"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Rim-specific brake pads: which setup is best?

Soon, I'll have a wheelset with a carbon braking surface and one with an aluminum braking surface. I've got some carbon specific pads, and some "regular" pads that are traditionally used with aluminum.

I plan on using the aluminum wheels a little more often, but both sets will see ample use.

I don't like the idea of changing brake pads whenever I decide to change wheelsets. Which style pads are best for both aluminum and carbon braking surfaces? Is only running one set of pads just a bad idea altogether (aluminum pieces getting stuck in the pad, weird braking with one wheelset, etc.)?


Thanks!

I have pretty much the same situation (aluminum training wheels, carbon race wheels). I use the Swiss Stop yellow pads all the time and just scrub them before I put on the race wheels. The only downside is that the carbon pads kind of suck on the aluminum wheels. If you're used to it, it's not too big of a deal though. Unless you're in an emergency stop situation, which are almost never planned...

I think the yellows work great on aluminum except for when wet.

Well, better than cork, but not better than aluminum rim-specific brake pads. I certainly wouldn't call their performance amazing.

Well, better than cork, but not better than aluminum rim-specific brake pads. I certainly wouldn't call their performance amazing.

They work better than the kool stops everyone raves about.

Hmm. I've never tried the Kool Stops, but I had been using some cheap BBB tri-colored brake pads for my aluminum rims and found there was a noticeable decrease in stopping power when using the same wheels with the Swiss Stop yellow pads. It could just be my setup though.

For what it's worth, I'm using DT RR1.1 rims for training and a Zipp 808 rear and Hed Stinger 60 on the front for racing.

edit: I guess I should also add that I'm using Mavic SSC calipers with Campagnolo Record 9-speed-converted-to-10-speed levers.

Rims seem to make a difference also, the lack of power with my R-SYS rims is scary sometimes, but with my Rovals the stopping power is great.

For Reynolds carbon rims you will void the warranty if you don't use the specified pads (Kool-stop carbons or SwissStop yellows) or use pads that have been used on aluminum wheels. Other carbon rims have different requirements.

With Shimano brakes it is very easy to change pads... just remove the screws, slide the pads out and slide the new ones in. On the front, remove the wheel and squeeze the brake lever so the pads can pass the fork. Takes just a couple minutes and part of that is swapping the wheels and inspecting tires.

Just got some yellow swissstops in the mail last night, I plan to use on alu training wheels and carbon race wheels, though it is very easy to swap out the pads, I would sometime forget and thought I'd run the yellows and see how they work.

kool stop salmon for aluminum
SwissStop yellow for carbon

take the time to swap pads. it takes 5 min, max.

using the swiss stops. they work ok on my ksyrium elite and ssl rims.

biggest pain is that i have to readjust the height of the brake blocks on the front wheel each time i switch to my aerowheels.

You'll probably have to adjust the brake pads anyway. Spend the 5 minutes to swap the pads.