Ultegra brake/rim question
Discussion
Apologies for noob question, but ive only been road biking for about a year.
I had a bike with 105 brakes, and Mavic Aksium rims, and they worked perfectly.
Then I got one with Ultegra brakes and Ultegra wheels just before christmas. They were fine for the first few dry rides until I had a wet ride, and they sounded like sandpaper on metal by the time I got home. On taking the wheel off found lots of metal fragments in the pads
Used a pin to pick them out, cleaned the rim, and they seemed reasonable for the next couple of dry rides. But now every time I ride in the wet, I come home to find shrapnel in the pads.
Just ordered some new Shimano pads (Dura-Ace, compound R55C3 if that makes any difference) and fitted them tonight but yet to test them.
Does it sound like a problem with the wheels, or the pads, or both? It seems like a vicious circle - pads pick up grit, scratch rims, get metal fragment in pads, scratch more metal off rims, etc...
Any ideas?
I had a bike with 105 brakes, and Mavic Aksium rims, and they worked perfectly.
Then I got one with Ultegra brakes and Ultegra wheels just before christmas. They were fine for the first few dry rides until I had a wet ride, and they sounded like sandpaper on metal by the time I got home. On taking the wheel off found lots of metal fragments in the pads
Used a pin to pick them out, cleaned the rim, and they seemed reasonable for the next couple of dry rides. But now every time I ride in the wet, I come home to find shrapnel in the pads.
Just ordered some new Shimano pads (Dura-Ace, compound R55C3 if that makes any difference) and fitted them tonight but yet to test them.
Does it sound like a problem with the wheels, or the pads, or both? It seems like a vicious circle - pads pick up grit, scratch rims, get metal fragment in pads, scratch more metal off rims, etc...
Any ideas?
That's exactly how it works. Try riding a rim braked cyclocross bike off-road in anger, I can, and have, gone through a set of pads in a three hour ride. A pair of rims might do 12 months if you are careful.
Clean the rims and pads after every wet ride is the best way, but be aware that rims do wear out...
Clean the rims and pads after every wet ride is the best way, but be aware that rims do wear out...
This is nothing to do with your brakes or wheels and everything to do with riding in wet conditions.
When you clean your bike after a wet, messy ride, just pop your wheels out and lightly sand the face of the pads with course wet and dry paper. I use a hard backing sheet so as not to round the pad surface edges off. A couple of rubs will remove all the grit from the pads and doesn't remove too much pad material. This process also cleans off hard, heat cycled and oxidised rubber, making your brakes much more effective.
When you clean your bike after a wet, messy ride, just pop your wheels out and lightly sand the face of the pads with course wet and dry paper. I use a hard backing sheet so as not to round the pad surface edges off. A couple of rubs will remove all the grit from the pads and doesn't remove too much pad material. This process also cleans off hard, heat cycled and oxidised rubber, making your brakes much more effective.
Raven Flyer said:
This is nothing to do with your brakes or wheels and everything to do with riding in wet conditions.
When you clean your bike after a wet, messy ride, just pop your wheels out and lightly sand the face of the pads with course wet and dry paper. I use a hard backing sheet so as not to round the pad surface edges off. A couple of rubs will remove all the grit from the pads and doesn't remove too much pad material. This process also cleans off hard, heat cycled and oxidised rubber, making your brakes much more effective.
Awesome - cheers for the adviceWhen you clean your bike after a wet, messy ride, just pop your wheels out and lightly sand the face of the pads with course wet and dry paper. I use a hard backing sheet so as not to round the pad surface edges off. A couple of rubs will remove all the grit from the pads and doesn't remove too much pad material. This process also cleans off hard, heat cycled and oxidised rubber, making your brakes much more effective.
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