Weight Weenies

I´m currently using standard shimano brakepads, with very light Kinlin xr-200 clincher rims. In these rims the space for the brakepads is very narrow, and i guess the thickness of the rim walls is not wide enough for them too last many years before they need repalcement... I also ride 80% of winter in wet conditions.

I'd like to know if there are brakepads with a better performance in the wet that the standard shimano pads, and that may last as long or longer, and also do not eat too much aluminium from the rims? is there anything worthy on the market or I should stay with shimano pads? I´m using the latest shimano 105 dual pivot brakes. they brake ok, which is not a lot with rims covered on water.

thanks a lot!!!!!!

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Koolstop Salmon.....I have used them and they work very well in wet conditions. Have used there combination pads (black/salmon) and they are nice as well.

Tried almost all shimano ones, salmons and a few other but dt swiss green is the longest lasing by far and the breaking is at least equal to the others. The price is not bad either as you get a whole set (4 pads) at once.

Another vote for the Koolstop Salmons

I've found the Salmons to perform rather disappointingly (on American Classic rims though). But they seem to work well for many others. Swissstop sure is a safe bet.

Braking is over rated but I like the green Swiss stop pads. They do seem to last the longest of the wet weather pads I have tried

Trouble with swissstop greens is that they may last longer but they eat your rims!! I wouldnt put them anywhere near my bikes again after they ate my Shamals...!! You are better with a pad that wears fast and of course works well. I find the standard Dura Ace pad a good compromise or standard Kool stops. Havent tried the salmon variety ?!

Lig.

Lig wrote:Trouble with swissstop greens is that they may last longer but they eat your rims!! I wouldnt put them anywhere near my bikes again after they ate my Shamals...!! You are better with a pad that wears fast and of course works well. I find the standard Dura Ace pad a good compromise or standard Kool stops. Havent tried the salmon variety ?!

Lig.

Exactly, that was one of my concerns. I really don't want to eat my weak rims. Green pads are out. Can someone comment on the salmon pads in relation to how much they eat aluminium?

SwissStop blacks are a better bet for softer rims. I use them with my Campag wheels. The downside is they do wear quicker than the greens but it's cheaper to replace pads rather than rims or wheels.

Some people even use SwissStop yellows to prevent wearing the anodization off -- so they are easy on the metal. Not sure how well it works though, since you're mentioning wet conditions and all ...

At the moment I am trying out Aztec Road plus pads. Braking is good in the wet, I cannot atest as to how the pads wears or how it treats my rims. I will find out in due course. I do worry about my XR200's as well which is why that bike is a dry weather bike only. I currently have KCNC brakes on that bike, with the stock pads. No idea how they wear at all.

SwissStop now has a new Alloy pad called the BXP...it's blue and exceeds the performance of the green pad.
Yellows can be used but they tend to be "grabby" since they are softer and don't last as long as other alloy specific pads.

According to Swisstop, their black pads are gentle with alloy rims, so I guess the other coloured pads are not.

Question now would be; are swisstop black pads better than standard shimano pads????

I just started testing a set of the Swiss Stop black on my race bike. So far they have slightly less stopping power but it's only been one ride. I aligned them square to the rim and then toed them in but there is still a bedding in period and also wearing away any mold release or oxidixed outer layer.

At this point I would guess that they are about the same as 7900 pads in the dry. The infrequent high frequency chatter disappeared but that may be due to putting greater toe in on the pads vs the 7900 ones.

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Hi,

You know, I don't think there's such a thing as a universally best pad. Be that for wet or dry, carbon or alloy rims.
Even with alloy rims I'd say experiment as there is no telling really.
That being said, what the manufacturer of your wheels/rims recommends should work well enough. Quite often "better" (as in more prompt) braking equates eating the rim in the process....

Ciao,