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Why do my brakes suck?

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  • August 4, 2009 at 5:41 pm #11874
    sponging-machine

    Although I don’t expect hydraulic disc performance, my brakes seem a bit crap and riding in the wet can sometimes be a nerve-wracking experience. Set-up is Tiagra levers, Jagwire inners/outers and Tektro R350 Dual pivot calipers.
    I keep my rims good and clean too.

    Is there anything I can do to significantly improve performance? I was thinking of a different compound pad or summat. Will upgrading the calipers make a significant difference?

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Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)
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  • August 18, 2009 at 5:21 pm #630511
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    Pierre

    I’ve used Kool Stop and
    I’ve used Kool Stop and Jagwire pads on standard rims and found them both fine. If you’ve been using the pads for a while, rough them up a bit with a file or bit of sandpaper and make sure you pick out any bits of grit, rim splinters or glass.

    I’ve got Shimano Dura-Ace ceramic pads on my bike with ceramic rims. They’ve been excellent in all weathers.

    : P

    August 18, 2009 at 12:04 pm #630509
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    anotherdeadhero

    I’ve found just about any
    I’ve found just about any alloy backed cartridge pad better than plastic one-unit replacement pads, no need to get fancy and expensive swiss stops. I’m using some fibrax numbers which are terrific.

    August 11, 2009 at 9:28 pm #630507
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    sponging-machine

    I knew you were only joking,
    I knew you were only joking, cheeky monkey! 😉

    August 11, 2009 at 5:03 pm #630505
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    velosipeed

    Only trying a bit of humour
    😕 Only trying a bit of humour re hills and rain.Make sure whatever brake pads used-they are ‘toed-in’ i.e the front part touches the rim just before the rest of the pad.This should ensure smooth but effective braking.How, and with what tool(s) you adjust the angle of the brake shoes ? I have used a pair of pliers, or an adjustable spanner-but be very gentle, nothing too fierce.Hope this may help.

    August 7, 2009 at 11:09 pm #630503
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    sponging-machine

    Living in North Devon means
    Living in North Devon means hills and rain are pretty unavoidable.

    As I’ve got Tektro calipers, do I need Shimano compatible pads?

    August 7, 2009 at 9:27 am #630501
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    velosipeed

    A simple pair of side-pull,
    😐 A simple pair of side-pull, or dual-pivot brakes with scored brake pad surfaces(do this yourself with something sharp) work best.Or keep away from hills and don’t go out when it’s wet!

    August 5, 2009 at 5:58 pm #630499
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    SimpleSimon

    I have happily used the Kool
    I have happily used the Kool Stop twin compound brake pads and found that they have the best stopping power, even in the wet. They seem to last quite well too.

    August 5, 2009 at 9:47 am #630497
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    poppa

    People continually reccommend
    People continually reccommend Kool-Stop salmon pads as well, slightly cheaper than the Swisstop FWIW.

    August 5, 2009 at 8:58 am #630495
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    Anonymous

    A pad change should certainly
    A pad change should certainly be the first port of call, I run Swissstop Flash greens, and they are very good, braking in the wet is certainly better than the Shimano pads, and they don’t leave that evil black residue on the rims.
    The price looks over the top, until you notice that they are sold in sets of 4 rather than the usual single pair.

    August 5, 2009 at 7:49 am #630493
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    dave atkinson

    doesn’t sound like a
    doesn’t sound like a particularly unusual setup so it may be that a pad change would be the most help, it’s certainly the easiest thing to try. also worth going over your rims with an emery pad once you’ve cleaned them.

    I’m currently testing the new Ultegra 6700 groupset and for all the incremental performance increases elsewhere in the system, the brakes are noticeably better. Shimano claim that stopping power is increased by 100% in the wet, not sure I’m buying that but they’re certainly impressive. Not sure when the pads are on sale though, Madison don’t have them on the website yet

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