Brake Pads wearing too quickly
Discussion
I recently purchased a Giant XTC 1 29er with Avid Elixir Brakes - the first set of pads were done in 4 rides (about 60 miles), they may have been done before that as the brakes were not great at the start of the 4th ride, today with a new set of Superstar Kevlar pads in place and bigger rotors with bigger voids (in the hope to clear more mud), I was through to the metal after 11 miles.
Is there a problem, am I using the wrong compound or is it just the Muddy conditions? I've never been through pads so quick in 5 years of riding and through similar conditions.
Have been riding Cross Country at Thetford Forest if that helps.
Is there a problem, am I using the wrong compound or is it just the Muddy conditions? I've never been through pads so quick in 5 years of riding and through similar conditions.
Have been riding Cross Country at Thetford Forest if that helps.
Superstar pads aren't great that's for sure but it sounds like you've got organics in there as 60 miles is horrendously short lived.
Get some genuine avid sintered pads and bed them in on the road by heat cycling them - if you stick fresh pads on, organic especially, and then head out onto wet and gritty trails you'll find that they just disentegrate because of this lack of heat cycling. If it's wet and you ride in gritty conditions, and drag your brakes a lot at low speed, then the heat doesn't burn off the water and instead creates a grinding paste that just eats the pad down to the metal very quickly. I've killed Formula organics in a matter of a few runs on the big bike when you're not riding at high speed but are using the brakes; the North Shore was especially bad for this I found last summer.
Actually, having just re-read it and noticed that you're using Kevlar pads that'll explain the 10 mile lifespan if they're Superstar and not heat cycled. Kevlar pads are even worse than Organic for use in the wet. I'd also say that the larger rotors won't be helping if it's down to the abrasive paste that's causing them to lack lifespan as they'll be more difficult to get up to temperature. Modern brake systems are good enough to use small rotors in this country; some of the guys I ride with were still using 160mm rotors in the alps in the summer and only swapped to 180mm because of problems with heat build up.
Swap back to the smaller rotors, fit some Avid genuine sintered (gold backed) pads and get some heat into them before venturing off road in the mud. And also, try not to drag your brakes as it really doesn't help things (I'm not suggesting you are, but it's likely!).
Get some genuine avid sintered pads and bed them in on the road by heat cycling them - if you stick fresh pads on, organic especially, and then head out onto wet and gritty trails you'll find that they just disentegrate because of this lack of heat cycling. If it's wet and you ride in gritty conditions, and drag your brakes a lot at low speed, then the heat doesn't burn off the water and instead creates a grinding paste that just eats the pad down to the metal very quickly. I've killed Formula organics in a matter of a few runs on the big bike when you're not riding at high speed but are using the brakes; the North Shore was especially bad for this I found last summer.
Actually, having just re-read it and noticed that you're using Kevlar pads that'll explain the 10 mile lifespan if they're Superstar and not heat cycled. Kevlar pads are even worse than Organic for use in the wet. I'd also say that the larger rotors won't be helping if it's down to the abrasive paste that's causing them to lack lifespan as they'll be more difficult to get up to temperature. Modern brake systems are good enough to use small rotors in this country; some of the guys I ride with were still using 160mm rotors in the alps in the summer and only swapped to 180mm because of problems with heat build up.
Swap back to the smaller rotors, fit some Avid genuine sintered (gold backed) pads and get some heat into them before venturing off road in the mud. And also, try not to drag your brakes as it really doesn't help things (I'm not suggesting you are, but it's likely!).
Edited by Ennoch on Saturday 27th October 19:41
Mr E said:
Bugger. I usually run sintered, but bought some sstar Kevlar jobs to see what they're like....
I wouldn't stress about it per-se, especially if you're getting temperature into the system, but they're not the best for the winter in my experience. I tend to run sintered's all year round, even out in Europe. I prefer the feel and as, more often than not, the pads'll get used in all conditions it makes sense to have the best all round compromise. I've actually found that Fibrax's 'Plus' pads are good for winter riding up here as they work well even when it's -15c and cope well with the wet (I got a load of them to test recently). They're not a true sintered pad but they seem to fall somewhere in between the best organics and a mid range sintered. Other than that I'd generally just stick with OEM stuff, the pads are usually the best out there for performance and longevity in my experience. Cheap pads can be good, but their operational comfort zone tends to be smaller and longevity is less.
Ennoch said:
Superstar pads aren't great that's for sure but it sounds like you've got organics in there as 60 miles is horrendously short lived.
Get some genuine avid sintered pads and bed them in on the road by heat cycling them - if you stick fresh pads on, organic especially, and then head out onto wet and gritty trails you'll find that they just disentegrate because of this lack of heat cycling. If it's wet and you ride in gritty conditions, and drag your brakes a lot at low speed, then the heat doesn't burn off the water and instead creates a grinding paste that just eats the pad down to the metal very quickly. I've killed Formula organics in a matter of a few runs on the big bike when you're not riding at high speed but are using the brakes; the North Shore was especially bad for this I found last summer.
Actually, having just re-read it and noticed that you're using Kevlar pads that'll explain the 10 mile lifespan if they're Superstar and not heat cycled. Kevlar pads are even worse than Organic for use in the wet. I'd also say that the larger rotors won't be helping if it's down to the abrasive paste that's causing them to lack lifespan as they'll be more difficult to get up to temperature. Modern brake systems are good enough to use small rotors in this country; some of the guys I ride with were still using 160mm rotors in the alps in the summer and only swapped to 180mm because of problems with heat build up.
Swap back to the smaller rotors, fit some Avid genuine sintered (gold backed) pads and get some heat into them before venturing off road in the mud. And also, try not to drag your brakes as it really doesn't help things (I'm not suggesting you are, but it's likely!).
Thanks, thats very useful information - are the Kevlar pads worth keeping for the Summer / Dryer conditions or should I take Superstar up on their 45 day money back guarantee?Get some genuine avid sintered pads and bed them in on the road by heat cycling them - if you stick fresh pads on, organic especially, and then head out onto wet and gritty trails you'll find that they just disentegrate because of this lack of heat cycling. If it's wet and you ride in gritty conditions, and drag your brakes a lot at low speed, then the heat doesn't burn off the water and instead creates a grinding paste that just eats the pad down to the metal very quickly. I've killed Formula organics in a matter of a few runs on the big bike when you're not riding at high speed but are using the brakes; the North Shore was especially bad for this I found last summer.
Actually, having just re-read it and noticed that you're using Kevlar pads that'll explain the 10 mile lifespan if they're Superstar and not heat cycled. Kevlar pads are even worse than Organic for use in the wet. I'd also say that the larger rotors won't be helping if it's down to the abrasive paste that's causing them to lack lifespan as they'll be more difficult to get up to temperature. Modern brake systems are good enough to use small rotors in this country; some of the guys I ride with were still using 160mm rotors in the alps in the summer and only swapped to 180mm because of problems with heat build up.
Swap back to the smaller rotors, fit some Avid genuine sintered (gold backed) pads and get some heat into them before venturing off road in the mud. And also, try not to drag your brakes as it really doesn't help things (I'm not suggesting you are, but it's likely!).
Edited by Ennoch on Saturday 27th October 19:41
Now off to buy more brake pads....
Just keep them, they're not bad pads, just not ideally suited to the conditions at this time of the year! I'd rate Avid's sintered pads as the best for this time of the year, especially for XC when you get a lot of dragging through the slop. Have a hunt though because I'm fairly sure that CRC aren't the cheapest for them, perhaps Merlin?
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