Any safe way to conserve brake pads

[ShawnoftheDread]

Not really, other than not using them lightly to slow down gradually. And if you ride on wet trails it will be even worse.

I used about half of a pair of new pads on my last Sunday morning jaunt in the park.

[mstone]

In general, brake hard and quick rather than dragging them slowly.

Rim or disc brakes? If you’ve got machined rims they can have metal shavings that can eat the first set of pads. I also recall going through my first set of disc pads faster than subsequent sets.

[Rootchopper]

Use your breaks only occasionally particularly if your ER and hospitalilzation insurance is good. If you’re really easy on them, brake pads can last a lifetime.

[rcannon100]

Yes

[IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/BrakeDiskVR.JPG[/IMG]

[jabberwocky]

Instead of using your brakes, stop by ramming the nearest stationary object.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Depending on your mileage, once a year doesn’t seem bad. Kool-stop pads are what, $10-$15 a pair? And learn how to replace them yourself and the labor is free. On my (now sold) all-weather commuter, I replaced the pads probably twice a year at least, mostly due to riding in the rain and in traffic. My Cervelo road bike, on the other hand, is two years old with several thousand miles and the pads are barely worn, since it doesn’t get ridden in the rain or generally in places that require a lot of stopping.

Brake compound is also a factor, so some brands/types will wear faster than others.

[hozn]

@lordofthemark 101670 wrote:

Bikenetics replaced may brake pads (ouch!)

If you are concerned about the cost, this is definitely a candidate for doing yourself. Brake pads are really inexpensive (depends on the type of brakes, but probably somewhere in the $5-15 range per wheel) and replacing them only takes a few minutes. Depending on your brake setup this ranges from trivial (replacing pads in shoes on road caliper brakes) to a bit fiddly to get lined up and toed in right (cantis).

Edit: I guess TwoWheelsDC and I were typing basically the same thing …

[Orestes Munn]

I don’t think I get any more than 1500 mi out of a rear set on the commuter. I echo those who say this is an easy job.

Now, I want to know why the hell I can’t get more than half that out of a chain, these days.

[peterw_diy]

Try to keep your pads & rims clean. Normal braking friction is hard enough on pads without adding abrasive materials to the mix.

[dkel]

@peterw_diy 101686 wrote:

Try to keep your pads & rims clean. Normal braking friction is hard enough on pads without adding abrasive materials to the mix.

This is why I went to discs. Riding in the rain either destroys rim brakes, or takes up all your time wiping down the rims after every rain ride, or both.

@Orestes Munn 101681 wrote:

I don’t think I get any more than 1500 mi out of a rear set on the commuter.

You get most of your stopping power from the front brake; some would argue the rear brake is virtually useless (like Sheldon Brown) except for specific bike-handling circumstances. Whe I was commuting with rim brakes, my front pads would burn up much faster than my rear pads, because I almost never used the rear brake.

[Orestes Munn]

@dkel 101690 wrote:

This is why I went to discs. Riding in the rain either destroys rim brakes, or takes up all your time wiping down the rims after every rain ride, or both.

You get most of your stopping power from the front brake; some would argue the rear brake is virtually useless (like Sheldon Brown) except for specific bike-handling circumstances. Whe I was commuting with rim brakes, my front pads would burn up much faster than my rear pads, because I almost never used the rear brake.

Correct about the relative stopping power, but I try to avoid locking my front wheel in hard stops or having it let go on corners. Therefore, I use my less effective rear brake a lot and it sees more wear.

[PotomacCyclist]

The rear brake can help with bike balance issues, i.e., preventing a header over the handlebars. This is more of an issue for lighter bikes, and especially with a time trial/triathlon bike. (I know most people aren’t commuting on time trial bikes.)

My mountain bike is fairly heavy, so there isn’t much risk of flipping over the handlebars. Same thing with CaBi bikes, which might weigh around 50 lbs. But a month after I got my tri bike, I flipped over the handlebars when I clamped down on the front brakes too quickly. (I was lucky that I didn’t get seriously injured that day. I changed a few practices and I’ve never had another accident like that. Of course, I don’t ride the tri bike that often now.)

[Crickey7]

@PotomacCyclist 101696 wrote:

This is more of an issue for lighter bikes, and especially with a time trial/triathlon bike. (I know most people aren’t commuting on time trial bikes.)

Some of us commute on pretty light bikes, and for reasons of taste don’t install any equipment on them that would help prevent the rear from coming up or around in a sudden hard stop. It’s good riding practice to use both brakes so that the right instinct kicks in on a panic stop.

[DismalScientist]

Don’t want brake wear? Get a fixie.:rolleyes:

[dkel]

All y’all need to take a look at this article. I’m no physicist, but all Sheldon’s wisdom seems right on to me, and I’ve had no trouble since adopting these techniques. I only bring it up because it’s contrary to a lot of what I see people saying in this thread. Then again, Sheldon could be totally wrong.

Discuss.

[Author]

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