Ricky Roma

I have just bought a 2nd-hand Carrera Crosscity Folding Ebike for a short daily commute to work and I need some advice for the brakes.

According to the info I can find online, the current brakes are Tektro C310 V Brakes. I'd like to replace either the pads or the entire brake mechanism. My current mountain bike has disc brakes but on my old MTB had v-brakes and I fitted a pair that had replaceable pads that were held in place with a pin. I don't have that bike anymore and can't remember what particular brand they were, but it was handy to just swap out the pads when they wore down rather than replacing the cable and realigning the whole thing. So, I'd ideally be looking for this type of pad.

Also, the Carrera has 20" wheels which is the first time I've had a bike with wheels that small, so will that affect my choices here?

Thanks in advance!

alcjphil

You can purchase brake shoes that accept replaceable pads in most bike shops. There are myriad choices of pads that will fit them. The consensus is that Cool stop is one of the best. They make brake pads to fit almost any rim brake. Another thing to check is the state of your brake cables. Old, sticky draggy brake cables can turn great brakes into mediocre ones. Your current brakes, with better brake shoes and pads and fresh cables should be able, if the cables are properly installed, to rival many disc brake setups

maddog34

here you go... search for these...

KOOL STOP DURA2 CROSS PAD THREADED CYCLOCROSS TRIPLE COMPOUND BIKE BRAKE PADS

they work great in all weather conditions, stop great, and you can swap new pads in easily.
Warning: They work almost TOO good if you're not used to Kool Stop's Incredible Power.

"Kool Stop V-type" are also designed to use the replaceable pads ...

i'd imagine Swiss Stop makes something similar..

veganbikes

I wouldn't put much towards that bike any electric bike with rim brakes. Kool or SwissStop pads and shoes would be something to do for now. Beyond that save your money towards a bike with hydraulic disc brakes and you will have proper braking for an e-bike.

Andrew R Stewart 

Not mentioned is the wheel diameter's affect on the brake's leverage. As the brake track diameter grows the leverage the rim brake can apply grows too, IMO. So small wheeled rim braked bikes suffer from less effective brakes compared to many larger wheeled bikes with the same brake/pad/lever/rim (material/brand/model).

Now if you're talking about disk brakes the opposite happens. The less the difference between the disk track and the tire diameter to greater the braking effort is had. So a small wheeled bike with the "X" 160 brake will have more "power" than the same brake/disk will have with a big tire diameter.

Add in veganbikes comments about e power and rim brakes and no wonder that the OP's bike has underwhelming brake performance. Once again you get what you decided on, even if you don't know the whole situation before making the choice. Andy

Ricky Roma

Thanks to everyone who replied. I went for the Clarks Elite Cartridge V-Brake Pads Triple Compound 72mm Brakes in the end.

Ricky Roma

Since I decided to wait for the old brakes that were on the bike to wear down, I've only now got around to fitting the Clarks brakes. Because I was putting new pads on I decided to get new v-brake calipers as well. The old v-brakes (apparently) are Tektro C310 V Brakes, so I went and bought a new set of Shimano Alivio BR-T4000 V-Brakes. I tried to fit these this evening and couldn't.

To best descibe the problem, please see the following images - these are NOT my pictures but they show the exact same problem I encountered tonight. The Shimano brakes don't sit flush against the frame connector. The small tension pin doesn't fit fully into the hole. There seems to be a boss on the frame lug that prevents it seating fully. Am I missing something obvious??

Thanks in advance.

maddog34

yes.. you missed the fact that the Alivio brakes won't fit your folding bike correctly and that they would be no better than the Tektro brakes, anyway.
Put the Tektro brake arms back on and set them up with the new pads that no one here recommended, but will probably work fine anyway..

then either sell the Alivio brakes or put them on some other bike.



the biggest improvements that can be made with V-brakes is.. Kool Stop pads, and Higher Quality Brake cable HOUSING.
the brake arms flex very little until you get to Garbage stamped "steel" brakes on Box Store specials... and once again, the cheap cable HOUSING is the big issue with THOSE bikes too.... and sometimes their PLASTIC Lever PERCHES are the Biggest problem.... sigh.

Ricky Roma

Thanks for the somewhat passive-aggressive reply. I was only asking a simple question, pal.

Problem is, the re-installed rear right-hand-side Tektro caliper has a bent pin on it, so I need a replacement for that ASAP.

maddog34

bummer about the bent pin... how'd it get bent?

i'm sure the Clarkes pads will work fine.... i use many of their products.

once again...

and i've noticed that some folding bike companies LOVE loading their frames with Proprietary Parts.... i've run into the brake post size change before, I think it was on an older steel bike with welded posts......a huffy or something similar? they're now pretty much all standardized.

the bent pin is replaceable, but finding one might require going to some parts-hoarder Co-Op owner like myself, then possibly putting up with passive-aggressiveness while he helps you learn about your bike's idiosyncrasies.

choddo

I’ve only been here 5 minutes and already know what to expect from maddog

Bit crap that not all v-brakes are compatible.

maddog34

i just recalled what was odd on that old huffy brake set... the pins were 180 deg. out from the rest of the world... the post size was wonky too...

that frame went away in a recent scrap load... i kept the brakes, just in case someone needs them. The bike looked un-ridden, but ruined by neglect and rain.

grumpus

He was right though - you asked advice, advice was given and you ignored it then bought a part you didn't need - that cash could have been spent on Kool Stop pads, which are expensive because they're really good, and worth it. Technical advice you get here might not be sugar coated, but it is generally sound and comes from pro mechanics or serious cyclists with many decades of experience.Just remove the spring and bend it back with pliers, it probably won't break in use and even if it does the brake will just drag slightly.

Ricky Roma

No idea how the pin got bent. I never noticed it at first when I took it off, only clocked it when I had to put it back on.

That said, I made a good job of the rear brake. Today was my first commute with the Clarks pads on the rear and it's very good. Happy with the Clarks pads.

The Kool Stop ones look good but maybe a bit pricey for me at the moment. I might look at an e-bike with disc brakes in the new year.

maddog34

there's a good chance that the multi-compound Clarkes pads are produced by KoolStop.

KoolStop pads are made in Portland, Oregon, an hour away from me.... or who-knows-where, in today's global economy..
glad the clarkes work well on your bike.

Ricky Roma

I followed the advice from yer man on Park Tool. Eleastic bands make great spacers.

Ricky Roma

WRT the issue with fitting the brake calipers - this link describes the same problem that I had.

Anyone know if there's a washer that fits in between? Or can I remove the brake boss mount on my e-bike frame and fit one that would accept the Shimano calipers?

The part-time epistemologist: Shimano and Tektro brake comparison ... or what models of v-brakes sit flush with the end of the brake boss stud?