Best brake pads for a bike with chrome rims
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Best brake pads for a bike with chrome rims
Ok, so I started riding my old Schwinn Continental around Albany after storing it inside. As I rode, the rims/brakes got colder, and the slick shoulders made everything a little damp. Braking performance went from "adequate" to "awful." Does anyone have recommendations for pads which give acceptable performance in most conditions? I don't want to switch out the rims for aluminum because the bike looks fantastic(and is very original), and 90% of the time everything works very well.
What pads work best for this sort of application? This bike is very seldom ridden in the rain, but often gets used when the streets are still damp. I just want the bike to be as good as I can make it without making drastic changes.
What pads work best for this sort of application? This bike is very seldom ridden in the rain, but often gets used when the streets are still damp. I just want the bike to be as good as I can make it without making drastic changes.
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I would try a Kool Stop Salmon pad. My favorite is the 'cross pad whitch has a big washer that can be put between the holder and the brake arm so the demensions of the new pad are just like the old.
However I think most any pad on a wet chrome rim might be a bit weak in the stoping dept.
However I think most any pad on a wet chrome rim might be a bit weak in the stoping dept.
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I'm ok with weak, today I was dealing with nearly no brakes!
I'll look into those. Have you used them in this sort of application?
I'll look into those. Have you used them in this sort of application?
#4
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My Kool Stop salmon-colored pads work great on my 3-speed, in dry and damp weather. They made it one of my best-stopping bikes.
But in the wet, there's nothing you can do to make the brakes work well when your rims are chromed.
But in the wet, there's nothing you can do to make the brakes work well when your rims are chromed.
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#5
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I've had success with the Dia Compe/Cane Creek Grey Matter pads, currently $8.45 for a bag of 4 on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dia-Compe-Grey...ter+brake+pads
They work way better than anything else I've found on wet chrome rims. Just be aware that they are a pretty soft compound and won't last quite as long as most other pads.
They work way better than anything else I've found on wet chrome rims. Just be aware that they are a pretty soft compound and won't last quite as long as most other pads.
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