Brake pads for the wet?

'68 Fastback

How are ye now.

This mornings rain rendered my brakes useless. I was going slow, along cuffe st, the van a good bit infront turns left, I brake...nothing. Scared the sh1t out of me.

Anyone have any recommendations for a wet weather brake pad so i don't have to change my undergarments on such a regular basis?

seamus

What type of brakes do you have?

TinyExplosions

If you've got a road bike, with standard side pull calipers, like this:


Then I recommend Cool Stop Salmon coloured pads -can get them in Cycleways

Danbo!

You may already do this, but in this weather after cycling home in the evening, you should clean/dry the rims with an old rag or duster. Brake dust and water leave a film of crap on the rim which really doesn't help braking.

This type of weather is a pain because you need more maintenance when really all you wanna do when you reach home is dump the bike in the shed and go have a shower.

unionman

'68 wrote:

How are ye now.

This mornings rain rendered my brakes useless. I was going slow, along cuffe st, the van a good bit infront turns left, I brake...nothing. Scared the sh1t out of me.

Anyone have any recommendations for a wet weather brake pad so i don't have to change my undergarments on such a regular basis?

You won't thank me for saying this but...you should try fixed gear:) The traction in the back wheel when you brake makes negotiating awful city traffic (like this morning) a helluva lot easier.

I have a bog standard tektro brake on the front, worked fine this morning. But another thing is braking technique, Sheldon is a mine of information on this subject, but pumping the brake to depress speed (like ABS on a car) is good in the wet. OK, maybe not for emergency stops:o

Hope the underpants aren't too soiled:)

penexpers

TinyExplosions wrote: »

If you've got a road bike, with standard side pull calipers, like this:


Then I recommend Cool Stop Salmon coloured pads -can get them in Cycleways

+1

'68 Fastback

Nice one lads.
Sorry, shouldn't have assumed that everyone knows i've got ultegra brakes(6600 i think).
The cool stops sound like the option but do they come in cartidge format or is it an all in unit?

Signal_ rabbit

I find the Shimano Dura Ace pads 7800 to be excellent in the wet, in the dry toO i think but its been so long since we had a dry day I'm not too sure!:D

Chips Lovell

I use Kool Stop Salmon pads as well and find them great in the wet. They're sold as just the pads, which means you can slip them into your Ultegra brakes no problem.

TinyExplosions

Cool stops are cartridge, so you just undo the little screw on the old pad, slide it out (don't lose the screw!), and slide in the new ones.

@Signal_Rabbit -I had the Dura Ace before, and didn't find them all that good in the wet... oh well, it's horses for courses I guess

Signal_ rabbit

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Cool stops are cartridge, so you just undo the little screw on the old pad, slide it out (don't lose the screw!), and slide in the new ones.

@Signal_Rabbit -I had the Dura Ace before, and didn't find them all that good in the wet... oh well, it's horses for courses I guess

Maybe it all depends on the rims as well possibly. I have Shimano 5600 wheelsets.

'68 Fastback

Got me some o them koolstops. Indeed they're powerful, amazingly so. Bet they'll not be too hot in the longevity department.
Did anyone else think that they're very spongey? I kind of liked the firmness of shimano but thats just me.

Chips Lovell

'68 wrote:

Got me some o them koolstops. Indeed they're powerful, amazingly so. Bet they'll not be too hot in the longevity department.
Did anyone else think that they're very spongey? I kind of liked the firmness of shimano but thats just me.

Generally speaking, the softer the compound, the greater the stopping power and the shorter the lifespan. Its the own downside to the salmon koolstops. Having said that, I find they last me as long as Shimano pads used to, but maybe that's because I've become a better descender this year and don't spend half the time going downhill melting my brakes.

'68 Fastback

It's not really much of a complaint really, they're impressive. You can't have it all! The pads that i've replaced aren't even half worn after 4500k so I think I'll be ok!

Many thanks for the tip:)

DirkVoodoo

I also find pumping the brakes every so often in wet weather helps, a bit of not so high-tech ABS.