Kool Stop brake pads??

dazzawazza

Had a really nice day in Hyde Park yesterday, but on the way home I almost slammed into the back of a BMW that stopped suddenly for no apparent reason.
These Sora brake pads are terrible.
So I'm going to purchase some Kool Stop Salmon Shimano road pads.
The question is,
will the pad refills (£6.99) fit into the standard Sora holders or do I need to buy the Kool Stop pads and holders (£14.99)?
Eg:

Kool Stop Pads only £6.99

OR

Kool Stop Pads & Holders £14.99

Thanks

dazzawazza

Do URLs work on this site, or am I doing something wrong??

nicklouse

not at the moment. will do later.

jibi

Just cut and paste the link without using the url buttons

george

fluff.

You'll just need the inserts, replaced some Tektro (shimano copies) with Aztec pads the same way last week. You might want to look at Swisstop pads as well, supposedly the best stopping power you can buy.

dazzawazza

Are the Kool Stop Dura Ace type brake pads ok to use in the Sora holders?

fluff.

If you have holders (ie you can see a little grub screw on the back, and slide the pad out) they will fit. If you have a complete unit where the holder/pad is one item then you'll have to buy holders as well, not 100% sure which way it is on Sora to be honest.

Edit: A quick google suggests Tiagra and Sora are 1 piece affairs, so you'll need holders as well in that case.

John C.

Is it the Sora pads, calipers or levers at fault ? The pads are a good place to start but I had the same problem and bought a set of 105 calipers with no improvment, I upgraded my levers and problem solved. I suspect it is the plastic levers flexing under presure.

OnTow

fluffcp wrote:

...replaced some Tektro (shimano copies)...Swisstop...

Replaced my Tektro blocks with Swissstops - tremendous difference. Very good.
Less rim wear, better braking for less pressure (reduced hand fatigue), improved wet braking.

Wouldn't fit in standard Tektro blocks, so bought them with DA holders.

Only negative is that because they're softer, they don't last as long, especially on wet gritty roads, however they also don't chew the rims anywhere near as much.

The bike with 105 running Mavic OP rims, is fine though - Easy enough to lock up in wet/dry - Not bothering to change the standard 105 blocks yet.

dazzawazza

“Edit: A quick google suggests Tiagra and Sora are 1 piece affairs, so you'll need holders as well in that case”

I’ve checked the brake blocks on my Allez and they are definitely the refill type so I guess it must be a mix of group sets.
If they are Shimano type brake holders, would the Kool Stop Dura Ace pads be suitable?

“I suspect it is the plastic levers flexing under pressure.”

These Sora levers are aluminium and have no apparent flex.
I’m quite sure the pads are at fault as they are very noisy when I apply pressure (they are correctly aligned over the rims).

dazzawazza

I took the risk and ordered the Koolstop pads anyway.
If they don't fit I'll just have to upgrade the groupset to Dura Ace

domtyler

The Koolstops come in a dual compound version that will last much better than just the salmon ones which are designed for use only in the wet. That said they will likely be a revelation to you anyway, just wont last a long.
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HONDA ELITE E SPECIFICATIONS

acorn_user

Does n't the Allez come with non series brakes? Probably Tektro or Alhonga.

daowned

Someone recommended Koolstops to me, a massive improvment on the stock brakepads by far.

Dont think I would change from Koolstops been useing them for a while now.

palinurus

I put Sora brakes on my Allez briefly- because I happened to have some, the original one's were even worse. I wanted to use Kool Stops but needed cartridge style pad holder thingys (whatever they're called). It actually worked out better for me just to upgrade the brakes to Ultegra, the holders cost more than half the price of the whole brakeset, and Wiggle had a deal on Ultegra brakes at the time. What with the Kool Stops the bike feels much better to ride, especially downhill.

dazzawazza

The Kool Stop Dura Pads fit perfectly in the holders that came standard on the Allez.
I'll take the bike for a ride tomorrow to see what the performance is like.
If the improvement is as good as people say, it’s a cheap upgrade at £13.

whyamihere

Looks like that pad's sitting far too high, give it a check before you ride.

dazzawazza

I took that photo quite late at night after changing only one of the pads. The holder was not adjusted correctly at that stage.
The bike was hanging from the ceiling so I left changing the others untill the morning.

Downwardi

I need some of these - Same fitting as pic above - I have 1 pair but need to source another (pads only required)

Are these correct ??

http://www.cyclesportsuk.co.uk/product_ ... ts_id=3306

dmch2

I just did the same thing but got swissstop green. More expensive but I'm happy as my brakes now work as I'd hope. Gentle pull on the lever and I slow down, beforehand (with the standard Trek 1.5 pads) it was a case of 'pull hard, wait a bit, bit of retardation, hope, slow a bit more, phew'! These are better in every way.

My unbranded brakes took Shimano (rather than Campagnolo) pads. Undo the screw, slide the old pad out, new one in, screw in again. Done.

Anybody used both swissstop and koolstop and care to let us know what the differences are?

GD73

kinda brakepad related....

how are your brake cables - especially the steel inners?

i replaced mine after bit friendly advice from the local bikeshop.

the ones that cames out were rusty and weren't moving freely at all.
to be honest it is miracle i was stopping at all!!

after a new set of cables and bit of tlc my braking on winter hack is transformed!
irrespective of what pads i use.

tektro long reach calipers- aztec on the front with cartridges inserts - back shimano 105

once the 105 wear out i'll go cartridge on the back as well

i'll eventually put koolstop or swiss stop on one once the current stuff has worn out

i have swissstop greens on the summer bike - 105 calipers great breaking.
pricey but i think it's worth it.

kingrollo

I had this dilema - I wanted koolstops but they wouldn't fit in my existing shoes - kool stops and shoes were £16 a pair.
A trip to decathlon saved me some cash - ultegra compatible shoes & pads 6.99 a pair. As it happens the decathlon pads ain't bad either - will upgrade to kool stops when they wear out though.

rake

have you tried rim tar? its very cheap and simple.

prawny

dmch2 wrote:

Anybody used both swissstop and koolstop and care to let us know what the differences are?

I have.

Salmons are good, Swissstops are amazing in comparison. Not much difference i the dry but much much better in the wet and they last loads longer, I'm still on my first set that I bought in the summer after the heatwave finished. No need to change them yet I think I would have gone through a set and a half of Koolstops by now.

They don't squeal as much as koolstops either if it has been dry for a while.

Hope that's helpful.

Silko

Prawny - which Swissstops are you using?

dmch2

So it was worth paying the extra for the swissstops - phew!