How to choose road bike pads?

How to choose road bike pads?

There are two types of pads for road bikes: the classic system (where the pad and pad-holder are a single piece) or the cartridge.

Standard

  • Skid type: classic or cartridge
  • Standard rubber mountings: SHIMANO / SRAM or CAMPAGNOLO
  • Type of rubber
Classic pads

These are becoming increasingly rare in sports cycling, but are still the least expensive. However, you won't have much choice when it comes to rubber quality.

Cartridge skates

These are now the benchmark system. The advantage is that you only have to change the rubber part (the cartridge) when it's worn, so you don't have to readjust each time you replace it, since the backing remains in place on the brake.

For this type of pad, there are generally only two standards of rubber mounting.

The one imposed by SHIMANO (adopted by most manufacturers, including SRAM) or that of CAMPAGNOLO. So be sure to identify the type you need before choosing your replacement cartridges.

Choosing the right cartridge

You'll generally find either "classic" rubbers that are versatile but designed for dry conditions, or versions designed for wet conditions to maintain maximum performance in the rain.

Finally, you should be aware that, depending on the material of your rimsyou'll need to use different cartridges. The "classics" are for aluminum rims, but you'll also find some specially designed for braking tracks in carbon, ceramic or other more specific surfaces like Mavic's Exalith, for example. Be careful not to use "classic" rubber on these special rims, otherwise you may damage the brake pad or, more seriously, the rim.

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