Interesting, especially the 1998 date of the article.

I know this appears on Sheldon Brown's site but I still think it's filled with a lot of hooey (and I've taken exception to JB's opinions before).

To wit: Anodizing is also a thermal and electrical insulator. Because heat is generated in the brake pads and not the rim, braking energy must flow into the rim to be dissipated to the atmosphere. Anodizing, although relatively thin, impedes this heat transfer and reduces braking efficiency by raising the surface temperature of the brake pads.


I don't think so.