FlashBazbo

Like a lot of people, I've been a fan of Shimano's brakes for a long time. Even SRAM and Campy will acknolwedge that Shimano is the industry standard that everyone's shooting for. For me, that has been true in the dry, but in the wet . . . bad news. With Dura Ace 7800, in a good rain, the brakes were almost useless. You may as well drag your feet to stop.

But last weekend and this, I have had the opportunity to put Shimano's new compound to the test under extreme wet conditions. Same aluminum wheels as last year, but brakes and brake pads have been upgraded. The new pads have 1900 miles on them, but don't show much wear. Last week, I got caught for seven miles in a severe thunderstorm -- monsoon stuff with zero visibility. This week, it was 14 miles during which time over three inches of rain fell. (Cars were stopping at the side of the road to wait the storm out. If you've been reading about the Nashville-area flooding, this was the storm.)

Shimano claims 100% improvement in wet braking for the new pads. True? Actually . . . IMLTHO, they are UNDER-selling these new pads. With 7800's pad compound, stopping distances in extreme wet conditions were EXTREMELY long. Scary long. And occasionally grabby (not good). With the new 6700/7900 compound, braking in the wet is excellent. Very controllable and consistent -- not grabby, ever -- and the stopping distances were remarkably short. Not DRY short, of course, but comparable, percentage-wise to the difference you would expect between dry and wet braking in a car. These pads inspire confidence in the wet -- one less thing to worry about when traction and visibility are poor in the middle of the monsoon.

Brake pads aren't sexy -- but Shimano has made a huge performance upgrade with these.

entukay

I agree, I popped some 6700 pads on recently and my first thought was holy crap.

coasting 

why? Did you go over the bars?

ptle

My stock Cane Creek SCR-3 performed well on Saturday in rain. I was descending down some back roads that were over 10% in grade.

Now that I think about it, I didn't see much of a performance loss in braking yesterday. I was more concerned about cornering then braking. I've always wanted to try out a set of the Kool Stop Salmon, but it doesn't rain enough for me to buy them.

kissTheApex

Even in the dry the Salmons will be above and beyond the SCR-3 brake pads (my opinion from riding SCR-3 stock pads). I couldn't stand the SCR-3 pads during my 2 mile "initiation" ride and switched them to salmons and the difference was night and day for me.

Back to topic, I really wonder how the new Shimano pads compare to Kool Stop Salmons though.

FlashBazbo

I have ridden the Kool Stop Salmons, but never in the rain. Dry, they were good, but didn't offer the feel of a Dura Ace pad. Seemed a little grabby sometimes. They were a major improvement, though, over the pads that came stock on that bike -- the Rival-equipped bike I keep complaining about.

Again, can't comment on wet performance.

DesnaePhoto

Great info. I need to replace my pads very soon. (They are worn to the markers). Add that stopping in the rain today was HORRIBLE and I'm interested in these pads.

AngryScientist 

disagree

midgetmaestro 

Kool Stop Salmon pads will blow any Shimano pad out of the water. Seriously. I've tried them all.

asmallsol

are the 7900 pads compatible with 7800 stuff?

RomeoTango

Very timely post. Just today I did not stop as well as I thought I should in dry conditions with my '09 105 brakes. May have just been me. I don't know much (yet) about brake pads. Would these be a drastic improvement over my 105s? Do all Shimano pads fit all models of brakes?

Beaker

It was a torrential 75mile ride last year with some sketchy downhill sections that convinced me to loose my Shimano 105 pads at the earliest time possible. I've been worshipping at the church of SwissStop green ever since. Awesome pads.

operator

Sounds like me before I tried swiss stop. Kool stop and their plow tip can go straight to hell.

kissTheApex

Sounds like something to keep in mind when my Salmons need replacing.

patentcad

Bicycle brakes are speed modulators at best. I had the 6700 brakes with the stock pads. Impressive. Pointless. Bicycle braking performance is limited by the tiny traction patch and the limited stopping mojo of tiny rim friction brakes. Tell me how 'great' your bicycle brakes are when you try to execute a panic stop @ 38 mph going downhill when a deer pops out in front of you. Or rather, have your surviving kin do it for you, because you'll be friggin DEAD.

You want to experience effective two wheel brakes? Get a modern motorcycle with massive disc brakes like my ST. Preferably with ABS.

And that's why I went with the Zero G brakes on my Scott. Because while they're not as good as Shimano brakes, they essentially work about as well. Which is not very well. I use Swisstop yellow pads on all my bicycles by the way. They rule. But I'll confess the stock Shimano Ultegra brakes with the stock pads had the most impressive stopping performance of any bicycle brake I've used. Which elevated them to somewhat less pathetic. And in a real high causality panic stop situation on the road at high speed, similarly useless.

guadzilla

Rain? What is that?

Hunt-man

I've been riding some new Ultegra 6700 pads for about 2 months on a new build and I gotta say, they suck. Work great in dry but get them wet and I almost ran into my riding buddy 3 or 4 times, on a wet 75 mile ride. I gave him a set of Koolstop black a week before the ride. He's riding old 9 speed ultegra group / brakes. I've got the 6700 group / brakes. We both weigh about the same.

I'm changing to Koolstop.

IMHO

colombo357

I don't ride in the rain. Too dangerous. Nodanger is my middle name.

Why are you riding in the rain?

Nachoman

I was a kool stop fan boy before swiss stop. But kool stop now seem soft compared to the crispness of swiss stop.

Sixty Fiver

An English coaster hub is a speed modulator... with decent brakes you should be able to pull off a .8 g stop.

Love my Kool Stops and run some vintage Scott Mathauser pads on my vintage road bike with Zeus 2000 centre pulls and they will modulate yer ass right over the bars.

One of the best set ups I have are the XTR levers and XTR cantis with Kool Stop salmon pads on my hybrid which I will be moving to my new tandem as their stopping power is that good.

Braden1550

Rims.

coasting 

i bet you are right. i've used the 6700 brakes on wet and dry on 2 different wheels. really strong. I've used the same 2 wheels on a 105 5600 brakes and it is noticeably worse.

botto 

never had an issue with 7800 blocks, and i ride/race in the rain more time than i care to admit. my guess: user error.

patentcad

Bicycle calipers are at best speed modulators you friggin Weenies. You want real brakes? Get a motorcycle.

coasting 

didn't you already say this in this thread?