Reynolds carbon clincher braking squeal? Experiences

[grover]

Hey Guys,

I just picked up some Reynolds carbon clinchers (Assault SLG). Using the intended Cryo Blue pads. Brake squeal is next level! Braking is actually good. Powerful, consistent. But the noise! It's a high pitched scream from a horror movie.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any tips? Does it just go away once there's a good layer of brake material on the rim?

Cheers.

[fa63]

I never had any squealing issues with my Reynolds wheels/pads. Are the pads toed in properly?

[alcatraz]

Play, flex in your brake calipers perhaps?

Is it one wheel or both wheels?

/a

[timmerrr]

Reynolds do have a unique (and loud) brakeing noise but in my experience they have never squealed/screached.

[FIJIGabe]

I had two pairs of Reynolds wheels in the past, and I don't remember them being particularly loud. I would check the toe-in of the pads, especially if they're new. Also, try cleaning the brake surface with a little acetone.

[Shrike]

Yep! Had that with them too, but when I tried them I wasn't using the blue pads. Think I was using some Swiss Stop pads at the time. Just threw the wheels on my bike to test them out, couldn't be arsed changing pads for one ride. Came with the missus' Canyon.

Noise was unreal. Proper stop traffic level screech. Super high pitched.

Never heard a sound as loud as that with any carbon wheel/pad combination since

[grnrcr]

Toe the pads in a little. Make sure your calipers are perfectly centered. Braking on newer gen Reynolds is amazing. I haven’t experienced what you describe even under super hard braking - -15% to a complete stop.

[Onandon]

Mine do this on my s3 with ultegra calipers and reynolds blue pads. I’ve over 5000 miles on this combo and attempted many things to fix but nothing has made a difference.

I’ve just embraced the noise now 🤪

[grover]

Thanks for the quick responses guys.

It's a Parlee Z5, with SRAM Red Aerolink calipers. So nothing wacky I don't think.

The single pivot of the Aerolink does get a little bit pushed off centre just by brake cable outer tension. I've tried 'centred' as an even gap on both sides and 'centred' as simultaneous contact of the pads on the rim when applying brakes.

I get the 'tweetybird' or 'ufo' noise under light braking, then as hand pressure ramps up the screech comes in like I'm in the shower from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

I'll try the toe in, first time in twenty years I've actually had to resort to that for anything.

Otherwise it sounds like a bit of experiementing with other pads.

[Onandon]

Mine sound like a bottle rocket firework. YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
I regularly clean the rims with alcohol and sand the pads but it still happens. Toe in, doesn’t work for me.
Black prince pads also do the same so I went back to the reynolds blue.

If you find a way to cure this please update the thread.

For me it was ok to have the sound as I regularly cycled though Geneva so it was better than a bell at lettering the walker,riders and cars know I was there.

[Johnny Rad]

I’ve happily and quietly ridden Reynolds carbon wheels for ~10yrs.

+1 on starting with toe-in and hit them with sand paper to take out any glazing or embedded material, but...

Also, consider replacing the pads and trying again. I had a pair of Cryo pads start squealing this year and no amount of toe-in resolved it, so I eventually tried new pads. Voila!

Good luck!

[Flapmeat]

I bought a set of very lightly used 2018 Strikes that don't squeal. I also bought a pair of 2018 Assault rims, built them up, and just took my first ride with them a couple nights ago. Squeals like crazy under moderate braking. I'm hoping the pad just needs to get transferred to the rim because it is so damn loud!

[grover]

Update.

Had some new Enve black pads (for G2 brake track). Popped them in...quiet. A little bit of screech under hard braking right at the end of the stop.

I didn't toe them in. In 20 years I've never use toe in as a solution for anything. My theory being the pad will just wear flat and negate the toe in.

The Cryo Blue pads I originally had in the bike had sat in storage for a while and may have aged/hardened/dried out/whatever they do. I've got some new ones and will try them to see if they're any different.

Thanks for the help all.