Do All Brake Blocks/Pads Wear Out So Fast These Days?

[woodbine]

When I bought my second hand British Eagle MTB in early 90s, it was only 2 or 3 years old and still had the original Shimano smooth-post cantilever brake blocks fitted. I used the bike for several years, commuting daily and occasional pleasure trips - road only. Due to a new job, the bike then languished in the garage for some years before being re-commissioned in 2013.

I carried on using the bike with the original brakes in, but by 2016, the rubber on the blocks was getting a little perished although they still had a little life left in them. So I changed them for new Clarks smooth post CP514 of the same dimension.

The clarks were noisy from day one - not a squeal that you can correct by toeing in the blocks, but a loud rubbing noise that nothing stopped. The main problem was, they wore out in a few months. So this year I thought I would go back to new Shimanos, as the the originals had given excellent service over a number of years. I bought these -

https://www.bikester.co.uk/shimano-br-ct91-v-brake-pad-for-cantilever-brake-357636.html

I fitted these earlier this year, and they're wearing away at a rapid rate too. I only use the bike 2 or 3 times a week for shortish trips. They'll be needing replacement by December.

Why do modern brakes wear so quickly? Are all brakes made of the same soft rubber now? Which brake brand will last longer so that I'm not swapping them every few months? Jagwires?

Thanks for any thoughts or advice.

 

[vickster]

I’ve done nearly 5.5k miles on one pair on my genesis. They came with the Shimano brakes. Suburban riding, plenty of braking. Mostly dry weather but not exclusively

 

[Racing roadkill]

They don’t make them like they used to.

 

[Heigue'r]

I was getting a month/1000-1200* miles a month out of pads before they needed replacing,commuting in London.Now I have a different route in essex and am getting alot more out of them,only changed today as put a new set of wheels in.I did get sick of the fast rate of wear so got some cheaper harder pads,I think this contributed to a rim blow out

*unless they were koolstop salmon,then roughly half that..2weeks/600 miles.

 

[Drago]

Or is it that the braking surface is now no longer as microscopically smooth as it once was and it starting to abrade pads at a faster rate than when new?

 

[Tenacious Sloth]

You need to break the new pads in by “leaving them to languish in the garage for some years” before fitting.

 

[Globalti]

Or is it that the braking surface is now no longer as microscopically smooth as it once was and it starting to abrade pads at a faster rate than when new?

This. A worn rim is more abrasive than a new rim.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I was getting a month/1000-1200* miles a month out of pads before they needed replacing,commuting in London.Now I have a different route in essex and am getting alot more out of them,only changed today as put a new set of wheels in.I did get sick of the fast rate of wear so got some cheaper harder pads,I think this contributed to a rim blow out

*unless they were koolstop salmon,then roughly half that..2weeks/600 miles.

Are you saying that you get less mileage out of Koolstop salmon pads than other pads?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Or is it that the braking surface is now no longer as microscopically smooth as it once was and it starting to abrade pads at a faster rate than when new?

Modern machined rims are rough. Older and cheaper rims without sidewall machining are smooth. These need to be broken in before then perform optimally. Breaking in roughens the surface rather than smooths.

The effect on the brake pad is the same though. With a smooth rim, the stopping distance is longer and pads are in contact with the rim for longer periods and heat up more.

 

[Heigue'r]

Are you saying that you get less mileage out of Koolstop salmon pads than other pads?

Yes,that is the way it seems allthough to be fair,the koolstop were put on in the height of winter so had alot more grit/sand to deal with.I haven't tried them in dry conditions.They are marketed as a softer wet weather compound so I guess they do what they say

 

[Vantage]

I do notice that modern pads wear faster than those of the 90's but I'd rather the pads wear out than the rims. Better braking from softer pads too in most cases.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Yes,that is the way it seems allthough to be fair,the koolstop were put on in the height of winter so had alot more grit/sand to deal with.I haven't tried them in dry conditions.They are marketed as a softer wet weather compound so I guess they do what they say

OK, I understand. My experience is that the salmons outlast anything by a factor of two or three. I previously posted some pictures of an experiment here where I had a standard Shimano pad on the left and a Koolstop on the right (of the same brake caliper). The difference in wear was remarkable.

But do note, that softness or hardness has to bearing on pad performance or durability. It is things they put in with the rubber that makes the difference. Koolstop had a patent once (now expired I would think), for putting iron oxide in the salmon pads. Shimano very recently improved its compound a lot. New Shimano pads don't seem to chew up rims anymore.

 

[Low Gear Guy]

In days of old there was little wear to either rubber brake pads or steel rims. There was limited stopping ability as well.

 

[Drago]

Breaking in roughens the surface rather than smooths.

Thank you for taking the time to agree with me.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

In days of old there was little wear to either rubber brake pads or steel rims. There was limited stopping ability as well.

Yes I remember.