Bicycle Mechanics - replacing brake pads/cartridge shoes

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.



PDA
rcd
08-04-05, 11:32 AM
I've recently looked at replacing my brake pads on a Cannondale Touring 800 bike. The touring bike has Avid Shorty 4 cantilever caliper brakes. The original brake cartridge had a post that joined the actual pad halfway along the distance of the pad. I see now that most replacement brake cartridges have the post join the cartridge and pad considerably closer to the front, perhaps about 1/3 the length of the pad/cartridge. Even a bike shop that I trust and that handles Cannondale bikes sold me Axiom Cartridge Brake Shoes of this different sort, as opposed to the original Shorty 4 system pads/cartridges.
Does anyone know whether this "new" design is an improvement in stopping power? Or should I keep searching for "orginal" equipment if I want my brakes to operate as before? Thanks. rcd

MudPie
08-04-05, 10:43 PM
My gut feel is you should find no difference between the 1/2 and 1/3 post pads. This same topic was discussed a few months back, you might want to search the archive, but I basically recall the conclusion was "no difference".

I have a set a V-brakes and just about all (if not all) pads are of the 1/3 design.