The wheels I built for my ladypal are hard anodized sun mistral 650c semi-aeros. When I put the brake on the front at first with the stock shimano pads, it was noticeably weak in terms of stopping power. I switched to the salmon kool stops and things were drastically improved - those things will grip anything well.
She's been riding the bike for several months now and there are a few streaks in the finish, but no serious wear. I can't see them getting worn down to the silver in this lifetime.
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