Bicycle Mechanics - Brake Pads

I need to replace my brake pads on my Mt. bike. Any suggestions on a good brand to buy?

There's lots of good brands of brake pads. Kool Stop have always been one of my favorites. Shimano pads work well too.

Kool-Stop's are very good,, but so is Shimano, Ritchey, Cane Creek... The kind not to buy are the cheapest. Expect to pay $6.up to $20. per pair (one wheel) depending on the type of brakes on your bike.

Kool Stops have a reputation for being loud. They are difficult to adjust so they run quiet. Find something else, You'll be much happier. bk

Kool Stops have a reputation for being loud. They are difficult to adjust so they run quiet. Find something else, You'll be much happier. bk

Complete and utter fabrication.

None of their campy/dura compatible pads do this. Even without the "plow tip" removed.

Complete and utter fabrication.

None of their campy/dura compatible pads do this. Even without the "plow tip" removed.

Not so fast ... I had a pair of Koolstop Salmon pads with Mavic KSyrium Elite rims and they screamed like a Banshee. The Shimano Ultegra pads I have now (R55C2) grip better and are much much quieter.

Bicyclesupply.net has a great deal on Kool-Stop Mountain shoes. Two pair for $22. I've used Kool Stop pads on my three different road bikes and never heard so much as a peep. I just put a pair of these shoes on my commuter, and they're silent, and easier on the rims than the stock Shimano pads that came with a pair of BR-550 cantilevers. I'm not sure why, but the stock black pads seem to pick up chunks of metal that get imbedded, followed by the scratchy, grinding sound. I've never had this happen with a pair of Kool-Stop pads.
http://stores.channeladvisor.com/bicyclesupply/Items/12730?&caSKU=12730&caTitle=Kool-Stop%20Threaded%20V%20Brake%20Pads%2c%20KS-MTTD%2c%20Blk/Sal%2c%202%20Pr
Harris Cyclery says, "If your brakes use threaded post brake shoes, these are the best brake shoes you can buy at any price."

Toe-In: This means the FRONT of the brake-pad hits the rim first. Many have stated "these are loud!" and they had the toe-in backwards. Front hits first. Got it?

Most pads make some noise until they are broken in - just like your shoes. Kool Stop makes excellent brake-pads.

ok, you should clarify 'front'. When I adjusted my brakes for the first time, everybody said "toe in means the front hits first." The front could mean the front of the bike or the part of the brake pad pointing backward on the bike (the 'front' end of the pad that the rim goes through first). Honestly, until I got new brakes I had didn't know the difference.

The pad's should be making a V with the pointed end pointing towards the front of the bike.

Front: Standing over the seat facing forwards. To the direction of travel. Looking ahead - upside-down V. I give up.......

ok, you should clarify 'front'. When I adjusted my brakes for the first time, everybody said "toe in means the front hits first." The front could mean the front of the bike or the part of the brake pad pointing backward on the bike (the 'front' end of the pad that the rim goes through first). Honestly, until I got new brakes I had didn't know the difference.

The pad's should be making a V with the pointed end pointing towards the front of the bike.

For a while, I'd get confused when they'd use the terms, "leading end" and "trailing end" when referring to brake pad/rim rotation.

I haven't found pads I like better than Kool Stop, but I'm always willing to try others. Now that you mention it, I have no complaints about the pads that came on my Shimano cantilevers. I'll see if these and threaded Shimano brake shoes are available, and I'll try them. Maybe they're now as good as Kool Stop, and maybe they cost less. Kool Stop are generally regarded as the best-stopping shoes, and if Shimano are as good, I'll be glad to buy and recommend them.

I haven't found pads I like better than Kool Stop, but I'm always willing to try others. Now that you mention it, I have no complaints about the pads that came on my Shimano cantilevers. I'll see if these and threaded Shimano brake shoes are available, and I'll try them. Maybe they're now as good as Kool Stop, and maybe they cost less. Kool Stop are generally regarded as the best-stopping shoes, and if Shimano are as good, I'll be glad to buy and recommend them.

The dual compound Kool Stops are very hard to beat. Sure cured the squeally problem on Avid Shorty 4's...not as much as replacing the Shortys with a set of Paul's Touring cantis did;) but then....

ok, you should clarify 'front'.

Mark your rim with a chalk and push your bike forward. The mark will enter the pad area at the 'back' end of the pad and will exit it at the 'front' end.

With toe in, the exit end of the pad should touch the rim first when you press the brake lever.

Kam

The "toe in" and "front" stuff is a bit confusing but, if you think about it (especially focusing on the moving parts!), you can work out what they means.

Here is what people are referring-to with the terms:

The "front" refers to the front of the bicycle. "Toe in" refers to pointing your (human) toes into each other when you walk (forwards). That is, walking "pigeon toed".

Here is what the effect that people are obtaining:

When the brake lever is squeezed, the brake pads "land" on the moving rim.

If you imagine that the brake pad is an airplane landing on a runway, you want the "rear wheels" to touch down first on the "runway" (ie, the rim). The "rear wheels" of the brake pad is the part of the pad pointed to the front of the bicycle and the "nose" is the part of the pad that is pointing to the rear of the bicycle.

Thus, the point of adjustting the brakes is to reduce scunching up the "nose gear" and allowing the "airplane" to settle into the "runway" so that the whole span of the brake pad is used.

If you land the pads "nose first", the twisting motion rotates the tail of the brake away from the rim. If you land te pads, "tail first", the pad is rotated into the rim.

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