swiss stop blue pads

[JimK]

Here is something wild and crazy. I was stopped at a red light. I noticed that my rear brake had stopped working. What? It was working like ten seconds before!?! The brake pad must have fallen out right then. I look down: there it is, on the ground. The little pin is missing, but whatever.

So I think somehow at a stop light I tend to hold the brakes on and rock the bike and that seems to push the pad out. I have not got those little pins in properly, I suppose, so that's why I am seeing the failure now while I didn't with the original pads - those SJS bike builders know what they're doing!

[John Saxby]

Jeez, Jim, at our age, people think they're giving us compliments by saying, "Rock on," but I think maybe you shd ease up there, at least at red lights...

Make sure those wee pins are seated, eh?

Cheers,  John

[JimK]

yeah I need to find a replacement pin... or maybe just improvise - do they sell those pins separately?

[Danneaux]

Make sure those wee pins are seated, eh?

...And from above, not below! 

If inserted from below (yes, it is possible), they can eventually fall out (also possible).

Jim, the good news is most of these little pins are replaceable. Many bike shops are foresighted enough to save the ones they pull out and will have them in their spares boxes because they can easily be lost on the shop floor and it is far quicker to insert a replacement than find the lost one.

All the best,

Dan.

[PRP]

hello, regarding CSS rims ..... is there any rim damage/contamination problem in using a "standard " brake pad insert [ie not a blue SwissStop]?  .what about "standard pad" wet and dry braking performance ? .i am guessing that "standard"  pad compound will be softer and wear faster.   thanks for any replies. PRP

[mickeg]

hello, regarding CSS rims ..... is there any rim damage/contamination problem in using a "standard " brake pad insert [ie not a blue SwissStop]?  .what about "standard pad" wet and dry braking performance ? .i am guessing that "standard"  pad compound will be softer and wear faster.   thanks for any replies. PRP

When I first got my CSS rims, I was curious so I tried some regular pads and within a couple miles there was a bit of residue built up on the rim.  Switched to the Koolstop CSS pads that I bought to use on those rims immediately after that.  Have since been using the Koolstop CSS pads.

I have one more pair of Koolstop CSS pads (enough for one wheel), after that I plan to try regular pads.  I have two wheels with CSS rims, at my current rate of pad wear I will probably try regular pads in three or four years on one wheel.  Since my rims are smoothed down somewhat now compared to when new, maybe regular pads will work?

Koolstop makes Carbide pads that are different from Koolstop CSS pads.  I previously asked if Koolstop Carbide pads would work on CSS rims, Dave from the shop responded this way. 
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=11275.msg84563#msg84563