How long should my brake blocks last?

[Richard A Thackeray]

Rears wear quicker, maybe 50% faster
Then again, it's used in all weathers

Unless your not using your fronts much, you will find fronts wear out far quicker than the rear. The front brake has the most braking effect and consequently increased wear. Whenever I change my pads, I always move rear to front and put the new ones on the back to try an enhance the rears braking effect. But some riders do avoid using the front to prevent the wheel grabbing and locking up especcially MB riders on poor surfaces and therefore they will wear the rears out quicker.

My bikes must be different to yours too, as the front gets used as much as the rear regardless of the weather

Perhaps I could have phrased it better, the one in question is my 'commuter/trainer/general purpose' bike

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Chnaged to Salmons on the front 31/10/13 mileage 10,472, at some point I don't have record of it I changed to Clarks trip-compound (didn't really like them) both sets covered 7,659 miles. Changed the rear at 11,006 to Clarks trip-compound, and got 7,125 miles, just put salmons on front and rear, far better stopping power.

 

[slowmotion]

I bought a bike 15 months ago that has dual pivot Miche brakes with integrated shoe and pad. The stopping power was quite awesome compared to the Tektro/ Salmons on the previous bike. The Miche pads lasted a mere three months, about 1200 miles of mainly London commuting in the winter. I was really quite surprised how quickly they wore out. I replaced them with Clarks pads/shoes which have lasted three times as long but are not quite so awesome. I think it very much depends on the pads, as well as road conditions, riding style etc.

 

[totallyfixed]

Wow, people actually measure the exact mileage they get out of a set of brake blocks, not accountants by any chance .

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Wow, people actually measure the exact mileage they get out of a set of brake blocks, not accountants by any chance .

Not here, but a bit of a stats freak, though to be honest its not something I closely keep an eye on, just enter in my database, cost, date and mileage. Then if someone ask such a question I have an idea, like wheels I get through a pair (certainly RS10's and 11's) in about a year or 6-7,000 miles, dammed site more expensive that brake blocks.

 

[totallyfixed]

Not here, but a bit of a stats freak, though to be honest its not something I closely keep an eye on, just enter in my database, cost, date and mileage. Then if someone ask such a question I have an idea, like wheels I get through a pair (certainly RS10's and 11's) in about a year or 6-7,000 miles, dammed site more expensive that brake blocks.

If I kept a database I would scare myself on the amount we spend on our bikes in a year. How on earth do you manage to get through wheels so quickly? I would be very disappointed not to get at least 30,000 miles from any of my wheels and I have never had a broken spoke.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Wow, people actually measure the exact mileage they get out of a set of brake blocks, not accountants by any chance .

no, strava does it for me. I simply put in the date I change them each time and it calculates it for me!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

If I kept a database I would scare myself on the amount we spend on our bikes in a year. How on earth do you manage to get through wheels so quickly? I would be very disappointed not to get at least 30,000 miles from any of my wheels and I have never had a broken spoke.

Both the RS10 and 11's have fractured around the nipple holes, at around that mileage, and both after winter, poor alloy or poor roads, or maybe just bad riding/maintenance, but I find it odd both at about the same distance and time of year.

 

[totallyfixed]

no, strava does it for me. I simply put in the date I change them each time and it calculates it for me!

We are old school I suppose, have absolutely no interest in Strava.

Both the RS10 and 11's have fractured around the nipple holes, at around that mileage, and both after winter, poor alloy or poor roads, or maybe just bad riding/maintenance, but I find it odd both at about the same distance and time of year.

I would say something is not right there and if purchased from a lbs I would be taking them back, more difficult with the internet but still they should be queried.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

We are old school I suppose, have absolutely no interest in Strava.

my only interest is against myself, nothing more. It just allows me to record my distances and see how I did against myself on various segments I am interested in, nothing more. how many QOM's I have or don't have is totally immaterial to me. I don't and can't compete against others simply because of my medical conditions!

 

[Rob3rt]

Unless your not using your fronts much, you will find fronts wear out far quicker than the rear. The front brake has the most braking effect and consequently increased wear.

The fact that the front brake is generally more effective means you don't have to engage that brake for as long as you do the rear, for the same reduction in speed. As such, you would tend to drag the rear brake for longer, which can indeed lead to accelerated wear, especially in bad conditions where braking solely using the front can be dangerous.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

We are old school I suppose, have absolutely no interest in Strava.


I would say something is not right there and if purchased from a lbs I would be taking them back, more difficult with the internet but still they should be queried.

The RS10's were replaced with the RS11's they are still under warranty, planet-x is pretty local to me, just need to arrange a lift with the O.H. however this winter as I had already put a ding in the rim shortly after getting them last March, I haven't looked after them so well, and aperiod when it was quite mucky I hadn't noticed one of the rear blocks not quite seated correctly on the rim, you guess whats happened, so not fully sure how much is still under warranty, last year they didn't even look at the wheels I returned, well not before I received the new ones and drove a way.

 

[Fields Electric]

2000 miles ish consistently on a Brompton. I use soft BXP or other compound specially for Aluminium rims. The brake blocks are easy to change. The rims are not!

 

[Fields Electric]

My rears wear quicker as well as the rim. My theory is that the chain throws oil on the rim which then causes the dirt / aluminium oxide to stick to the rim. That creates a grinding paste.

 

[Ming the Merciless]