Brake Blocks

Many people have recommended Koolstop brake blocks and these are what I
am looking at, but what is the difference between the Black Mountain
Pad, The dual Mountain pad and the Salmon Mountain pad? Is it just a
different colour or do they do different things? The blocks will be used
in Avid Shorty 6 calipers on a Galaxy.

David Waters wrote:

Many people have recommended Koolstop brake blocks and these are what I
am looking at, but what is the difference between the Black Mountain
Pad, The dual Mountain pad and the Salmon Mountain pad? Is it just a
different colour or do they do different things? The blocks will be used
in Avid Shorty 6 calipers on a Galaxy.

Salmon are generally acknowledged to be the best.

in message , David Waters
') wrotnoticeablyyy people have
recommended Koolstop brake blocks and these are what
I am looking at, but what is the difference between the Black Mountain
Pad, The dual Mountain pad and the Salmon Mountain pad? Is it just a
different colour or do they do different things?

They allegedly do different things and there is a sort of mystical
reverence with which people seek out the 'true' salmon pads with are
apparently the dogs ********.

The reason for the dual pads is that the salmon pad allegedly squeals a
lot and the dual compound pad gives you the better braking of the
salmon pad with the lower noise of the black. The black pad is said to
be not as good.

Note all the allegedlies. I have salmon ones on my Mantra and they work
fine without squealing noticeably; they aren't as good in the wet as
the Hayes disks on my Jekyll but there isn't a lot in it. Also I don't
know whether mine are the 'true' salmon pads or the other salmon pads
which aren't mystically wonderful, but there you go.

I find it hard to be religious about brake pads.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

For office use only. Please do not write or type below this line.

David Waters wrote:
Many people have recommended Koolstop brake blocks and these are what
I am looking at, but what is the difference between the Black Mountain
Pad, The dual Mountain pad and the Salmon Mountain pad? Is it just a
different colour or do they do different things? The blocks will be
used in Avid Shorty 6 calipers on a Galaxy.

Not just different colours, the compounds are actually different. Compared
to the black (and other brands), the salmon contains iron oxide and stops a
little better (in all conditions) and is slightly less messy in the wet; can
be noisier, though. Dual is half salmon, half black.

~PB

On Tue, 08 Jun 2004 18:05:03 GMT, Simon Brooke
wrote in message :

They allegedly do different things and there is a sort of mystical
reverence with which people seek out the 'true' salmon pads with are
apparently the dogs ********.

In the wet, for sure. The dual compounds are fine for most uses
thobut.

The reason for the dual pads is that the salmon pad allegedly squeals a
lot and the dual compound pad gives you the better braking of the
salmon pad with the lower noise of the black. The black pad is said to
be not as good.

The black pad is not as good in the wet, and the squealing of the
samon is a reality :-)

Dual compound, says I, perfectly acceptable, stops better than Aztec
in the wet and doesn't munch rims like $himano pads do.

I find it hard to be religious about brake pads.

Indeed.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

Similar note, I have been setting up a pair of the Black compound ones I
bought a while back, on the front of some XT brakes. squealing has
always been a problem up front on this bike and I cant seem tos top it.
The rims are looking pretty pitted and worn, but I have just cleaned the
rims with white spirit and the squeaking is there. The blocks are very
heavily toed in and as perfectly aligned as is allowed by the slightly
out of true wheel. Others elsewhere suggest a booster might reduce the
squeaking, others have suggested it is time for a new front wheel. Any
thoughts?

"David Waters" wrote in message
...
Many people have recommended Koolstop brake blocks and these are what I
am looking at, but what is the difference between the Black Mountain
Pad, The dual Mountain pad and the Salmon Mountain pad? Is it just a
different colour or do they do different things? The blocks will be used
in Avid Shorty 6 calipers on a Galaxy.

My commuter currently has Koolstop dual compound blocks (on V brakes). They
do the job very well on a bike that was out every work and school day
throughout winter pulling c. 50kgs. of trailer and kids. I go through quite
a few pads on this bike (rear brakes get used a lot too) but these seem to
stop as well as any in the dry, better than any in the wet and last a bit
longer than previous ones (Clarkes red, Aztec and BBB all tried out). I
haven't had any squeals from them yet.
My tourer has the Koolstop black pads on cantis. No complaints but they'll
be replaced with dual compound when they go.
I have never used the salmon pads.

tony R.

in message , David Waters
') wrote:

Similar note, I have been setting up a pair of the Black compound ones
I bought a while back, on the front of some XT brakes. squealing has
always been a problem up front on this bike and I cant seem tos top
it. The rims are looking pretty pitted and worn, but I have just
cleaned the rims with white spirit and the squeaking is there. The
blocks are very heavily toed in and as perfectly aligned as is allowed
by the slightly out of true wheel. Others elsewhere suggest a booster
might reduce the squeaking, others have suggested it is time for a new
front wheel. Any thoughts?

Try trueing it, before you scrap it. Or even replace the rim. There's no
reason to scrap the whole wheel.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Morning had broken, and there was nothing left for us to do
but pick up the pieces.

Simon Brooke wrote:

I find it hard to be religious about brake pads.

Me too, much more interested in devices to help me go faster rather than
slower.

Simon Brooke wrote:

in message , David Waters
') wrote:


Similar note, I have been setting up a pair of the Black compound ones
I bought a while back, on the front of some XT brakes. squealing has
always been a problem up front on this bike and I cant seem tos top
it. The rims are looking pretty pitted and worn, but I have just
cleaned the rims with white spirit and the squeaking is there. The
blocks are very heavily toed in and as perfectly aligned as is allowed
by the slightly out of true wheel. Others elsewhere suggest a booster
might reduce the squeaking, others have suggested it is time for a new
front wheel. Any thoughts?


Try trueing it, before you scrap it. Or even replace the rim. There's no
reason to scrap the whole wheel.


Trouble is I have a brand new LX front hub sitting on my desk crying out
for a wheel to be built round it. Wheel currently has a low end shimano
hub. All I need is a half decent rim and Im away and hopefully in silence!