Bontrager Gigapower brake shoes --- horrible

[maxo]

Anyone used these? They're the cartridge type, btw. Cost around 13USD for
the set.

My beef with them is that they get glass and stones caught in them so
often that they're usually worthless after a couple miles until I pry the
detritus out. I've never had a set of pads so tenacious in their grip of
road debris.

I'm using them on a set of vintage Shimano 600 calipers with Mavic Ma3s,
but that should be irrelevant.

On the back caliper I've got a set of the generic black block in metal
holder ones--that cost a buck a pair, and honestly, they kick the
Bontrager's butt, except for wet stopping, where they're merely adequate.
They are silent, and never ever have picked up any debris.

Worst pads I've ever used, bar none. Should I mail them back to Bontrager
with a note of complaint? Thirteen bucks isn't the kings ransom, but
should be plenty for a set of trouble free brake shoes.

I'm tempted to just get a new set of those Nashbar long reach
calipers--for a tenner more than two new sets of brake shoes, I can take
the chance on totally fresh brakes. Do you all think the braking of the
dual pivot brakes is much superior to that of traditional sidepulls, and
worth the upgrade?

 

[[email protected]]

maxo wrote:
> Anyone used these? They're the cartridge type, btw. Cost around 13USD
for
> the set.
>
> My beef with them is that they get glass and stones caught in them so
> often that they're usually worthless after a couple miles until I pry
the
> detritus out. I've never had a set of pads so tenacious in their grip
of
> road debris.
>
> I'm using them on a set of vintage Shimano 600 calipers with Mavic
Ma3s,
> but that should be irrelevant.
>
> On the back caliper I've got a set of the generic black block in
metal
> holder ones--that cost a buck a pair, and honestly, they kick the
> Bontrager's butt, except for wet stopping, where they're merely
adequate.
> They are silent, and never ever have picked up any debris.
>
> Worst pads I've ever used, bar none. Should I mail them back to
Bontrager
> with a note of complaint? Thirteen bucks isn't the kings ransom, but
> should be plenty for a set of trouble free brake shoes.
>
> I'm tempted to just get a new set of those Nashbar long reach
> calipers--for a tenner more than two new sets of brake shoes, I can
take
> the chance on totally fresh brakes. Do you all think the braking
of the
> dual pivot brakes is much superior to that of traditional sidepulls,
and
> worth the upgrade?

You want better braking? Change your pads to Kool Stop salmon colored
ones:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/brakeshoes.html

Sheldon sells them and there's one for every type of application, nuff
said....

 

[maxo]

On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 10:55:25 -0700, bfd853 wrote:

>
> You want better braking? Change your pads to Kool Stop salmon colored
> ones:
>
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/brakeshoes.html

That doesn't really help or answer my query, whether or not anyone has had
this problem with debris or not. When they're not embedded with ****--they
stop brilliantly in the wet--as good as KS pads.

Yes, the Koolstops are fine, yes I've used them before, no the local LBS
sucks and doesn't stock them, and FWIW el cheapo atb shoes from *mart work
as well as I need them to, but the shape interferes with the brake quick
release and fender.

The local LBS wants $20 for the salmon *refills*, but as I said, they
don't even stock the standalone pads.

Honestly, Nashbar's got those long reach calipers on sale for as much as a
set of pads from the LBS--I might just take my chances...

I'm really curious more to as whether pad compound or design contributes
in some way to the pads attracting grit.

 

[[email protected]]

maxo wrote:
> Honestly, Nashbar's got those long reach calipers on sale for as much
as a
> set of pads from the LBS--I might just take my chances...
>
> I'm really curious more to as whether pad compound or design
contributes
> in some way to the pads attracting grit.
>
Sorry, but since you appear to have experience with Kool Stop salmon
colored pads and know where to get them, you are not "curious" about
the pad compound or design, you really want NEW CALIPERS.

I say, if these Nashbar long reach calipers are the same price as new
pads, get the calipers and be done with it. Just be aware that new
calipers doesn't necessarily mean "improved" braking....

 

[maxo]

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 09:50:00 -0700, bfd853 wrote:

> Sorry, but since you appear to have experience with Kool Stop salmon
> colored pads and know where to get them, you are not "curious" about the
> pad compound or design, you really want NEW CALIPERS.

You haven't made a case for KS pads being glass and grit resistant--I
haven't used them since I moved to an area with a lot of construction and
road debris.

Since the salmon compound is a little more "gooey" than the regular black,
I fear it may also have issues with embedding. It's really not worth
giving the a-holes at the local LBS $20 to find out. I might get those
Continentals from Harris though.

The reason I'm thinking of new calipers is that mine are 600s from
1978--so even a set of generic Tektros (like the Nashbars) will be more
rigid, providing better braking, and come with new pads. I do love the old
calipers, but the adjusting barrels have frozen in their threads and no
amount of penetrating lube will free them.