Brake pad that works well with Carbon and Alloy

[dd74]

Is there a brake pad that can work with both carbon fiber and aluminum rims, or at least reasonably well?

Thx.

[SoCalSteve]

Nope, the alloy braking surface has slivers. They will imbed themselves in the brake pad. When you use this same brake pad on a carbon braking surface, it will mess it up.

Sorry.

[dekindy]

I would be curious as to why do you ask? Do you have aluminum training wheels and carbon racing wheels and don't want to hassle with changing brake pads?

[dd74]

I ask because it would be nice not to have to change brake pads. Just another PITA IMO.

[Joachim]

If you have a carbon brake track it's a bad idea using the same pads as you used on alum rims. Unless you want to decrease the life of your carbon wheels considerably. I use Jagwire brake shoes with yellow and green swiss stop. They just slide in and out. Also TRP Shimano-type shoes work fine with Campy brakes, easy to loosen the screw and switch pads around.

[FixedNotBroken]

You can use the Zipp ones..they work well.

[dd74]

You can use the Zipp ones..they work well.
Details, details, and experiences.

[bikerboy337]

you never want to use the same pad for both wheels, as stated, the aluminum rims will get metal pieces imbeded and will destroy a CF rim...

i use a shimano style pad holder in my campy wheels and just slide the different pads in/out... takes less than 5 minutes to swap wheels...

[dd74]

you never want to use the same pad for both wheels, as stated, the aluminum rims will get metal pieces imbeded and will destroy a CF rim...

i use a shimano style pad holder in my campy wheels and just slide the different pads in/out... takes less than 5 minutes to swap wheels...
Ooh! That sounds good. Will the Shimano holder work with Campy 11 brakes?

[Ozz]

swiss stop yellow....

That said, you can't switch back and forth...as stated previously, alloy rims imbed slivers into the pad that chew up carbon rims.

FWIW, with Zero G brakes the pads just slide in/out ...no tools needed. Takes about 30 secs...just saying.

[bikerboy337]

I've got a set of kool stop (shimano style) holders (i think they're kool stop) that i used on my chorus skeleton brakes... no issues, just unscrew and slide out hte pads... ive always found campy pads difficult to change quickly, so i've done this for a while now...

Ooh! That sounds good. Will the Shimano holder work with Campy 11 brakes?

[forrestw]

FNB: You can use the Zipp ones..they work well.
+1
Details, details, and experiences.
The only downside is that the zipp pads are quite expensive and they wear pretty fast so I still switch pads when I switch wheels. -- which is one reason I've left my 303s on for most of this season; swapping pads is a PITA.

I've run them on both (only short periods on Al) and found they provided great braking used on the 303s, felt about normal on Al. THey're made by KoolStop with supposedly a formulation that improves heat transfer of the pad which in theory would take care of one of the problems with hard braking on carbon -- I haven't ever checked the temps of the rim braking surface for comparison tho.

[Joachim]

Ooh! That sounds good. Will the Shimano holder work with Campy 11 brakes?

Yes.

[PoppaWheelie]

Spinelli posted on the Velocipede board that you can go back and forth with cork...not sure how well this works or if there are drawbacks...

[FixedNotBroken]

Ooh! That sounds good. Will the Shimano holder work with Campy 11 brakes?

I run Campy 11 and they work just fine. They do wear quicker but they are easy to take on and off.

[Likes2ridefar]

reynolds cryo blue pads work well. i forgot to take them off after a race and have since been commuting on them for a few months now and they work great rain or shine. they don't seem to wear any quicker either.

great pads both for carbon and aluminum.

swiss stop yellow work great for carbon and OK for al in dry conditions but are very scary when wet.

[trevorluke]

The yellow Swiss Stops work well on both in the sense of stopping power. But you do have to worry about slivers. It is a real issue.

[6mt]

yeah the swissstop yellow would do the trick. but the thing is that you'll have to closely inspect the brake pads when changing from one wheel set to another.

[dd74]

I've got a set of kool stop (shimano style) holders (i think they're kool stop) that i used on my chorus skeleton brakes... no issues, just unscrew and slide out hte pads... ive always found campy pads difficult to change quickly, so i've done this for a while now...
This or the Shimano option sound like the ticket for me.

Does it matter if the holders are Dura Ace, Ultegra, etc?

Thanks!

[champ]

The best pads for both carbon and alu rims are SwissStop yellow pads. That said, as has been mentioned here several times, you must clean the pads when going from alu to carbon to remove the alu pieces that are imbedded in the pads and would probably gouge the carbon rims.

[Kontact]

This or the Shimano option sound like the ticket for me.

Does it matter if the holders are Dura Ace, Ultegra, etc?

Thanks!
Any Shimano compatible pad holder will work - SRAM, Cane Creek, etc. Swissstops Flash "Full" includes the holder. The Tektros are going to be the least expensive.

http://www.swissstop.ch/Images/SwissStopImages/width640/FullFlashPro_GHP2.jpg

[Charles M]

Spinelli posted on the Velocipede board that you can go back and forth with cork...not sure how well this works or if there are drawbacks...


He's part right.


Metal still gets stuck in the pad surface of straight cork, it just pulls back out easier and does "LESS" damage than harder coumpound pads that hold fragments more firm. It still does damage.


And it's absolutely not correct in the case of most of the newer cork/fiber/rubber mix pads that are catching on. People shouldnt get confused by the texture and think because it looks like it's cork that it is a traditional mostly cork pad.



Switch your pads when you switch between carb and metal hoops...

[fogrider]

yes, the pads will work but the problem is the metal particles. but the pads designed for carbon are soft so the carbon is not worn. the other danger is heat, by the pads wearing, the carbon can stay cooler. since the pads are soft and wear fast, less metal particles. but there are still some. the question is, how much do you value the finish on your carbon rims?

[Lionel]

Swapping pads is a pain. Swapping pad holders is much easier. For that reason I have extra set of pad holders some have the pads for the carbon rims and some for the alum rims.

[fatallightning]

Swapping pads is a pain. Swapping pad holders is much easier. For that reason I have extra set of pad holders some have the pads for the carbon rims and some for the alum rims.
I've found the opposite for me. I too run shimano holders on campy skeletons. Swapping pads keeps me from having to fiddle with toe and pad height. I'm still lazy though and sometimes will just ride my other bike instead of swapping pads, wheels and adjusting the rd.