carbide rim/brake block question?

[mikey3]

Hi everyone,i need to change my rims/wheels and have been looking at a wheelset with Carbide Super Sonic brake surface(rigida grizzlys),but the only recommended brake blocks for those rims are the blue swissstop pads which sem to only come in v brake options and I have canti brakes!! anyone know for other brake block options that will be compatable with carbide rims and cantis? Havent looked into this to much yet as I haven't bought the wheels,thought I would get some advice from you knowagable guys/gals on this forum.Dont really want to have to change to v brakes because of new wheels(their expensive enough on their own!! .

[mickeg]

I assumed the Swisstop worked with cantilever too.

I am using the KoolStop for CSS with my cantilevers on the rear, V brakes on the front.

I have been wondering if the KoolStop brake pads for ceramic rims work on CSS rims, but nobody has answered that question yet.

[geocycle]

Interesting Q. I think v brake pads are slightly longer than canti pads. They may fit ok assuming you have the holders as well as the rubber, but I wonder if they would deflect more toward the tyre?

[brummie]

This thread on the CTC forum may be of interest ( though slightly off topic ) - One member ( 531colin)  uses KoolStop salmon pads on CSS rims. These are available in various fitting options,

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=91979

[mikey3]

Interesting link brummie cheers,i had a look on the koolstop site and they do indeed come in canti options,and to be honest I've never had v brakes so maybe the swissstop brake blocks will fit with my canti brakes(they are quite I new version if that makes a difference,shimano cx70),and I read after the carbide rims get a bit smoother you can use different pads on them anyway.And like your link shows I,m sure lots of people are using other pads besides the blue swissstops.

[il padrone]

As I understand it, regular brake pads will work with the CSS rims, they'll just get worn down very quickly. Koolstop make a specific pad for carbide rims but I believe it is also only available for V-brakes. I'm not sure whether their ceramic pads (available for cantis) will work with CSS rims.

However even most canti pads are ging to be problematic for those brakes as the have a very different block mount - bolt-on like V-brakes, so the normal canti post-mount block will not work. V-brakes might work as the mount is the same, but you would need to space the block like the existing pads are, and I'm not sure whether the mounting bolt on V-brake blocks will be long enough.

Your brakes:


V--brakes:



I'd suggest going to your bike shop and checking a set of typical V-brake pads for fit on your brakes, that they will properly reach the rim and work. If they do you're right, you can use the Swissstop Blue or Koolstop Carbide.

[mikey3]

Informative post il padrone thanks,canti mounting bolts do look much longer than v brake blocks so it looks unlikely I would get ones that fit,and if they did would the sit right? mmm doubtful.I have been looking on sjs and noticed  you can just buy the brake pads in the  swissstops blues ,so maybe find a canti brake blocks the same size/shape with removable cartridge pads and do a swap,but guess that may be a longshot.
And anyway I haven't bought the wheels yet,just doing my homework to try and get the right pads for the rim,and its always good to try and figure bike stuff out,even if it is only brake pads(being able to stop is always good though ,and I use my bike in all weathers and really don't want the brake pads wearing out weekly if I can help it.

[rualexander]

Can't you just get a set like these and remove the regular pads and slide the Koolstop or Swissstop pads in?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jagwire-Cantilever-Brake-Block-Cartridge/dp/B001GSKN52

[mikey3]

Just what I was looking for rualexander,cheers.

[il padrone]

Can't you just get a set like these and remove the regular pads and slide the Koolstop or Swissstop pads in?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jagwire-Cantilever-Brake-Block-Cartridge/dp/B001GSKN52

Post-mount blocks. They will not fasten to mikey3's new generation of cantilevers that have a bolt-on mount.




Also the Swissstop Blue pads are for V-brake holders. They are a very different shape, not interchangeable with cantilever pad-holders.

[rualexander]

Ah ok, I didn't know there was a new style of cantilever brake using road type blocks.
In that case, I'm not aware of CSS compatible blocks for road style cartridges.

But, regular V brake pads will fit the old style cantilever brakes, I've done it many times before I changed to V brakes.

[Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop]

Kool Stop do carbide blocks to suit all brakes.

V brake - http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/koolstop-koolstop-v-brake-block-inserts-for-rigida-carbide-rims-prod19778/

Canti - http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/koolstop-koolstop-eagle-2-cantilever-blocks-post-mount-for-rigida-carbide-rims-prod19779/

Road Caliper / CX Canti's - http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/koolstop-koolstop-shimano-inserts-r4-dura-for-rigida-ryde-carbide-rims-prod36325/

Magura HS series - http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/koolstop-koolstop-magura-hs33-brake-pads-for-rigida-ryde-carbide-prod35435/

[mikey3]

So it seems like I have haven't bought a very good set of brakes (for choice of brake blocks I mean),seems the shimano cx70 brakes need a very specific block,all a bit crap really,maybe I,m wrong though,they are new brakes and I,ve never needed to change blocks yet.They replaced a ten year old set of avid shortys which would take any type of brake blocks practically,think I,ll go back to those.

[il padrone]

In my experience Shimano are very good at doing new proprietary designs that often have revolutionary advantages.

Sometimes they succeed and are very popular - the new standard eg. Freehub, Hyperglide chains, SPD pedals.

Sometimes they don't do so well and get dropped after a (possibly short) time eg. ax componentry, Positron, Biopace.

If you're lucky you don't get left with a lot of expensive componentry that becomes unuseable due to loss of consumerables support. I managed to keep using my ax pedals and cranks for 30 years before I retired them.

[mickeg]

I was unaware that Shimano had a new design with longer bolts.  I am using Tectro CR720 cantilevers on the back of my Nomad, XT V brakes with travel agents on the front.  I would have cantis on the front too, but the fork design of the Nomad won't allow a cantilever to be used.  I built up that bike a year and a half ago, I honestly do not recall if I am using the Tectro or XT brake block holders or if I am using some other ones.  I am using the same size and shape brake block holders with KoolStop Ridgida CSS blocks on both front and rear brakes. 

I might switch my front wheel to another bike on occasion since that wheel has a dynohub.  Thus I labeled my brake block holders for CSS to remind myself if I switch the wheel I need to also switch brake pads.