Replace brake pads

[daithi_dearg]

Hello,

I have a white cube peloton bike well over 10 years old and have always just been lazy and dropped it into the bike shop for bike pads every year or 2.

Looks like I have Shimano Sora brakes and looking for advice on what I need to order and where. Wiggle? I'm based in Ireland by the way.

Appreciate the help. Feel like a weirdo that I never replaced these myself

 

[Ajax Bay]

Procure the Kool-Stop Dura2 salmon brake blocks, especially for the dry parts of Ireland.
I recently rode my son's bike and was appalled how poor his black coloured ?half-ords ones were compared to my pink ones.

 

[daithi_dearg]

Thanks for the info although seem quite expensive. I'll have a think but thanks for the info.

Are there dry parts of Ireland ;-)

 

[si_c]

Yep, those are my go to for Rim Brake pads, they work really well in most conditions and are much cheaper than some other options.

The black brake pads tend to go really hard after a period of time and stop braking anywhere nearly as well but the Salmons seem to last much longer.

Just replaced the ones on my Trek, they've done a good few thousand miles.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Wiggle is more unfortunately.

Replacing just the pads is easy enough. Wheel out. Undo the barrel adjuster to put as much slack into the cable as poss (pads move away from wheel). Remove the little grub screw thing that secures the pad, slide the old one out, new one in. Grub screw back in. wheel back in. Tighten the barrel adjuster if you feel it needs it.

Take the opportunity to give everything a good clean while doing this.

If you go the whole hog and replace the holders as well as the pads, be super careful to do them the right way round. They are marked Left and Right. Getting this wrong is potentially very dangerous. Get it wrong and applying the brakes could result in the pad being ejected from the holder.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Thanks for the info although seem quite expensive. I'll have a think but thanks for the info.
Are there dry parts of Ireland ;-)

Yes, but they will offer you greater deceleration which is, after all, what brakes are for. How much do you pay for tyres? These blocks will last roughly the same thousands of miles, at less than a quarter of the price (the pair). My perception is that their modulation is better too.
The braking area on a rim (both sides combined) is about the same as the tyre's contact patch area (spurious 'fact' which some may dispute, in a chatty sort of way).

 

[88robb]

Hello,

I have a white cube peloton bike well over 10 years old and have always just been lazy and dropped it into the bike shop for bike pads every year or 2.

Looks like I have Shimano Sora brakes and looking for advice on what I need to order and where. Wiggle? I'm based in Ireland by the way.

Appreciate the help. Feel like a weirdo that I never replaced these myself

Get Shimano B01S brake pads. Order from Wiggle or Chain Reaction Cycles in Ireland. It's an easy swap you can do yourself.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Get Shimano B01S brake pads. Order from Wiggle or Chain Reaction Cycles in Ireland. It's an easy swap you can do yourself.

Not that easy a "swap": the OP has "Shimano Sora brakes" on a "well over 10 years old" bike. Fitting B01S pads will be difficult and even if achieved, wear out the rims rapidly and provide very poor braking effect. YMMV
https://down-ph.img.susercontent.com/file/54f29d5977914ba29b65c79581dbd5d7

 

[fossyant]

Clarks are good.

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bi...e-blocks-215936.html?stockInventory=undefined

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bi...d---55mm-215944.html?stockInventory=undefined

 

[matticus]

Procure the Kool-Stop Dura2 salmon brake blocks, especially for the dry parts of Ireland.
I recently rode my son's bike and was appalled how poor his black coloured ?half-ords ones were compared to my pink ones.

Brilliant things - my perception is they wear out rims far slower too. This is supported by the much reduced metal debris that appears in the blocks.

Price seems to have (at least) doubled in the last 10 years, but as you say, this is a key safety part, AND may save you money (in rims) long-term.

(I;ve never tried the black ones - they're much cheaper!!!)

 

[Dogtrousers]

When I bought my Spa bike it came with black brake blocks. I don't know what brand (Miche's own?) They chewed virtually all the way through my rims in a single filthy winter of riding. I've gone for expensive Koolstop Salmon ones, and not had rim life problems, ever since.

 

[Bristolian]

My goto pads are Kool Stop D. Ace Red/Black - they work really well in both wet and dry conditions.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003XQK3GO?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

My bike has Sora dual-pivot calliper rim brakes.

​

 

[88robb]

Not that easy a "swap": the OP has "Shimano Sora brakes" on a "well over 10 years old" bike. Fitting B01S pads will be difficult and even if achieved, wear out the rims rapidly and provide very poor braking effect. YMMV

You're right. Swapping those pads is a bad idea. The B01S pads are for a different, older brake system and won't fit your Sora brakes correctly. Even if you forced them, they would ruin your rims and brake terribly.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Clarks are good.

Sorry, Fossy. Clarks are not "good", they're adequate. Night and day.

 

[GarthW]

Brilliant things - my perception is they wear out rims far slower too. This is supported by the much reduced metal debris that appears in the blocks.

Price seems to have (at least) doubled in the last 10 years, but as you say, this is a key safety part, AND may save you money (in rims) long-term.

(I;ve never tried the black ones - they're much cheaper!!!)

Another one here for Kool Stop. When you get a bike with Shimano brakes, just consider it standard practice to replace the Shimano pads with Kool Stop pads. Kool Stop pads give better braking, don't get the metal bits embedded in them, and don't tear up the rims.