Brake pads

[JohnR]

I fitted swisstop green on both wheels this summer, from standard black ones. The difference was instant far better braking than before, but you need to be going fast to benefit properly from them as they need heat build up for them to work properly IMO. As for wet weather use, they lose performance especially at low speed.
These are on miche looky likey tektro caliper brakes on ally rims. Wear seems to be better than standard, so good value.

As for wet weather use, I have cheapo Clark's red and black ones on my trekking bike with v brakes, great in wet and dry conditions. Again on ally rims.

@ jhob, Aren't blue swisstop for ceramic rims?

[jhob]

@ jhob, Aren't blue swisstop for ceramic rims?

Definitely Alu rims, it's their 'new' BXP compound.

You had me worried for a minute there though!

[jhob]

There must be mileage in a bike mag doing a 'brake pads' group test to at least get some semi-scientific guidance considering wet/dry performance, longevity and modulation.

Surprised none (that I know of) has been done thus far.

[JohnR]

@ jhob, Aren't blue swisstop for ceramic rims?

Definitely Alu rims, it's their 'new' BXP compound.

You had me worried for a minute there though!

I stand corrected, thank heavens. 

[jamesld8]

As an observational expt I tried to see when actually riding / braking how much flex there was in the caliper arms by observing when applying brakes. From what I could see once a certain travel point on lever had been achieved then all further lever movement  was just a flex in the calipers, so the extra force I was applying was no longer fully resulting in extra force at the rim / pad contact. So stiffer calipers should make for a better brake --not unsurprising !!

Unless you could actually see the callipers flexing, I reckon much of the lever travel "for nothing" is down to what's happening with the cable (outer and inner)*.  Anyway the pads must fully compress before calliper flex can be an issue, because the pads are less stiff, and you only brake hard enough for that in an emergency (or for fun!).  So I think flex is an over-rated factor with all but the very crappiest brakes.

* Especially (but not only) if you didn't pre-stretch/bed-in the cable after it was first fitted by pulling the lever outrageously hard with all your strength.

I believe that I could see the caliper arm, ie bit above pivot where cable attached to, actually flexing during real live braking, wasn`t easy to see as also wanted see road ahead though. The pads do seem to be quite solid enough to not compress a lot

[rogerzilla]

Swissstop blue, or at least sky blue, are intended for ceramic-coated rims and might do bad things to normal rims.  On ceramic rims they last exceedingly well; I've had the same set on for - errrr - about four years.  They don't stop you very well in the wet, though.  Kool-Stop green pads (containing chromium) are the alternative for ceramic rims but I went through a pair in about 30 miles on a new front rim.  They were just ground away to dust.