brake pads

[Ken Robb]

I have too many bikes and most of my tires go bad from age before I wear them out. Brake pads harden over time but it happens so gradually that it's almost imperceptible for quite a while.

There are so many compounds available and other variables I know there is no definitive answer. Heck when we buy "new" pads we usually have no idea how long ago they were manufactured.

So oh wise and experienced friends: what do you guess is the age when we should notice reduced performance?

Feel free to offer experiences with swapping stock "ABC" pads for "XYZ" aftermarket wonders too.

This should be better than Shimano vs. Campy. :banana:

[firerescuefin]

Ken...all pads glaze over. I have been happy with swissstop pads, but on a regular basis take a soft sanding block to them to clean/remove glaze. That works well.

[Charles M]

shelf life depends on environment for the same pads in different areas sitting and aging...

It will also be different on variable pad materials. Cork, the newer cork-rubber mixes (which are the far better pads for carbon than any of the pads of just a couple years ago, including many people's favorite, and my former favorite, swisstops).

I met the guys at Koolstop a while bac and even the pads for standard metal rims are changing. The latest pads of the past year or two now have a bit of fiber-like material in the rubber and they hold up and melt differently. They also last a LOT longer on the shelf than older versions.




Really, there is no blanket answer to your question.


There are so many different pads from different makers that shelf / sitting life cant really be claimed. There's also the question of climate where they are sitting exposed.

I had someone in the UK send me a set of pads for 1960's era brakes and they were actually OK... I've had brake pads crack and crumble that were a few years old when I pulled them from a package to use.


The bottom line is that for most rubber pads, you should be able to bend them a little in your hands and if the crack with some reasonable bending, you shouldnt use em. If theyre showing cracks as theys it on the bike you should dump em.


cork and cork - rubber mix pads I would just replace when worn or replace them every year or so just to be sure. they dont bend well and seeing cracks in them is dang near impossible.

[RPS]

Ken...all pads glaze over. I have been happy with swissstop pads, but on a regular basis take a soft sanding block to them to clean/remove glaze. That works well.
+1
Living in a flat area where I don't use my brakes enough (plus bikes sitting idle for long periods), they tend to get glazed over before they wear down.

[Ken Robb]

I had a sand-o-rama a couple of days ago but the brakes still seem to require more pressure than I remember when they and I were younger. :)

[RPS]

I had a sand-o-rama a couple of days ago but the brakes still seem to require more pressure than I remember when they and I were younger. :)
Sounds like time to replace them. ;)

[Charles M]

Sanding doesn't fix rubber that's aged and hardened a bit...

I wish it were like cheese and you could use the "inside" part, but glazing is just melted pad. It's different than old and once pads harden, they lose bite.

[Ken Robb]

Sanding doesn't fix rubber that's aged and hardened a bit...

I wish it were like cheese and you could use the "inside" part, but glazing is just melted pad. It's different than old and once pads harden, they lose bite.

Yep, I guess that's where I am. Thanks for confirming my suspicions.