Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)
  • Winter road brake pads?
  • theflatboy
    Free Member

    What is good for this horrendous time of year? My brakes front and rear are now in need of their first replacement and I’m not clued up on what are the go-to options for road brakes. My brakes are Tiagra and I would rather not spend a fortune, though want to get something that will 1. work and 2. last, if at all possible.

    Suggestions gratefully received.

    franciscobegbie
    Free Member

    After a gentle Summer, my Tiagra pads got worn down to nubs in the space of 2 wet November rides.
    I just bought some multi compound Clarks jobs off CRC. So far so good. They come with a spare cartridge too.

    Philby
    Full Member

    Kool Stop Salmon seem to be a popular choice for winter – just put a set on my bike, and seem fine after a couple of rides on very wet roads. Not sure of their longevity though.

    Sam
    Full Member

    Working and lasting are two conflicting goals sadly. In general I like Swissstop pads, though they go against your budgetary constraint.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    I used Kool stops in my pre disc & drum days.

    Dave-j
    Free Member

    I use BBB techstop from ebayseller xtransmission, noticable improvement in the wet and they are cheap too.

    LS
    Free Member

    Dura-Ace.
    They’re pretty cheap at the moment (£4.99 a pair on Wiggle) and the best I’ve found.

    eyerideit
    Free Member

    SwissStop for me are well worth the money, but at £25 for a full set it may be more than you’re willing to pay.

    I’ve tried cheaper ones and they’re good in the dry but rubbish when it’s cold/wet.

    I fitted them in September and commute daily (400miles+ a month) and they’re not that not even halfway down. BTW I don’t clean my bike much either so there’s quite a lot of road filth build up on in.

    plus-one
    Full Member

    Bike fridge on ebay .. Got my road pads from them for few years now.. Few compound choices and around £8 for four pair 🙂

    Lasted as long as original shimano/tektro across my various brakes

    theflatboy
    Free Member

    Thanks guys, I had seen details about SwissStop elsewhere but don’t think I can quite justify the price… I’m thinking KoolStop might be a decent compromise. How long would they realistically last in crappy wet winter weather?

    Spud
    Full Member

    Koolstop salmon on my CX commuter/ winter bike. Just replaced them after a year of use.

    g123456
    Free Member

    Certainly go with the cartridge type pads so koolstop / dura ace etc and if you ride alot in grim mucky roads try and clean rims / pads regular to help with the life but be prepared to change them fairly frequently.

    butcher
    Full Member

    You really need to clean the rims at the very least after every ride at this time of year. It’s the biggest thing I dislike about rim brakes. But takes no time at all really. Quick rub round with a cloth.

    Running CoolStop Salmon pads on mine, which I got because I was unhappy with the braking power before, and they helped a lot. Wear a bit faster, but I can’t comment on winter really, because I tend to get the mountain bike out when the weather turns.

    chakaping
    Free Member

    I found Kool Stop Salmons work superbly in any conditions and last very well.

    Not a compromise at all IMO.

    theflatboy
    Free Member

    Ok, Salmons sound like the winner. CRC only appear to have the inserts, not the whole cartridges. I take it there won’t be compatibility issues with putting the cartridges in my Tiagra brakes?

    Spud
    Full Member

    Wiggle do them too

    theflatboy
    Free Member

    Just been trying to work out what I actually need to order – as I don’t have the cartridges yet, that means I need to order a set of cartridges and pads for now anyway, as I can’t see KoolStop pad + cartridge set… this is more complicated than I expected…

    theflatboy
    Free Member

    By the way, that ^^^ was sort of meant to be a question. If someone could guide me to road braking enlightenment it would be much appreciated!

    theflatboy
    Free Member

    Ok, this is the last question – I was going to get these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clarks-Triple-Compound-Cartridge-Shimano/dp/B005PVLSCS

    Am I right in thinking that I can use these for now and that the other pads mentioned above will be compatible with these Clarks cartridges once their pads wear out?

    Philby
    Full Member

    It looks like they will be fine.

    theflatboy
    Free Member

    Super, cheers.

    theflatboy
    Free Member

    As a final point – those Clarks pads I linked above from Amazon are good value. The pads might not be as good or durable as the pricier ones, but for £7 from Amazon (they are apparently out of stock now, but if they come back in) you get the cartridge pad holders with pads and a further spare set of pads. Should keep me going (/stopping) for a while at least!

Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)

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