The carbon specific pads should eliminate the "grabby" feel. Not 100% sure about the squealing, but it is probably worth a shot. I use the Shimano cork based pads w/my Zipp404s. No noise from the front, but some from the rear. However I'm on my second rim that seems to be out of spec in terms of rim width. I actually get lightly pulsing braking in the rear. Zipp replaced the first rim, and the replacement is better, but not 100%. The front has always been perfect. I suspect that the brake noise that I'm getting is related to the inconsistent rim width. I'm hoping I can send the wheel back to Zipp at a point in the season where I can live without it for about 3 weeks. Its hard now because I'm pretty much racing every week. They also left a nipple or something similar rattling inside the rim. I couldn't get it out of the rim before mounting the tire so I just lived with that too.

Khai,

If using Dura Ace brakes, I suggest Bontrager or Shimano cork/carbon pads. It will help with the noise, I use 999's and Bontrager pads. I also use aluminum rims for training and it stops them fine, but the pads wear out quickly.

The cork pads work ok on aluminum rims, but I'd be concerned about getting bits of aluminum stuck in the pads, and then having them wear into your carbon rims when you put the race wheels back on. It is a pain, but I switch pads when I put on the Zipps, and switch back to the standard pads when the training wheels go back on. It would be a shame to score the rims on those 999s.

If you are using the Dura Ace pad holders, then you can easily slip in the pads that match your wheels. You can even leave out the retainer screws to save the time to loosen and tighten them at every pad swap. Then this is just a matter if minutes to ensure that you don't have issues.

"If you are using the Dura Ace pad holders, then you can easily slip in the pads that match your wheels."

Good point. I will check those pads, however I am training using quality Mavic rims, and brake infrequently on the TT bike (I only use it for interval training and for racing).

I put in the zipp pads into my cervelo calipers when I got my 999s. They seem to work quite well on both aluminum and carbon rims. There was a bit of build up after my first ride with them, but no too much, and since then it's been fine. Zipp says to use the carbon pads (I think kool-stop makes them?) for all rims, and that seems better to me than swapping out pads each ride.

-Colin

---

------------------------------------------------------------
Any run that doesn't include pooping in someone's front yard is a win.

Yep - I have two sets and they both have a Zipp logo that was 'screened' onto the pads, but 'Kool Stop' is embossed in the material along the top edge of each pad and in the future I am just going to get the Kool Stops! As for using carbon and aluminum rimmed wheels interchangeably with the cabon wheel pads, not a problem as long as you keep the braking surfaces on all the rims clean. I use Kool Stops pads for regular use and after getting caught in the rain during a training ride not too long ago, I noticed that the microscopic dirt, grit, and grime that accumulates on the braking surface acts like a mild abrasive as there were tiny bits of aluminum from the rims braking surface embedded in the pads. Had I been using the Zipp/Kool Stop carbon pads at the time and not noticed the bits of metal, I not only would have ended up replacing them with new pads, more than likley I would be bitching up a storm about having retched/scored my carbon race wheels! Finally, I tried using the Kool Stop salmon colored pads interchangeably and although they do not seem to pickup bits from alloy rims, nor do they appear to have any adverse effects on braking when used with carbon wheels, but they do tend to leave and intersting patch of orange fibers along the braking surface of the carbon wheels during criteriums (grin - easily cleaned with Goo Gone)!

---

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Cork pads are what I use. I may try to make my own special compound for fun.