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What Are The BEST Road Brake Pads In The WORLD?!

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What Are The BEST Road Brake Pads In The WORLD?!

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Old 12-05-18, 03:48 PM
  #1  
Doctor Morbius
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What Are The BEST Road Brake Pads In The WORLD?!

Just kidding, of course. I don't need the best of anything, but I do prefer a good value and a good bang for the buck.

The pads will go on a set of Shimano 105 5500 rim brakes. The rims are standard fare aluminum (Mavic Open Pro & Alex AT-400), so no carbon or anything.

I live in Indianapolis so there are no mountains to descend and I never ride in the rain if I can help it.

So what do you suggest? I don't have to stick with Shimano. Clarks, Lifeline, Jagwire, etc would be fine. I'd like to stay under $30 for both front and back. Less is better, but I'd like to avoid cheap crap.

Thanks!
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Old 12-05-18, 03:51 PM
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Old 12-05-18, 04:00 PM
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^^ Yep.

Koolstop salmon or dual compound (pictured).

Done.


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Old 12-05-18, 04:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Doctor Morbius
Just kidding, of course. I don't need the best of anything, but I do prefer a good value and a good bang for the buck.

The pads will go on a set of Shimano 105 5500 rim brakes. The rims are standard fare aluminum (Mavic Open Pro & Alex AT-400), so no carbon or anything.

I live in Indianapolis so there are no mountains to descend and I never ride in the rain if I can help it.

So what do you suggest? I don't have to stick with Shimano. Clarks, Lifeline, Jagwire, etc would be fine. I'd like to stay under $30 for both front and back. Less is better, but I'd like to avoid cheap crap.

Thanks!
‘I have been using these inexpensive Shimano compatible pads from this eBay seller in Ohio with good results:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F140726959188

I like the pad material which is quiet (not grindy on the rim sidewalls) and offers really good brake feel and modulation. The wear is a little faster than the stock Shimano pads but I can live with that especially considering ythat my rim sidewalls aren’t getting scored up as bad, even when riding in the rain.
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Old 12-05-18, 04:15 PM
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I've used Kool Stop salmon and Jagwire black. They seem about equal.

In fact, I use both simultaneously on one hybrid with cantilever brakes. Kool Stop Eagle 2 salmon on the back, Jagwire thinline black on the front. Only way to clear the front fork. Can't feel any difference from the Eagle 2 pads I used to have up front.
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Old 12-05-18, 04:20 PM
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Yep those.

Originally Posted by Elvo
Originally Posted by TimothyH
^^ Yep.

Koolstop salmon or dual compound (pictured).

Done.


-Tim-
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Old 12-05-18, 05:01 PM
  #7  
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Don't forget - even the best brake pads in the world need some love occasionally.
Every couple washes, I'll inspect the pads - looking for:
- Debris. I use the corner of a razor blade to pick out the glass, sand, whatever
- Glazing. I use a rat tail or half-round file to lightly sand off the glaze
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Old 12-06-18, 09:19 AM
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X3 Agreed, Kool Stop dual compound!
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Old 12-06-18, 09:51 AM
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Kool stop salmon. no black crap on your rims. nice quiet braking and good in the wet if you need it.
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Old 12-06-18, 10:24 AM
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Personally I always felt SwisStop was superior to KoolStop.
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Old 12-06-18, 10:30 AM
  #11  
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Salmon. And remember, the "L" is silent. Just like the brakes.
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Old 12-06-18, 10:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Nachoman
Personally I always felt SwisStop was superior to KoolStop.
I concur.
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Old 12-06-18, 10:36 AM
  #13  
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I tried those Salmon ones and thought they were nothing special. I prefer the Shimano ones I can get on any shop.
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Old 12-06-18, 12:04 PM
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Thanks for the replies so far. I certainly appreciate the advice as my brake kung-fu is very weak.
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Old 12-06-18, 12:25 PM
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Yokohama, Swissstop, and Kool Stop. All good.
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Old 12-06-18, 12:49 PM
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SCOTT/MATHAUSER. Great in the dry. In the wet, best rim brake pads - period. I get mine at our local Co-op.

Take-offs from old bikes. $5 per bikes worth, max.

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Old 12-07-18, 04:11 AM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by cycledogg
Salmon. And remember, the "L" is silent. Just like the brakes.
Yup, the salmon is silent. Just like the salmon ninjas in my neighborhood.
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Old 12-07-18, 04:15 AM
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Reminds me, I need to scuff up the pads on my road bike. It's an '89 Centurion Ironman, all Suntour, and I'm purty danged sure those are the original pads. It's amazing they still work at all, let alone well. But they do need to be scuffed with a file once in awhile. The anodized rims tend to make the pads glaze.

I keep intending to try a new set of pads, but I'm just fascinated by how a decades old set keeps working. Most pads turn to wooden blocks or crumble after that long. No wonder Suntour went out of business. They forgot to make consumables.
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Old 12-07-18, 10:29 AM
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The salmon ones start loosing friction when it is over 105F and are scary over 115F
But they make for great winter pads when it is often wet here also.
I haven't tried the dual compound.
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Old 12-07-18, 11:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Jakedatc
Kool stop salmon. no black crap on your rims. nice quiet braking and good in the wet if you need it.
I have a hard time believing this...black crap on the rims is not brake pad material, but aluminum oxide. It's ground up, oxidized pieces of your aluminum rim. Shouldn't bee too dependent on the type of pad you use.
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Old 12-07-18, 12:06 PM
  #21  
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I'd love a brake pad that I don't need to switch when I put on carbon wheels. I suspect that doesn't exist, since the issue (as I understand it) is micro-aluminum shards embedded in the brake pads then tearing up your carbon brake track. But maybe a good scrubbing before switching wheels would solve the issue?
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Old 12-07-18, 12:10 PM
  #22  
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Those dual-compound pads are coyote ugly.
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Old 12-07-18, 12:12 PM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by noisebeam
The salmon ones start loosing friction when it is over 105F and are scary over 115F
To me, the thought of 105F is scary. 115F is down right terrifying. But I guess you have to deal with that where you live.
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Old 12-07-18, 01:56 PM
  #24  
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more OCD?

Originally Posted by indyfabz
Those dual-compound pads are coyote ugly.
they're not supposed to be jewelry.. just make friction..

Original Scott/Mathauser pads and Magura Red* compound
perhaps the others as well ..
​​​​​​were From Kool Stop, the contract supplier..



..

Last edited by fietsbob; 12-07-18 at 02:04 PM.
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Old 12-07-18, 02:25 PM
  #25  
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
they're not supposed to be jewelry.. just make friction..
Just because something isn't supposed to be "jewelry" doesn't mean it has to be fugly..
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