What ever happend to brake blocks with leather inserts?

[therams]

I remember, 20 years ago no "cool" road bike had all rubber brake pads.

Leather inserts were "cool", they gave great stopping power in the wet?

So what happened?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Aluminium rims happened...

 

[therams]

Thanks, you learn something every day!

Steel + Leather == Good
Alu + Leather == Bad

Whats the chemistry / physics behind that?

 

[TheDoctor]

Well,more like wet steel + leather = some hope of stopping before Basingstoke.
If you started braking in Weston-Super-Mare.