect any road brakes to work that well in the rain. If they did you'd probably skid anyhow.
I'd say that keeping rims and pads clean is probably going to help wheel longevity more than the make of pad.
Keeping your brake cables and outers clean and lubed helps with brake power IMO.

In reply to sarahjk:
I've got Swiss stop green, riding Lakeland passes and they have been excellent. I'm sure I didn't pay £40 though, got them online, probably from merlincycles but can't remember (they're easy to change yourself).
Edit- quick google finds them at chain reaction for £22 for 2 pairs

In reply to sarahjk:

Personal order of preference, they are all fairly solid in the dry but when it is wet or the speed is up then you notice the difference. I would probably say I get longer out of the bottom 3 options but I feel better on the top 2

SwissStop

Koolstop - this is what I get every time bang for buck over SwissStops unless you find a good offer

BBB/Aztec

Shimano own

In reply to IMA:.

swisstop green! Worth the extra money imho.

After a week or two you will forget how much they were but always remember the stopping power when you use them!

In reply to sarahjk:
The £40 quoted will include the cartridges and when you need to replace the pads they are about £10/pair. Many people consider that Swiss Stops provide the best braking in terms of stopping power and modulation while also minimising rim wear. There are obviously a number of other factors that influence braking performance including road surface, tyres, cables, rim condition and rider technique. A high quality set of pads are a relatively cheap way to improve braking performance.
I use the Sram / swiss stops which Merlin currently have on offer £28 for two pairs including cartridges
http://www.merlincycles.com/sram-by-swissstop-brake-pad-holder-1-pair-68078...

There are other decent pads to be had for less money and, like many things in cycling, the question about whether swiss stops are worth the money is a personal choice. If I'm approaching a corner on a fast descent and realise I've left the braking a bit late I would rather have top quality pads than lesser pads and bit of extra cash.

In reply to sarahjk:

I had standard shimano 105 pads which were good in the dry but pretty useless in the wet.

Once they wore out I replaced them with Swiss Stop (~£20 for 2 pairs of CRC). Whilst a bit pricey, I can safely say that they stop very well, and are significantly better in the wet. They are also seem to last longer. Cannot speak for rim wear though.

I will however only be buying swiss stop again when I need replacement pads.

In reply to sarahjk:

Thanks all, found a better deal on the SwissStops, so going to try them. Really excited about getting the changes done and getting the bike back soon.

Sarah