Hi! Think I need new front pads for my Scott Spark with Avid Elixor 3’s (lever nearly reaching bar, not looked at the pads properly yet though)

Anyway, what would people recommend? Just for XC and occasional trail centre use?

Oh and how long should they usually last? Had the bike about 6 months with fair bit of use

Cheers!

Lever nearly reaching the bar shouldn’t be pads- if the brakes are set up right (*), they autocorrect for thickness. I’d have a proper look before you do anything else.

Personally, I use Superstar’s kevlar pads- they’re cheap and they’re excellent.

Well if you haven’t checked the pads yet you might just need a bleed. I find this with my Elixir 5’s from time to time.

If your pads are shot…I have used superstar pads for the past few years. How long do they last? Too many factors to say! Lots of wet winter riding sandy/gritty/muddy trails…not long! They are cheap so I just change and bleed when the need arises rather than expect a certain lifespan.

No idea why it works, but with mine, I strapped the lever back to the bar tight, and left it for a while. And it was fine after that.

No idea why it works, but with mine, I strapped the lever back to the bar tight, and left it for a while. And it was fine after that.

+1 worked for me too. You don’t store your bike standing up by any chance do you? Give the breaks a pump and then leave them stapped back overnight and try them in the morning.

You don’t store your bike standing up by any chance do you?

What’s the best way to store it ?

So give the Superstar ones a go then!

Perhaps a bleed is in order then? I do usually keep it stood upright

Wouldn’t it make sense that the hydrolic brake system is a closed one so unless you have air in that system it would not matter how your bike was stored?

Having said that I sometimes leave my bike upside down and find that when I get it upright I need to pump a brake leaver a few times to get it back to something like normal. I usually take this as to mean that it needs bleeding.

Check your pads and go from there but the SS ones are pretty good. If you have a bleed kit but have not bled your brakes before there are good vids on youtube etc.

seavers, you’re spot on- but often there’s a little bit of air in the reservoir after an imperfect bleed, which can get into the pressurised system- most commonly if bike is turned upside down or when pads get thin.

This is how the “strap back lever” trick works, it allows the air that’s worked into the system to gather at the top and get back into the reservoir. But it’s not a fix, the air’s still there waiting to cause hassle.

A perfect bleed avoids all this but tbh, perfect bleeds aren’t all that common.