So what's the general consensus? Corima, Zipp, Shimano?

I will be using them on Lightweight and Shimano carbon rims. I just noticed that corima finally made their pads compatible with shimano brake shoes. Or I might have just missed it but anyway it's news to me.

So what's the word folks?


thanks

I'm using the new Zipp's, they're a little grabby, good power, they generate an ashlike tail that grows @ the end of the breakpad. I'm sure they are wearing FAST.

I'm happy with my Shimano DA carbon pads and still stock a few, but i keep hearing good things about yellow "swiss stops". gonna try them when i'm out of supply.
BTW, apparently Carbon Sports are cooperating with these guys to make the perfect brakepads for Lightweight, too.

Martin

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Scott Sc
my old stuff
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Like you guys, I am testing out different pads for my ADA's. I have been trying to find a 'middle ground' to avoid switching pads and holders when ever I change between alloy and carbon rims.

I just got back from a ride using the Zipps for the first time. I think that I must have worn off 20% of the pads in the first ride. They stop very well on the Kevlar braking surface, though, and are quite acceptable on alloy wheels, too. I have not tried the Swiss Stops pads or the current Campagnolo carbon-specific pads, either.

I think that I will probably go back to using cork pads and switching the pads and holders when using the ADA's or my X-Carbo's.

I was just logging on to report my experience with Zipp pads and I saw your message. I am using them with LW wheels and I too have noted incredible wear, and I don't live in a hilly area where I have to do much braking. Just stopping at stop signs is killing these pads. I also get a lot of sqealing from the front. I have checked toe-in and it's not that. It seems to be after grabbing the front brake for more than a few seconds the sqeal starts. Must be from the heat build up I guess.

I have some Corima inserts on the way so they are the next to try.

I feel the corima pads are the best......they have a great "feel" to them, not grabby.

I have tried three different sets of brake pads in less than eight months on my Cane Creek Carbon Cronos (much like Zipp 404 rims - circa 2000).

The first set were standard shimano dura type pads - IMHO - they worked like crap - wore out rather quickly & had a tendency to lock the rear wheel too easily. These were changed after less than 300 km. :roll:

The second set were the ultralite Aztec Delta Ti brake shoe / pads (the pads on these cannot be replaced) - IMHO - these were ultralite (approx. 26 gms. for a pair) - ultra sexy - [u][b]BUT[/b][/u] - after just one spin around the block (5 km test ride) with stop & go traffic & stop signs along the way - over 50% of the pads were already worn !!! :x
These pads had only 3 mm (1/8") of pad to begin with when new - to keep these I would have to replace these $35 brake pads after every training ride!! Besides, despite the rapid wear - these pads stopped like crap & they squealed like you would not believe. I took these off the minute I got home.

Last but not least - Corima Cork (for dura type shoes).
Thank God - at last a product that actually works!! :D
Although they are pricey - they fit in standard dura ace pad holders - they stop on a dime - only a few grams heavier than the Aztecs and for those light on the wallet - they last !! (2000 km already & they show very little wear. Highly recommended.
BTW - I have not yet tried the pads in wet conditions.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for your confirmation. My ADA's are eating these Zipps alive! I was doing intervals today on a climbing circuit that includes a sharp right-hander at the base of a 12% decent. The squealing from the Zipps was deafening! They actually became more quiet on my second set...I later discovered that it was probably because they were being sanded-down to nothing!

Do your Lightweights wear the pads down to a rubbery 'powder' that gets pushed to the end of the pad like a cone? How is the stopping performance otherwise? They seem to stop well on the ADA's.

They wear exactly like you describe, with the fine cone of ground down brake pad hanging off the front. They stop reasonably well but for that howling squeal and the wear.

How do you like your Ada wheels? I bought a set before I got the LW and I would be interested to hear your impressions.

Have you tried Cees Beers' home-made cork pads. He sent me a set after I bought my Adas but I never put them on. The flat section was a bit too broad, much taller than the braking track.

The ADA's are stupid-light. My previous climbing wheels are Ambrosio X-Carbos built-up on an FRM Front and Record rear hubset with Sapim CX-Rays, fairly light. The ADA's are spooky - they are so much lighter. If someone describe how much lighter they actually feel, I would not have believed it. I have heard all the stories about Cees and his wheels from people on this forum. I have to say that I found him very helpful. I think some people get put-off by his terse correspondence, but I think that is just his manner. He comes across much better on the telephone. If people are considering ADA's, I would strongly recommend speaking to Cees on the telephone to get some perspective on the man.

With respect to the ADA pads, I think that I will try them this week. I am going for a 100-120km blast now and will put my Corima/Ambrosio pads on for now, as I have separate holders for them. The Corima/Ambrosio pads are a much harder compound than Cees' pads are. As you say, they are also much narrower.

O.K., I think I can unequivocally state that cork pads are still the best choice for carbon wheels (although I cannot speak for Zipp wheels or other such wheels having a ceramic or other braking surface adhered thereto).

Today I had several opportunities to test the cork compound Ambrosio/Corima pads stopping from +65kmph in the rain. On the ADA's with the kevlar braking surface, the cork pads appear stop as well as conventional alloy rims with factory Campagnolo pads do in the dry! I was more concerned with locking-up the front than not having enough braking force applied to the rim.

Another plus is that the pads do not seem to wear much at all (the set I am using has 100s of kms on them in the mountains). The surface of the pad develops a bit or crazing on the surface from the heat build-up, but it does not appear to affect the performace at all.

Lastly, whether in the wet or dry, the pads are as quiet as stock pads on alloy rims! I, for one, will live with switching pads around to get that kind of performance advantage.

On another related note, the ADA's with the kevlar braking surface are great in the wet. I would not hesitate to use them as a general road wheel, as opposed to a climbing-specific wheel.