Kool Stop Bicycle Brake Pads with X Pad (Dura-Ace/Ultegra)

by Kool Stop

Product Features

• Aluminum pad holders
• Allen head screw attachment
• Includes one pair of salmon replacement pads

Product Description

Aluminum pad holders w/dual compound pads. Allen head screw attachment w/conical washer for toe-in. Includes one pair of salmon replacement pads

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0014BRW6E
• Item model number: KS-RHD
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,165 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)
  • #4 in Sports & Outdoors > Bikes & Accessories > Components & Parts > Brake Parts > Pads

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent product, May 22, 2011

By 

Dennis Eichenlaub "Life time learner" (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kool Stop Bicycle Brake Pads with X Pad (Dura-Ace/Ultegra) (Sports)

I got stuck in the rain and found my brakes didn't work very well at all. A quick visit to Google let me know that the Kool Stop salmon-colored pads would solve the problem. That's when I found these.

Another reviewer mentioned that the more expensive pads had additional adjustments, but they didn't mention what those adjustments are. Always in the past, I had "rubber on a stick" break pads -- a piece of rubber with a piece of all-thread coming out the side. Very cheap. These have a metallic holder and a funny looking washer. It took me some time to figure out that the washer was curved, and fit over a curved part of the holder. This creates a small "ball and socket" joint to allow aligning the brakes to the wheel.

Ideally, there are three axis to align. Looking at the side of the wheel, the pad should be parallel to the wheel. Looking at the wheel from the top, and imagining the tire is not there, the face of the brake pad should be parallel to the surface of the wheel. Finally, the pad should be "toed in" so the front of the pad strikes the wheel before he back of the pad. This prevents the brakes from screeching when brakes are applied.Just about any bike repair book or web site will show a picture of a rubber band tied around the back of the pad to allow the correct amount of toe-in. I've never been successful with all this -- probably because my rubber on a stick pads couldn't really be aligned, except for the first axis. But these holders make it possible to align all three axis.

What's even better -- these pads (both the salmon and the mixed) have a curved surface -- the front of the pad is thicker than the rest. Pad alignment is little more than squeezing the brake handle. It makes installing the pads much simpler, and it's very effective at keeping the brakes quiet.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars So Far Pretty Solid, October 20, 2010

By 

RizzleDizzle (Here, There, and Everywhere) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kool Stop Bicycle Brake Pads with X Pad (Dura-Ace/Ultegra) (Sports)

Put these on the rear of my trek 1.2 road bike. Far better than what was there before. The brakes are more linear in their application and instill more confidence in the rider. The initial break tip in is soft and the stopping power is very progressive with application of the brake lever. M0F0

UPDATE: August-2011

I bought another set of pads for the front of the bike a few months ago. It was just a matter of safety, and I did not want to compromise with anything less. It was a good idea, no regrets.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Pads!, November 4, 2010

By 

H. LEE "ichitz" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kool Stop Bicycle Brake Pads with X Pad (Dura-Ace/Ultegra) (Sports)

Kept hearing about how great Kool Stop pads are but I never got to buying one. I have the "if it's not broken, don't fix it" mentality. My old brake pads wore off and I was in need of a new pair so I thought this'll be the chance to try them out.

Wow! Stopping power improved dramatically. I originally set my caliper brakes to be extremely responsive with very little room between the pads and my rim. After I put these on, I dialed back my lever's responsiveness just because a little contact on these does a lot more in stopping than the older pads I had on my brakes.

Overall, great!