Swapping them for some well-worn winter-abused pads pads, the effect was noticeable immediately; they brought a new lease of life to the bike. This was especially noticeable on the few occasions they were used in the rain. They gave the brakes a decent level of grip despite the wet stuff, which is always appreciated. Kool Stop Features: Angled Water Groove | Asymmetrical Design | Dual Compound | Plow Tip | Salmon Compound | Spherical Washers The traditional Kool Stop compounds and colors remain available, but we strongly recommend the salmon-colored Scott type.

After the pads, the next most significant improvement you can make to your brakes is upgrading to quality compressionless cable housing. When you squeeze the brake lever, some of the force goes into clamping the pads against the rim, but some is lost as the cable housing is compressed.

Clarks CPS513 MTB-Hybrid Elite Brake Pads

The callipers, cable housing, and brake levers all have a role in determining how a braking system performs but it is the pads that have the greatest singular effect. This guide is road bikes with calliper rim brakes only. If you have a hybrid/mountain bike with V-brakes and pads with threaded stud, these won’t be suitable. The same goes for touring/cyclocross bikes spec’d with cantilever brakes that take a smooth stud. Which pad for which rim While this is a cheaper option, it is likely that you would get better results with one of the " Mountain" complete shoe sets. After the pads, the next most significant improvement you can make to your brakes is upgrading to compressionless cable housing. When you squeeze the brake leaver, some of the force goes into clamping the pads against the rim, but some is lost as the cable housing is compressed. Chain reaction Cycles and CRC are trading names of Wiggle Ltd (In Administration) registered in the United Kingdom at 1000 Lakeside, Suite 310, Third Floor N E Wing, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 3EN,

Asymmetrical design. When a bicycle brake is applied, the friction of the shoe against the rim causes a slight twist of the brake arm. This makes the rear end of the brake shoe dig in and do most of the braking, while the forward end can tend to lift off. (The practice of setting "toe in" is intended to somewhat counteract this, but this creates other problems.) Carbon isn’t as good as aluminium at conducting heat, meaning that carbon rims have a greater tendency to heat up. If the rims get too hot, you risk starting to melt the resin that holds the carbon fibres together and causing your inner tubes to pop, or even a failure of the rim itself, although modern carbon rims usually use high iTg resins to make them more resistant to heat build-up. In wintry conditions the Salmon pads are superb. KoolStop’s standard offering are also as good as those supplied with brake sets from all manufacturers, in the case of Shimano they are a big step up in wear-time and performance and well worth fitting next time you service your brakes. These are the top choice for cyclocrossers looking for some real braking performance on carbon rims and road racers who aren’t put off by the wet. Although carbon rims have a reputation of sketchiness in the wet, these pads deliver confidence where others don’t.

Best brake pads for alloy rims

For nasty winter conditions they transform a set of Shimano Dura Ace calipers – especially in the wet and grungy weather we are currently used to. However we’ve also used them in the summer through the mountains and the results are reassuring. There’s no rim grabbing or brake fade as the compound heats up on long descents. In fact all the Kool Stop stuff seems to wear very well. Better brake pads are a surprisingly cheap upgrade, especially for something that so dramatically effects both your safety and your performance.

Kool Stop "Salmon": The Best Of Both! Now, the un-equalled Scott compound is available in the excellent Kool Stop designs. The "salmon" colored Kool Stop models are the ones made with the Scott-Mathauser material..These are versatile pads that offer powerful and consistent braking in both the dry and the wet. Naturally, the pads are only compatible with Sram/Shimano brake shoes. They can be a little difficult to get hold of in the UK, but a definitely worth the extra effort for those who are concerned about performance. Both Sram/Shimano and Campagnolo versions are manufactured.