Koolstop brake pads

apple15

Hi all, just a quick question, I have just fitted the salmon colour pads to my bike and the stopping ability is rubbish. Is this just a matter of bedding them in or have I got the wrong ones? I am using them with a pair of fulcrum racing 3 alloy wheels, the blurb on the wiggle website as I understand says that they are compatible with ceramic coated wheels whatever that means?

andrewc3142

Salmon on alu is right. They do feel more squidgy at first than the standard black ones. More progressive, but will stop you fine. The difference comes in the wet, when they are a major, major improvement.

I used to fit these on all bikes and still have some with them. However, I've changed to Swissstop green, which I find work as well or better and last longer, plus are easier to set up perfectly.

Flâneur

No idea why, mine feel good, great in the wet. Black does feel more solid in the dry though

Bozman

It's not just me then, I bought a set for winter the other year and found them awful in the wet, I can remember getting home and swapping them out for an old set of BBBs, these outperformed the salmons and filled a gap until the swissstop pads arrived.

apple15

I've done about 100 or so miles on them so far, I might just give them a few more miles just to be sure but they just don't fill me with confidence on a wet decent.

Hals1967

I've been using the mixed salmon\black ones for about four years now on all my bikes...never had an issue or felt any lack of confidence in my braking ability both in the dry and wet.
Yes they do feel a little "spongier" than stock pads (tiagra, 105, tekro etc) at first but I'm happy with them and they aren't too hard on the rims as long as you inspect the pads for bits of alu and debris picked up during normal use regularly.
I don't think they are necessarily any better or worse than any other brand - they work for me, end of.

on-yer-bike

I have the black ones on the rear and they dont feel very good. I can see why they are rim friendly, its because they have no bite, they just feel too smooth.