Rim Brake Pads Questions -Tutorial?

[autolycus]

Please excuse the very basic questions but this is all new to me and i can't find any obvious answers out there to myriad simple queries.

I've been a bit underwhelmed by the performance of my Tektro 1 V-brakes in the wet weather and was wondering if a change of pads might help. The present ones are not badly worn but i've seen koolstop and swissstop recommended on this forum so i thought it might be worth trying a set. However, I'm finding it hard to work out which ones i need and there don't seem to be any 'equivalent' tables. In fact there seems very little at all on the web about the 825s currently intalled.

In contrast to my current pads, all the koolstop ones i've seen look to be non-symetrical about the securing stud. Does this make them unsuitable for my set up?

I've also seen pads without the stud; it appears they fit into backing shoes, with the advantage that future replacements do not require so much adjustment. Should i replace the current pads with this arrangement? These sets seem thin on the ground. I can't find any koolstop of this design - although there are plenty of pads-only available, which seems peculiar. There are a few swissstop pad/shoe sets available, but again i have no way of knowing if they are an appropriate replacement for what i have.

Any guidance appreciated, thanks.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Photo of your current brakes please.

As for the separate pad/shoe concept - I quite like just sliding in new pads and it is a bit cheaper too. But, it is not a deal breaker. If you find your preferred pad available in another configuration only, buy whatever's available.

 

[autolycus]

No strong preferences - whatever will fit and i'm struggling to determine which ones will! Here's the pic (rears are the same):

 

[autolycus]

Does no-one have any help or guidance to offer?

 

[Slick]

Does no-one have any help or guidance to offer?

I'm far from able to offer much in the way of mechanical advice, but in the absence of any real alternative, I took mine to my LBS who advised I fitted the Koolstop system. I bought the assembly for front and rear and a spare set of rubber pads. Nothing too technical, and made a difference to my stopping power, although in the wet I still feel like I could use some more at times. Next bike will have disc brakes I reckon.

 

[S-Express]

Tektro OEM pads are generally not brilliant. Almost anything you buy could potentially be better.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

No strong preferences - whatever will fit and i'm struggling to determine which ones will! Here's the pic (rears are the same):

Those are standard cantilevers using standard cantilever shoes. Nothing special required.

 

[autolycus]

Thanks again for the replies. So explicitly, and for example, which assymmetric koolstop ones would fit? Would the short side point forwards or to the rear? And where would i get a set complete with the backing shoes if i wanted to replace just the pads next time?

 

[simon.r]

Almost any V Brake pads will fit (I say almost as there's bound to be some real oddity that won't, but I can't think of any).

You have a choice of replacing your original pads with something very similar in design, or cartridge type pads, with a metal backing plate. These will have written on them which way they should face. The pads themselves are held in the backing plate by a small split pin or R pin and should be installed so that braking will not try to eject the pads from the holders.

This photo may help:

https://static.bike-components.de/c...5-V-Brake-Brake-Shoes-14062-0-1406647297.jpeg

 

[simon.r]

Also, the late great Sheldon Brown's website is very good at explaining this sort of thing: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/canti-direct.html

 

[simon.r]

Those are standard cantilevers using standard cantilever shoes. Nothing special required.

Strictly speaking, what you have are direct-pull cantilevers (commonly known as 'V' brakes), which are far more common nowadays than traditional cantilever brakes, which look like this:

https://goo.gl/images/zbOQ25

 

[yadder]

Buy that and your problem was in past

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Strictly speaking, what you have are direct-pull cantilevers (commonly known as 'V' brakes), which are far more common nowadays than traditional cantilever brakes, which look like this:

https://goo.gl/images/zbOQ25

Yeah, silly mistake. Of course they are V-brakes.

 

[autolycus]

Thanks to all who responded - i'm a lot clearer now and i have managed to find some pad/holder sets that appear to be suitable. In fact, i bought these swissstops from halfords on special offer. Still quite a lot of dough for two sets, so i hope there's an improvement :-)

 

[Slick]

That's the ones, can't quite remember what I paid but they'll certainly improve your stopping power.