Hi,

I tried a Liverpool to Scarborough 300km ride this weekend.

After about 5miles, the rear brake stopped biting.

After swapping pads for brand new nukeproof sintered pad, the rear stopped biting after 5 miles.

The ride was super wet, super flat and on sandy transpennines trails.

So I guess I’ve not got enough heat into the rear brake to bed it in effectively and it has worn out.

My mates brand new Shimano grx brakes after their pads after 110 miles and a loaf of rubbing.

So
a) any recommendations for better brake pads to fit the bbb5?

B) the front has always been fine, the rear. Weak. Is it worth rebuilding the calipers before putting new pads in ?

C)is it unreasonable to expect a set of pads to survive in wet// sandy/.gritty conditions?

Cheers
Martin

I think you can get both Clarks and lifeline sintered pads for bb5s, certainly cheaper than the nukeproof. The BB5 pads are really small, I wonder if they wear quicker as a result?

IME it’s likely to be the cable friction and flex that’s affecting power on the back rather than the caliper. Have you tried something like this?

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/trp-cableset?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=100591397&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=base&gclid=CjwKCAjwgb6IBhAREiwAgMYKRn5GNotLNDTos-F8PbLTKEinO_NJ0eXsxNJUmm_z7StVSV2SiplSIBoCCIMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Pads do wear quick in the wet but not as quickly as you’re suggesting particularly in flat terrain.

Sounds like the brake hasn’t been aligned correctly – BB5 caliper has only one side moving and the static side should be aligned/adjusted so the brake just isn’t rubbing.

Thanks for the replies.

I bought the bike, with brakes, cables and levers set up my my mate.

The brakes have been fine for 300 miles in the dry in the run up to this ride.

The rear was perfectly powerful riding to the train station (4miles) and 10 miles of very wet road to get to the start of the trails.

When I first got them, way back, I went to my usual riding spot that was sandy and the pads didn’t last the day. Speed dial levers and jagwire cables. I had to ride home with no rear brake. Bought sintered and they got mangled by the sand there, but at least I could continue using them.

The pads aren’t very big really, and that’s probably half of the problem. Sand tends to collect inside the calipers too.

Currently I ride in a hot, humid (non-sandy) environment and my front brake pad is the one that wears down first.

I haven’t had any problems with Avids, but I chopped out a set of stock Hayes pads in a fairly short descent once – wet, gritty mud. I’ve used sintered pads since then and had no problems. Mechanical brakes that only move one pad are a pain in the arse when they wear because both pads end up tapered. If you readjust them after they’re worn, only a small part of the pad contacts the rotor.