Specialized Tri/Singlecross '09 brake pads?

N0bodyOfTheGoat

After nearly four years, mainly because I did not bike commute regularly until the last 18 months, I finally need a replacement set of brake pads for my singlespeed urgently... But I feel a bit lost!

The confusion starts with the brake system being a v-brake set, from what I can gather, despite having owned bikes for the last ~35 or so since a nipper I don't recall ever owning a v-brake type before.

Could anyone point me in the direction of good set of well priced replacements, please?
Will I need replacement blocks (the whole unit), or do the default pads come out of the default blocks?

Could I in theory easily swap the braking system to use my barely used set of Bontrager Speed Limits, that had ~3 days of use on my Felt F5C '06 back around 2008, before a still lingering back injury prevented me from using the Felt since?

Thanks in advance for any advice

Edit: V-brakes, not cantilevers? Same thing applies, no experience of replacing them! Would http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-perfor ... ts-4-pack/ be a good purchase?

nigglenoo

You almost certainly will not be able to fit the Bontrager Speed Limit caliper brakes. This is for several reasons including the v-brake bosses getting in the way, the holes in the fork crown and brake bridge may not be correct for this type of brake which uses recessed allen head nuts and the rim/tyre may well be too wide to get through the brake blocks, at least without deflating the tyre.

In any case the current brakes are, I believe, mini v-brakes, which are great brakes IME, powerful and easy to set up. I do not know if you have the cartridge type of brake pads where the pads only can be removed and replaced but it is usually fairly obvious, i.e you can see a distinctly separate metal holder around the rubber pad material and a small metal split pin that fits through the holder and pad sideways as a fail safe. I suspect you would have spotted this so you have all-in-one pads at the moment.

The set you have linked to would be suitable but I do not know whether the pads are any good. Recently BBB tristop pads have been getting good reviews and you can buy them as a complete set for the bike with the holders for £12: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321195138590? ... =54&ff19=0 Other pads that are well thought of include Kool Stop Salmon or Dual Compound and SwissStop Green GHP.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Ordered a set of the BBBs, thanks for the input, hoping installation will not be a mare!

nigglenoo

NitrousOxide wrote:

Ordered a set of the BBBs, thanks for the input, hoping installation will not be a mare!

Should be fine, they appear to have helpful markings such as 'right forward'. If you hold the brake on before tightening the allen nut, with a thin piece of card clamped between rim and pad at the back end to set toe-in, they should be perfect.