Mountain Biking - So I figured out why my brakes had been terrible lately.. *PIC*

The pads had been completely worn away, both front and rear! I didn't think this was even POSSIBLE considering the brakes have only been used a couple of times. I'm really disappointed at how long these pads lasted. I rode in the mud on Sunday, and I think that finished them off for sure. I've honestly ridden them probably less than 10 times, and almost all of those were in dry conditions. This is Florida were talking about... I wasn't running the brakes for miles bombing downhill or anything. Any ideas on why they could have disintegrated so quickly?

The on on the right looks like it was contaminated...What kind of brakes ddo you have? Hayes? Maybe excessive rubbing or you got low quality pads stock. I ran haye mechs and ran through one set of pads in the back in 6 months and the front in 3 months. :)

I have Avids. I think there was a little rubbing, but not nearly enough to cause that to happen. Do you think it's possible that a degreaser or something could have eaten away the pads?

Definately. That black pad looks kinda strange. I have never had Avids but I know when my pads discolour a lot they were probably contaminated :)

Damn... a new set of pads is like 20 bucks. That really sucks.. I just put in an order to Pricepoint 2 days ago, too :mad:

Don't feel bad. NEw pads for my hayes are 50$ cdn :)

For 20 bucks they'd better last longer than these ones did! Do you think I should replace the rotors? They aren't gouged or anything, but they do have some small abrasions and scratches on them.

There is definately some other reason other than normal wear. I just replaced mine last summer after over a year of hard riding on them. And there was still some pad left.

I seem to recall that some brakes were delivered with the wrong brake pad compound -- one that is very soft and wears quickly.

Contact Avid. They will most likely send you at least one set of replacement pads for gratis.

Avid Tech Support: (303) 762-9353 or email tech@avidbike.com

I've been told not to use chain cleaners or other degreasers to clean pads. If you did, that might be the problem with your pads.

Hey guys i went for a ride yesterday to test my brakes. I had a water bottle with me and i purred water on them and they bit like hell! perfect power. When they dried after some braking then they started sliding again and loss of brake power. Any ideas? Also black residue on the water when i showered the rotors. How can i tell if my pads are contaminated? If i sand them by using fine sand paper will i get power? At least my hydro system is ok...the problem is with the friction. DeoreXt discs by the way.

Yannis.

The pads are 28 bucks at the bike shop! That's only the rear, too! Insanity. Its no wonder nobody goes to the LBS anymore... I found a pair (front and rear) for 20 bucks online!

Jim, I was curious as to how your rear brake housing project turned out. Did your use the adapters or just go with housing the whole way? By the way, Supergo has Hayes HFX comp front AND rear hydro sets for $229. Don't forget adapters, and I would recommend a bleed kit, and a couple of compression bushings to custom fit the hose length. I bought some of the pre-bled, pre-cut Hayes and thought the hose length was too long.
Scott

That looks like Contamination.

math2p14 - Have you used any degreaser on your drivetrain lately? I had a near catastrophy after cleaning my bike about a year ago. I had carelessly cleaned the drivetrain using a spray on degreaser. I hopped onto one of my local trails that I'm very familiar with. Not much downhill requiring brakes at all until you drop hard over a root and then get hard on the brakes before a set of S turns on hard sandy rock. I jumped over the root and grabbed a handfull of brakes...I GOT NEARLY NO brakes from the rear and somehow magically saved myself from plowing headlong into the rocks...

It took about three full rides with plenty of hard stops to burn that degreaser off the pads...carefully keep ANY sort of chemicals, lubes, etc. far away from pads. I've heard that you can clean them with denatured alcohol if you do get them contaminated.

I've never "cleaned" my pads, sanded them or performed any other sort of maintenance on the pads themselves. I ride a lot - nearly 2,000 miles a year and swap pads at about the 1 year point.

I'm glad to hear from all of y'all. I just got disks, so it's good to hear some feedback and what NOT to do.

Jekyllride- I decided to just go with a full length housing along the top tube. The local Cannondale dealer and I are not in good standing at this juncture, and I'd have to order the parts from them. The next time I change cables I'm going to buy some most likely.. or just go hydraulic. Who knows. I'm so fed up with my F900 right now....

Originally posted by Jim311
The pads are 28 bucks at the bike shop! That's only the rear, too! Insanity. Its no wonder nobody goes to the LBS anymore... I found a pair (front and rear) for 20 bucks online!

And how much did you pay for shipping? How long did you have to wait to get them? Point being, by the time you take into account both of those factors, it's probably going to be about the same. I do hunt around for good prices, but it's equally as important to support the LBS. We can't let places like Dick's Sporting goods take over.. they don' t have the personal aspect that you get at a shop, and most likely they are less knowlegable than a shop. Sorry for the rant! Nothing bad intended, just wanted to throw out an observation.

It's pretty easy to calculate. 28 dollars + 28 dollars = 56 bucks. I can buy the pads for 15 dollars apiece, so that makes 30 dollars, and about 5 bucks shipping.


35 dollars vs 56 dollars..... that's alot of money saved for this poor college student.

I know how it goes, I'm also a poor college student.. I didn't realize you were needing pads for 2 calipers..