New bike and brake pad upgrade

romastino

Hi folks

I recently purchased a defy 5 but now have the defy 3, only give it a quick test the other night and feels a much better bike.
The brakes on it are rubbish so i wondered if you could point in the right direction of a decent brake pad upgrade, also i must say the carbon fork feels much better than the aluminium on the defy 5 and the shifting seems more precise.
I'm off out to put 20-30 miles in tonight but by god is it windy out here in the sticks .
Thanks in advance Glenn

sungod

first check that the brakes are adjusted correctly

swissstop pads are among the best

cookeeemonster

+1 swisstop (green)

but they are very expensive unless you can get them in the sales. I might try these next, less than half the price and got a good review: http://road.cc/content/review/126029-ko ... ake-blocks (Kool Stop Dura 2 Dual Compound brake blocks)

dnwhite88

I found swisstop green good in the wet but useless in the dry

roux_guy

I replaced my cheapy Tektro pads with Aztec Road System Plus pads and the difference is night and day, especially in the rain.

romastino

Thank you folks, are these all just straight replacements for the tektro pads or is something else needed to allow me to fit them, checked the brakes before i went out last night and they seem to be adjusted correctly, there just not the greatest.
Glenn

IanRCarter

romastino wrote:

Thank you folks, are these all just straight replacements for the tektro pads or is something else needed to allow me to fit them, checked the brakes before i went out last night and they seem to be adjusted correctly, there just not the greatest.
Glenn

Do the brakes look like this http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-m-syste ... ke-blocks/ (non-catridge) or this http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-dura-ac ... cks-r55c4/ (catridge)?

If the former, you'll need to get some catridge holders, I use these http://www.wiggle.co.uk/clarks-road-cal ... e-inserts/ which hold the pad in using the screw at the end. The pads are ok but I find they need cleaning often to maintain good stopping power. You get 4 pads for 2 holders, so they should last a while, I've had mine for a year now and just getting to the end of the spare pair of pads. You can either do what I am and use the pads which come with it or buy some better pads to begin with and keep the Clarks pads in the spares drawer.

If you have the other type of brake blocks, then you just need a catridge insert. I'm about to move to Koolstop Salmon pads which get excellent reviews and they are a lot cheaper than Swissstop. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kool-stop-dura2 ... e-inserts/

romastino

IanRCarter wrote:

romastino wrote:

Thank you folks, are these all just straight replacements for the tektro pads or is something else needed to allow me to fit them, checked the brakes before i went out last night and they seem to be adjusted correctly, there just not the greatest.
Glenn

Do the brakes look like this http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-m-syste ... ke-blocks/ (non-catridge) or this http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-dura-ac ... cks-r55c4/ (catridge)?

If the former, you'll need to get some catridge holders, I use these http://www.wiggle.co.uk/clarks-road-cal ... e-inserts/ which hold the pad in using the screw at the end. The pads are ok but I find they need cleaning often to maintain good stopping power. You get 4 pads for 2 holders, so they should last a while, I've had mine for a year now and just getting to the end of the spare pair of pads. You can either do what I am and use the pads which come with it or buy some better pads to begin with and keep the Clarks pads in the spares drawer.

If you have the other type of brake blocks, then you just need a catridge insert. I'm about to move to Koolstop Salmon pads which get excellent reviews and they are a lot cheaper than Swissstop. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kool-stop-dura2 ... e-inserts/

Thank you mate, i will have a look at them, mine are first type you linked too.
Thanks
Glenn

rc856

Remember you get 4 pads with SwissStop rather than 2 so not hugely more expensive.
The blue GXP are better than the green.

romastino

RC856 wrote:

Remember you get 4 pads with SwissStop rather than 2 so not hugely more expensive.
The blue GXP are better than the green.

Hi mate
I can find BXP , was it an early morning typo as i'm not having joy finding GXP
Cheers

dj58

+1 for the blue BXP pads

http://www.swissstop.ch/Road.aspx

rc856

romastino wrote:

RC856 wrote:

Remember you get 4 pads with SwissStop rather than 2 so not hugely more expensive.
The blue GXP are better than the green.

Hi mate
I can find BXP , was it an early morning typo as i'm not having joy finding GXP
Cheers

er, they're new! :?

romastino

RC856 wrote:

romastino wrote:

RC856 wrote:

Remember you get 4 pads with SwissStop rather than 2 so not hugely more expensive.
The blue GXP are better than the green.

Hi mate
I can find BXP , was it an early morning typo as i'm not having joy finding GXP
Cheers

er, they're new! :?

Do they come with 4 pads and the holders, i can see them on wiggle but it says they come as 2.
Thanks in advance

dj58

You have 2 choices, pads only and you get 2 pairs (= 4 and grub screws),

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/swissstop-flash ... -pad-only/

or

Pads and cartridges combined, it doesn't say whether that price is for two or four, you will have to ask the question.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/swissstop-flash-pro-bxp/

http://www.swissstop.ch/Road.aspx

I think you may need the pad and cartridge type.