MTB Brake Pads

[Bobby_Mac]

Hi All - My first post in Pedal Powered!

After years of not cycling and after moving right next to Swinley i went out and bought a Specialized hard rock sport. I have been hitting the trails and covered about 500 miles in 7 weeks. After being out in the torrential rain the last couple days i decided to really clean the bike however after putting the wheels back on i seem to have no brakes on the back (hydraulic discs) and just enough to stop me on the front.

I have left in the bike shop and they think it probably needs new pads but this seems quite low miles for a set? How long does other peoples last?

It may be the sandy conditions at swinley causing problems possibly. Its starting to cost me more than the car as i snapped the pedals, snapped the chain and put new tyres on

[Mr E]

Pull the pads out and have a look at how much is left on them.

If you've cleaned the bike, did you use something that has contaminated the pads/disc?

Superstar and/or discobrakes are good for inexpensive pads; however if it's possible the disc is contaminated you need to ensure it's fully cleaned up before refitting new pads.

[Bobby_Mac]

Thanks for the reply. Its in the LBS at the moment. I did look at the pads when it was here and they didnt look very thick but as i hadnt actually seen how thick a new pad is then i had nothing to compare really.

I had only cleaned it with a damp cloth and brushes to remove the mud build up. Perhaps i should look at getting some brake disc cleaner?

[daz3210]

Did you need new tyres too after only 500 miles?

How long life is normally expected on tyres. I'm beginning to think cycling isn't as cheap as I had hoped.

[Bobby_Mac]

It turns out the pads were completely shot with one side down to metal. Well i know to keep a spare set of those in future.

It looks like the sand is really starting to cause troubles. The large ring on the crank is showing signs of the teeth being worn down

I didnt actually need new tyres its just that as Swinley is pretty muddy and boggy at the moment and I found I needed more traction and the standard tyres werent all that great.

[vwsurfbum]

Cycling isnt cheap
New pads after that amount of distance is fair especially in sandy conditions.
Just be carefull how much they want to charge you for fitting etc, its a 2 min job on most brakes.

Tyres, well, how long is your string.

[daz3210]

Bobby_Mac said:

It turns out the pads were completely shot with one side down to metal. Well i know to keep a spare set of those in future.

It looks like the sand is really starting to cause troubles. The large ring on the crank is showing signs of the teeth being worn down

I didnt actually need new tyres its just that as Swinley is pretty muddy and boggy at the moment and I found I needed more traction and the standard tyres werent all that great.

Everywhere is muddy/boggy at the moment!

So how often should you ideally have your bike serviced? Its not something I have ever thought about before.

[P-Jay]

Mileage isn't a great measure of life expectancy of bits in MTB, to give an extreme example you can burn through 2 pairs (front and rear) of brake pads in a rainy morning in the Alps, or go 2 years on a set if you're gliding along paths in the park.

If you're finding your pads are getting eaten by sand/grit you could try a set of sintered or kevlar pads from Superstar, your LBS won't sell, or fit them for you though, they're designed to last longer, but you lose a little power and feel.

[jj.]

I'll be needing to replace mine within the next month.

Avid Elixir CR on mine - all I can seem to find are Clark's pads....

Can you not buy Original Avid pads...? Who makes the best, and I can not find a definitive answer to the compounds... What are Organic, Sintered and the other type (can't remember it now!) ideally suited for...

If I mainly ride trail, in usual English weather, and have no problem replacing pads, say every 400 miles what should I go for.

Current Original pads have last about 800 miles, with OK power (lacks general bite in my opinion), sort of expected more from them... What compound would Original pads be...?

jj

[Rolls]

Won't go far wrong with superstar brake pads ime!

[james239]

Swinley is known to break every bike part possible though to be fair.

I tend to get through a set of pads (front and rear) in a month - usually do about 200-250 miles a month, all off road rides in any weather and at a trail centre every other weekend. Parts wear out very quickly and get costly to replace unfortunately.

[Digga]

Rolls said:

Won't go far wrong with superstar brake pads ime!

+1 pretty good in my experience.

Cannock Chase is also very sandy (sand/gravel bunter under most of it) and, especially when it's wet, absolutely shags bike parts, brake pads in particualr.

I can confirm, 100% from extensive testing within our group that sintered pads work best on this sort of terrain. By miles. They don;t have the same initial 'bite' but then they will last more than a few wet rides.

Whilst on the topic though, they are st on long, fast descents which invovle hard braking. Which is why trail Addiciton state on their website that you shouldn't use them in the Alps. Shame one of the lads I was with in Les Arcs last week didn't read their FAQs! Discs are knackered and, follwing one crash, he set fire to the grass with them.

[Mr E]

Ouch. I run sintered pads routinely, but I don't ride in the alps.