Customer Reviews

Kool Stop V Bicycle Brake Pad Inserts (Salmon)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have Avid Shorty 6 brakes on my touring bike with XT brake pads. The XT pads are awful; they don't provide adequate stopping power and are require lots of toe in to remove the squeak when breaking. Even when the brake pads are mounted flat against the rim (no toe in) the stopping power is not good (but the squeak gets louder). I bought these Kool Stop brake pads as a replacement for the XT pads. Because of the curved design, they maintain the proper angle when mounted flat against the rim. That makes adjustments very easy. Best of all, there is NO SQUEAK AND THE STOPPING POWER IS FANTASTIC. If you are bothered by brake squeak or lack of stopping power, get these KOOL STOP pads period.

I used to be a Shimano-only pads kind of guy. But after reading numerous positive reviews about these pads, I decided to give them a try. I am VERY pleased with them and will not be converting back to Shimano anytime soon.
For comparison, I was contemplating dumping my whole XT v-brake setup and converting to Avid Single Digit 7s. The Shimano setup is powerful, but the pads grind and groan, especially when hot. My Specialized has the Avid setup and I really like them. They're quiet and powerful. I almost started to hate to ride my Trek only because of the grinding brakes. A set of $15 Kool Stops saved me a couple hundred in a new brake setup.

I had squeeling rims for too long, and other brake pads wore through too fast. Since trying these out on recommendation, I kept coming back to these. I'm a year round cyclist, even through the gritty salty winters, and these brake pads last the best I have seen yet. They were good enough that I bought 2 pairs the next time. I just ordered these yet again for 6 pairs so that I don't run out or don't pay triple at the shops. These are the best quality AND often found at a low price.

These pads work well, and the braking performance is solid in the rain. They have pretty good wear life too. Worth picking up for your bike

I installed these on my commuter bike this spring, and they are good stuff. One of the first things I did after I installed these pads was nearly launch myself over the handlebars. That was my own stupid fault for waiting too long to replace my old pads, but these things have grip! One of the really nice features of these brake pads (yes, I meant to use "features" and "brake pads" in the same sentence) is the angled tip. When the pads are properly aligned, it allows the rear tip to make light contact with the tire before the rest of the pad to squeegee water or gunk from the braking surface so the rest of the pad can grip. It works really well, but in my experience, it take just a bit of extra work to get the alignment right. If you don't, they will screech a lot, so it is well worth the extra few minutes.

These brake stops do exactly what they are supposed to do ... and I wouldn't use any other kind on my bikes.

Kool Stop V Bicycle Brake Pad Inserts (Salmon) I just got a set of these today at my LBS they was very easy to setup.And now when I pull on the brakes they stop my LHT very well I am very happy with these new brake pads.Before I got these I had to pull real hard on my brakes now a small amount of pull really does the job well.