Originally Posted by
Skipjacks
Even if the pads were pure asbestos, it won't hurt you.
The amount of brake dust those pads emit is minuscule. And it's in open air in a breeze (since by definition you're only using the pads when you're moving, so there's always a breeze going by the pads to disperse any dust)
Asbestos is a problem with prolonged exposure. Minuscule trace amounts present in an open air environment with a breeze aren't going to be deadly.
Besides, the most dangerous kind of asbestos is amosite asbestos. That's been banned outright for a while. The asbestos that's still used in things today is chrysotile asbestos and is much less tenacious as far as sticking to the linings of the lungs. Low level exposure to this kind of asbestos is not considered to be a health hazzard.
And on top of all that, brake pads are not made of asbestos anyway.
Get a disc brake bike and feel safe on it. They are awesome, especially in the rain!
I wonder myself just how many China made bike disc brake knockoffs there are with asbestos, with so much use of it even still with all their own active mining, they still crank out asbestsos auto pads and shoes for the big store chains, so why would you expect them to exclude bicycle and motor bike disc brakes? If I really wanted disc brakes, I would insist on a reputable brake like what's produced by shimano , avid , Tektro etc, but absolutely no Chinese made brakes. Alot of quality range bikes have Tektro as stock OEM equipment.
EXPOSURE since many of us periodically run into this toxic mineral. we need to take it seriously as just the other night,(6-13-20) arsonists must have set that fire in a late, famous 1800s Shelton CT (Star Pin Company) factory building that spewed smoke with asbestos all over that part of town, embedding in whoever took it in, so there is never a "one time exposure" especially in the early settled Northeast USA, The wealthy class towns do not see things like this happen as much, with no old run down factory buildings...My point being is that it seems to pop up everywhere