Last wek I call Hed, answering if I need cork brake pads for carbon rims to prevent premature wear of carbon brake surface. They ansered, I can use standard brake pads on carbon rims!.
Do you agree with this statement, the cork brake pads are used to better braking power or/and for conservation of carbon rim braking surface?
Regards
I recommend the Swiss Stop RX yellow pads for carbon wheels. They are not cork.
I used ZIPP pads for carbon rims for awhile, but now I switched to Swiss Stop for carbon (the yellow ones) and I like them better.
Thank you.
The carbon specific pads are typically not for the protection of the rim, they are for the protection of the pads. The heat buildup on a carbon rim can soften some regular pads which can rapidly accelerate their wear and in a worst case scenario can lead to extremely poor performance. Either you get overly sensitive braking if the pad gets sticky, or no braking if the pad melts entirely and won’t grip at all.
Even if you find a pad that performs well in both situations you may want to change pads back and forth when you change wheels. Sometimes the pads will pick up little flecks of aluminum as they are used on your alloy wheels, and it is those flecks that can scratch the carbon surface.
I have had good luck with the Bontrager cork pads, but I have not used any others since the Bontragers came with the wheels.
Last wek I call Hed, answering if I need cork brake pads for carbon rims to prevent premature wear of carbon brake surface. They ansered, I can use standard brake pads on carbon rims!.
Do you agree with this statement, the cork brake pads are used to better braking power or/and for conservation of carbon rim braking surface?
Regards
A carbon brake surface is harder and tougher than aluminum. The issue you will run into with running standard pads are that the PADS will wear quicker. Run your standard pads, and after you burn them up, figure what pads you want to run afterwards. I just use standard pads, and never had any issues. They work great on carbon rain/shine, and will last the better part of a season or more, but I’m a flatlander and don’t use brakes very often.
Run carbon pads and forget about it.