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Brake pads.

darrell1967darrell1967 Posts: 470
in Road buying advice
Just a quickie,
I’m after recommendations for Ultegra brake pads for carbon rims.
Thanks.

Posts

  • feelgoodlostfeelgoodlost Posts: 298
    Carbon specific brake pads for Ultegra rim brakes? Swisstop Flash Pro Black Prince.
    https://www.strava.com/athletes/442763
  • darrell1967darrell1967 Posts: 470
    edited May 2022
    feelgoodlost said:

    Carbon specific brake pads for Ultegra rim brakes? Swisstop Flash Pro Black Prince.

    Cheers.
    ‘Black Prince’ sounds a name of Xtra large condoms.
  • shirley_bassoshirley_basso Posts: 6,194
    Get the wiggle lifeline ones. I use with Ultegra 6800 rim brakes on Zipps and previously on generic chinese wheels. Work brilliantly (better than the Zipp ones) and cheap as chips so don't get upset if you churn through them.

    Otherwise the Campag red ones are meant to be the best.
  • MattFalleMattFalle Posts: 11,644
    Lifeline - mega value, work perfect, cheap as chips

    used on flat, mountains, rain, etc on everything from Zipps to old Plnet X to Prime to random Chinese wheels - never had a problem

    as above: v v recommended.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • super_davosuper_davo Posts: 1,094
    The Lifeline pads are very good at £4.50 but do wear out quick.

    Prime pads, also at Wiggle/CRC are £9 but seem to last twice as long...

    Either way can't see any reason to pay £20+ for Swissstop or genuine Shimano / Campag when cheap pads are that good.
  • Dorset_BoyDorset_Boy Posts: 6,663
    super_davo said:

    The Lifeline pads are very good at £4.50 but do wear out quick.

    Prime pads, also at Wiggle/CRC are £9 but seem to last twice as long...

    Either way can't see any reason to pay £20+ for Swissstop or genuine Shimano / Campag when cheap pads are that good.

    Don't the Swissstops come in packs of 4, whereas the others come in packs of 2?
  • MattFalleMattFalle Posts: 11,644
    Lifelines are packs of 4 at Wiggle

    Prime packs of 4 at Wiggle

    Black Prince Swisstop pack of 4 - £40

    Lifeline £4.50

    Prime £9.99

    All work exactly the same
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • darrell1967darrell1967 Posts: 470
    MattFalle said:

    Lifelines are packs of 4 at Wiggle

    Prime packs of 4 at Wiggle

    Black Prince Swisstop pack of 4 - £40

    Lifeline £4.50

    Prime £9.99

    All work exactly the same

    Just ordered the Prime brake pads. Cheers

  • MattFalleMattFalle Posts: 11,644
    darrell1967 said:

    MattFalle said:

    Lifelines are packs of 4 at Wiggle

    Prime packs of 4 at Wiggle

    Black Prince Swisstop pack of 4 - £40

    Lifeline £4.50

    Prime £9.99

    All work exactly the same

    Just ordered the Prime brake pads. Cheers

    darrell1967 said:

    MattFalle said:

    Lifelines are packs of 4 at Wiggle

    Prime packs of 4 at Wiggle

    Black Prince Swisstop pack of 4 - £40

    Lifeline £4.50

    Prime £9.99

    All work exactly the same

    Just ordered the Prime brake pads. Cheers

    pleasure to help anytime dude

    tbh , all the Prime and Lifeline stuff is mega granular vfm - Prime also for wheels, 'bars, etc Lifeline tubes, cables, parrots and monkeys can't be faulted.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • darrell1967darrell1967 Posts: 470
    Pads arrived yesterday and they’re sided/directional.

    Am I supposed to be sitting on the bike or at the front looking at it to determine which is which. 🤷🏻‍♂️
  • pblakeneypblakeney Posts: 24,592
    darrell1967 said:

    Pads arrived yesterday and they’re sided/directional.

    Am I supposed to be sitting on the bike or at the front looking at it to determine which is which. 🤷🏻‍♂️

    They should have an arrow on them which is the direction of wheel rotation.
    This is just a guess though.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • darrell1967darrell1967 Posts: 470
    MattFalle said:

    darrell1967 said:

    MattFalle said:

    Lifelines are packs of 4 at Wiggle

    Prime packs of 4 at Wiggle

    Black Prince Swisstop pack of 4 - £40

    Lifeline £4.50

    Prime £9.99

    All work exactly the same

    Just ordered the Prime brake pads. Cheers

    darrell1967 said:

    MattFalle said:

    Lifelines are packs of 4 at Wiggle

    Prime packs of 4 at Wiggle

    Black Prince Swisstop pack of 4 - £40

    Lifeline £4.50

    Prime £9.99

    All work exactly the same

    Just ordered the Prime brake pads. Cheers

    pleasure to help anytime dude

    tbh , all the Prime and Lifeline stuff is mega granular vfm - Prime also for wheels, 'bars, etc Lifeline tubes, cables, parrots and monkeys can't be faulted.
    I’ll have a closer look for parts for my newest build. 👍
  • wavefrontwavefront Posts: 397
    darrell1967 said:

    Pads arrived yesterday and they’re sided/directional.

    Am I supposed to be sitting on the bike or at the front looking at it to determine which is which. 🤷🏻‍♂️

    It’s something I always faff around with. If they’re labeled L/R it’ll be when you on the bike.

    To determine which is which. place them on a table with the rounder end facing away from you and the subtle arch of the block facing skywards. This is how they’ll look when you’re on the bike so it should be easy to see which one goes which side of the wheel. Hope this helps and that I’ve understood you correctly!
  • photonic69photonic69 Posts: 2,203
    Look at which way the originals come out. The new ones will go in the same way ;)
    Also there is a groove for the retaining screw to sit in. It's really simple.
  • MattFalleMattFalle Posts: 11,644
    please fit them with the closed end pointing the right direction as well - this stops the wheel flicking the pads out under braking.

    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • photonic69photonic69 Posts: 2,203
    MattFalle said:

    please fit them with the closed end pointing the right direction as well - this stops the wheel flicking the pads out under braking.

    Haha!!! I did exactly that when I was about 9 and a had a Raleigh Chopper Sprint GT (very rare things now days!). We lived in a very hilly village next to a dam. On the first part of the descent the brakes made a weird noise and then I saw two black things shoot forward. Those were the pads. I gathered speed. Lots of speed. Rear brakes were shot too. I narrowly missed a stone boathouse and ended up in the water. Preferable to being splatted against the stonework. Had to get my dad to pull the bike out of the water. He was not impressed.
  • MattFalleMattFalle Posts: 11,644
    photonic69 said:

    MattFalle said:

    please fit them with the closed end pointing the right direction as well - this stops the wheel flicking the pads out under braking.

    Haha!!! I did exactly that when I was about 9 and a had a Raleigh Chopper Sprint GT (very rare things now days!). We lived in a very hilly village next to a dam. On the first part of the descent the brakes made a weird noise and then I saw two black things shoot forward. Those were the pads. I gathered speed. Lots of speed. Rear brakes were shot too. I narrowly missed a stone boathouse and ended up in the water. Preferable to being splatted against the stonework. Had to get my dad to pull the bike out of the water. He was not impressed.
    🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 mega work!
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • laurentianlaurentian Posts: 2,321
    photonic69 said:

    MattFalle said:

    please fit them with the closed end pointing the right direction as well - this stops the wheel flicking the pads out under braking.

    had a Raleigh Chopper Sprint GT (very rare things now days!). .
    Was that the one with the derailleur gears?
    Wilier Izoard XP
  • photonic69photonic69 Posts: 2,203
    laurentian said:

    photonic69 said:

    MattFalle said:

    please fit them with the closed end pointing the right direction as well - this stops the wheel flicking the pads out under braking.

    had a Raleigh Chopper Sprint GT (very rare things now days!). .
    Was that the one with the derailleur gears?
    Nah, it was one with the curly drop-handlebars like a 'racer'. What could possibly go wrong? Tiny wheel at the front and kid leaned forward over it at speed. Mine had bad wheel wobbles at speed. Most dealers chucked the drop handlebars and stuck on the normal monkey-hanger style as they sold better.
  • i.bhamrai.bhamra Posts: 297
    darrell1967 said:



    Just ordered the Prime brake pads. Cheers

    You may need to trim the back of the pads with a sharp knife to get them to fit in the carriers, I think the manufacturing tolerance range is a little broad. They do seem to work as well as anything more expensive I've tried though.
  • MattFalleMattFalle Posts: 11,644
    i.bhamra said:

    darrell1967 said:



    Just ordered the Prime brake pads. Cheers

    You may need to trim the back of the pads with a sharp knife to get them to fit in the carriers, I think the manufacturing tolerance range is a little broad. They do seem to work as well as anything more expensive I've tried though.
    never had this problem or heard of it before tbh....
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • webboowebboo Posts: 6,041
    i.bhamra said:

    darrell1967 said:



    Just ordered the Prime brake pads. Cheers

    You may need to trim the back of the pads with a sharp knife to get them to fit in the carriers, I think the manufacturing tolerance range is a little broad. They do seem to work as well as anything more expensive I've tried though.
    Not if you buy the right ones for your brakes.
  • MattFalleMattFalle Posts: 11,644
    webboo said:

    i.bhamra said:

    darrell1967 said:



    Just ordered the Prime brake pads. Cheers

    You may need to trim the back of the pads with a sharp knife to get them to fit in the carriers, I think the manufacturing tolerance range is a little broad. They do seem to work as well as anything more expensive I've tried though.
    Not if you buy the right ones for your brakes.
    this.

    theres nothing wrong with the "manufacturing tolerances" - they are brake pads from the same material and same factory as all the others.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • photonic69photonic69 Posts: 2,203
    i.bhamra said:

    darrell1967 said:



    Just ordered the Prime brake pads. Cheers

    You may need to trim the back of the pads with a sharp knife to get them to fit in the carriers, I think the manufacturing tolerance range is a little broad. They do seem to work as well as anything more expensive I've tried though.
    I've had some brake pads that were a b'stard to get into the carriers. I used a bit of Fairy liquid (other manufacturer's liquids may work too) to help them slide in, or a pair of water pump grips to squeeze them into place.
  • i.bhamrai.bhamra Posts: 297
    Tried the fairy liquid trick, it didn't work. Definitely ordered the right ones too. Have a look at the reviews on Wiggle, it's not uncommon.
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