How to choose your road bike brake pads?
There are two types of brake pads for road bikes: the standard system (where the pad and the pad holder form a single piece) or the cartridge type.
The standards
- The type of brake pads: standard or cartridge
- Compound mounting standards: SHIMANO / SRAM or CAMPAGNOLO
- The type of compound
Standard brake pads
They are increasingly rare in competitive cycling today, but remain the least expensive. However, you will not have much choice when it comes to the quality of the compound.
Cartridge brake pads
They are now the reference system. The advantage is that only the compound part (the cartridge) needs to be replaced when worn, meaning you no longer need to redo your adjustment each time you replace it, as the holder remains in place on the brake.
For this type of brake pad, there are predominantly only two compound mounting standards.
The one imposed by SHIMANO (adopted by most manufacturers, including SRAM) or that of CAMPAGNOLO. Make sure to identify the type you need before choosing your replacement cartridges.
Regarding the choice of cartridge
You will generally find either "standard" compounds that are versatile but designed primarily for dry conditions, or versions designed for wet conditions to maintain maximum performance in the rain.
Finally, note that depending on the material of your rims, different cartridges will need to be used. The "standard" ones are for aluminium rims, but you will also find some specifically designed for carbon, ceramic or other more specific braking surfaces such as Mavic's Exalith, for example. Please note, make sure not to use "standard" compounds on these particular rims, as you risk damaging the pad more quickly, or more seriously, the rim itself.
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