probably not worth mentioning, because nobody is all that interested in saving 10 or 12 bucks these days, but i ride a lot and use caliper brakes on my alloy surfaced rims and when the pads wear out i just buy the old black rubber pads like those used on old Schwinn Varsities and the like. my LBS has a fish bowl full of them on the counter for 2 dollars a pair.

it's very possible i do it just because i get a kick out of looking at the face of the salesperson when i walk in with my 11 pound carbon SS road bike with a 30 year old single pivot front brake and lay those rubber pads on the counter... or it could be that i'm just a cheap old SOB. could be both i suppose.