Discs brakes - how long before changing pads?

Brian B

I'm a road cyclist for years now but have just recently bought a MTB and when the weather improves after this winter was looking to cycle the West Highland Way in day which is around 100miles. No real biggie for me in terms of fitness but several guys at work were saying to take spare pads as over that distance I'll need to change the pads.

Is this a wind up? Changing pads during a long day would not be what I would want to do and when do you know if they need changed - sounds or just lack of stopping power?

I would ensure my were full before starting.

swod1

Well depends on the location if it's wet n gritty conditions the pads will wear out quicker.

What's in the brakes on the bike at the moment?

As you have organic, Kevlar and full metal sintered compound options.

I use semi metallic organic pads and they last me and I ride in all weathers but haven't ridden a long ride like that so can't say on durability.

I doubt you would wear out the pads unless your on the brakes constantly.

figbat

My 2007 Kona Caldera is still on its first set of pads. It's done at least 2,000 miles (yes, I took a long time off). The rears are about done but the fronts still have loads on them. I ride 2-3 times a week in all weather and through a lot of mud, flint and chalk.

I wouldn't have even thought of taking pads on a 100 mile ride. In a pinch you could always swap front to back.

The Rookie

The west highland way isn't going to be that tough on pads, I would expect you to finish it with barely any wear at all.

cooldad

figbat wrote:

My 2007 Kona Caldera is still on its first set of pads. It's done at least 2,000 miles (yes, I took a long time off). The rears are about done but the fronts still have loads on them. I ride 2-3 times a week in all weather and through a lot of mud, flint and chalk.

I wouldn't have even thought of taking pads on a 100 mile ride. In a pinch you could always swap front to back.

How the hell do you wear out the back before the front?

Front brake does, or should do 90% of the work.

rockmonkeysc

You'll probably barely use them on a non technical ride like that.
Wear can vary wildly depending on the trail, type of pad material, conditions (gritty etc) and how you ride.
I've had pads last a few hundred miles and I've killed a pair of kevlar pads in a few miles from the Val d'isare lift station down to Tignes on a mega fast black trail.
For the tiny amount of extra weight and space you could always take one pair of spares just to be absolutely certain but I doubt you'll need them unless you ride like an old granny and drag the brakes down every hill.

figbat

cooldad wrote:

figbat wrote:

My 2007 Kona Caldera is still on its first set of pads. It's done at least 2,000 miles (yes, I took a long time off). The rears are about done but the fronts still have loads on them. I ride 2-3 times a week in all weather and through a lot of mud, flint and chalk.

I wouldn't have even thought of taking pads on a 100 mile ride. In a pinch you could always swap front to back.

How the hell do you wear out the back before the front?

Front brake does, or should do 90% of the work.

I thought the same and have subsequently analysed how I brake when I ride. I find I tend to use the back for stability on descents when I need to keep the speed under control but don't want to use the front due to slipperiness/gravel/whatever. So I control speed with the rear and use the front for proper stopping events, which don't happen that often and if they do it is often from low speeds.

On my motorbike the fronts go before the rears (but again, they last well - the factory-fitted ones did over 20k miles and the rears are still in it, from 1997).

I think either I manage speed well, or don't go fast enough.

The Rookie

Not off road but my commuter has organic pads and I've changed one set of (front) pads in 6500 miles if that is any help.

JGTR

Had the same pads for 2 years, check them regularly. I know some people carry spare pads but more for emergency purposes e.g. friction material breaks up. Personally I've never carried spare pads and have done a few long rides.

poah

RockmonkeySC wrote:

You'll probably barely use them on a non technical ride like that.

curious, have you actually done it before?

The Rookie

The WHW is a gravel 'fireroad' style trackover the vast majority of its length, little in the way of braking required.

larkim

Son went through two sets in 13 days in Les Gets in the summer (front and rear), they were organic Shimano ones.

They are so light to carry though I generally pack him up with a set in his backpack along with tube, tyre levers, pump, quick link for the chain and a multitool so he's got all bases covered.

rockmonkeysc

POAH wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

You'll probably barely use them on a non technical ride like that.

curious, have you actually done it before?

Not all of it but a good 60 miles.

schmako

Got the Rocky Mountain in May 2015 still not changed the pads. Done many miles, including the WHW (and other long rides).

Right enough they are about ready to be replaced now, I probably wouldn't bother carrying a spare set.

sniper68

We did the GGW and WHW over 4 days in 2004.It rained the whole time and my pads were fine.
I have trashed a set of Kevlar pads in 7 wet and gritty miles in the Dark Peak though.

poah

should point out that other people have had other experiences of pad wear but it depends on the pads and the discs you are using plus the way you use your brakes and your body mass. brake pads are light so its not really a big deal to carry a couple of sets if you are worried

fat daddy

to be fair its worth carrying a spare pair anyway ... I have had pads disintegrate before now for, I have accidently damaged the pads before now during maintenance of the brakes.

I remember once having the wheel of, accidently pressing the brake and then requiring me to get the calipers pushed back in .... all I had was a thin flat blade and it wouldn't push the caliper back far enough, so I inserted the pads and used the screw driver to push back on the pads to push the caliper in ... didn't think too hard about that before I took a massive chunk out the pad.

Its a few grams ... just carry a spare pair

avalanche_expert

I normally get 1000 miles out of a set of pads, that's riding in all kinds of weather if that helps you at all...

rockmonkeysc

Avalanche Expert wrote:

I normally get 1000 miles out of a set of pads, that's riding in all kinds of weather if that helps you at all...

Off road?
They might last that long on tarmac but plaster them in gritty mud and throw in a load of steep descents and 200 - 400 is more like it.

LimitedGarry

RockmonkeySC wrote:

They might last that long on tarmac but plaster them in gritty mud and throw in a load of steep descents and 200 - 400 is more like it.

On tarmac, you're looking at way above 5000km. If you're really into descents, then perhaps it might be possible to wear out resin pads that quickly.

It also depends on the pads. Some wear faster than others. In any case, you're not going to wear pads down on a 100 mile trip, no matter the conditions. That said, pretty much anything on the bike can be effed up by accident.

avalanche_expert

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Avalanche Expert wrote:

I normally get 1000 miles out of a set of pads, that's riding in all kinds of weather if that helps you at all...

Off road?
They might last that long on tarmac but plaster them in gritty mud and throw in a load of steep descents and 200 - 400 is more like it.

Yep, off road in the mud. I don't do much in the way of long steep descents though.

Brian B

Thanks for all the replies and the general consensus is that if I have new pads fitted before that 100 miles should be easily done as long as I am not excessively on the brakes for a long time and given the route that would be doubtful.

Any other tips as I would be taking a camelbak and will have spare tubes, puncture kits for tires and tubes, multitool, chaintool, spare links, rain jacket.

cooldad

Cake for energy, some money for emergencies, and a slow friend so the bears and wolves get them and you can ride off and escape.

The Rookie

A pair of needle nose pliers is very underrated, lost of uses such is picking stubborn thorns out the tyre.

rockmonkeysc

Emergency kit incase of the worst. Rescue could take a while. Have something to keep you warm as a minimum. Survival blankets pack down real small, weigh cock all and do the job.
If you're doing it alone, check in regularly with someone by phone. Just a quick text is enough. Make sure you have an emergency contact number on you somewhere easy for anyone to find.

LimitedGarry

Dang! He won't be touring Antarctica. I often see people here poking fun at roadies, but apparently, a lot of MTB riders should learn from them. 100 mile trips are not a survival situation. Sure, they're harder to do on a MTB, especially off road, but still, it's just 100 miles. A 12hour affair at most if you take it easy and make a bunch of stops, including a long lunch break.
But the thing about giving someone a clue about where you are and when you expect to come home is not a bad idea.

The pads... well unless you have some really soft ones, they won't be a problem. I've done one 100 mile trip this summer and every one or two weeks did trips over 100km (62 miles). Mix of absolutely everything. Had front brake jammed by mud once. Pads are absolutely fine after way over 2000km (1200 miles). People saying they wear them out in 400 - well maybe if all you do is trail descents. On all-round routes, no way. Having a spare set won't hurt though.
Think of it this way - disc brake pads last way longer than rim brake pads. Whatever your rim brake pads survived, the disc brakes will survive more.

As for what to take, bring more than just a lunch and beer worth of money. Bring your phone with you to be able to access maps so that you can occasionally have a look where exactly are you and what's nearby. Definitely take some decent snacks with you. There's really only a few things worse than burning out in the middle of a ride and having absolutely nothing to eat - especially when being "in the middle of a ride" means being 50 miles away from destination.

rockmonkeysc

True, it's only a 12 hour ish ride but some of it is pretty remote and if it does go bad the a couple hours wait for rescue is not unlikely.

Brian B

RockmonkeySC wrote:

True, it's only a 12 hour ish ride but some of it is pretty remote and if it does go bad the a couple hours wait for rescue is not unlikely.

Had a chortle at a few replies. My original op was for disc brakes longevity but had already stated that long days in the saddle were the norm for me on a road bike. Have done well beyond 200miles in a day but I suppose I aint out in the real wilderness

The Rookie

Indeed, on a road bike its fair to say you won't be far from, well, a road.........

We had a club member break a collar bone in a wood (we think he was trying to head butt the tree and missed and hit an important part of his anatomy instead) this was in a September, the road ambulance couldn't get close enough and they called an air ambulance. It took nearly 2 hours from accident to recovery and in that time the rest of the group were shedding clothing to keep him warm (it was an open fracture and he was in a fair bit of pain and shock as well - we couldn't walk him out) and were all freezing their 'bits' off by the time they could get going again. That was in the middle of the deepest wilds of Warwickshire just 4-5 miles from the nearest road.

Brian B

The Rookie wrote:

Indeed, on a road bike its fair to say you won't be far from, well, a road.........

We had a club member break a collar bone in a wood (we think he was trying to head butt the tree and missed and hit an important part of his anatomy instead) this was in a September, the road ambulance couldn't get close enough and they called an air ambulance. It took nearly 2 hours from accident to recovery and in that time the rest of the group were shedding clothing to keep him warm (it was an open fracture and he was in a fair bit of pain and shock as well - we couldn't walk him out) and were all freezing their 'bits' off by the time they could get going again. That was in the middle of the deepest wilds of Warwickshire just 4-5 miles from the nearest road.

Well said - a fair point