Koolstop, Salmon

[Fraggle]

As it looks like the rain is gona start I think its time to upgrade my brake blocks. Everyone seems
to rave about "koolstop Salmon" brakes.

I need the whole brake block, not just the pad, but I cannot find any

Maybe someone prefers some other "all weather" brake? I don't mind fairly rapid wear, if they
stop well.

my rims are normal alloy.

thanks

Fragg

 

[Tony W]

"Fraggle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> As it looks like the rain is gona start I think its time to upgrade my brake blocks. Everyone
> seems to rave about "koolstop Salmon" brakes.
>
> I need the whole brake block, not just the pad, but I cannot find any
>
> Maybe someone prefers some other "all weather" brake? I don't mind fairly rapid wear, if they
> stop well.
>
> my rims are normal alloy.

I have a set of Koolstop Black on the rear of my tourer. The back brakes are significantly more
effective at stopping me than the front (I know -- back brakes are only for decoration). The fronts
have a bog standard set of blocks, are properly set up etc,

I am now looking for a source of Koolstop Black (god knows where I got them).

If I don't find some soon there is going to be some changes made to my brakes -- cos I'm having the
Koolstops on the front.

Koolstop Salmons are meant to be significantly better than the Black -- but are not generally
available in the UK.

T

 

[Fraggle]

"Tony W" <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:

> Koolstop Salmons are meant to be significantly better than the Black but are not generally
> available in the UK.

hmm maybe here? http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5300003397

my n00bieness means I cannot work out if these are what I want :/

"Kool Stop Eagle II Pads - Standard Salmon Canti"

sounds about right to me, but what difference are "Threaded" versions?

This is quite literally a picture of my actual front brake! the wonders of the interwebnet.

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hydraao/vwp?.dir=/My+Photos&.dnm=
7.jpg&.view=t

Fragg -

 

[Fraggle]

Fraggle <[email protected]> wrote in news:Xns93E77B95256Fragglerock1 @195.129.110.131:

> This is quite literally a picture of my actual front brake! the wonders of the interwebnet.

well it would be if you cunningly pasted the link back together. Failing that maybe my rear mech.
weird. anyway maybe this works better.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?T15362FB5

Fragg - its getting late

 

[Tony W]

"Fraggle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Tony W" <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:
>
> > Koolstop Salmons are meant to be significantly better than the Black but are not generally
> > available in the UK.
>
> hmm maybe here? http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5300003397
>
> my n00bieness means I cannot work out if these are what I want :/
>
> "Kool Stop Eagle II Pads - Standard Salmon Canti"
>
> sounds about right to me, but what difference are "Threaded" versions?
>
Looks like the dog's b*ll*x.

Threaded -- look at the post out of the back of your existing blocks. Does it have a screw thread or
is it smooth (ish). Match to the pictures on Wiggle. The answer is then obvious.

T

 

[Pete Biggs]

Fraggle wrote:

> Tony W wrote:
>> Koolstop Salmons are meant to be significantly better than the Black but are not generally
>> available in the UK.

Some of the models are.

> hmm maybe here? http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5300003397

Wrong type. You don't have cantilever brakes.

> This is quite literally a picture of my actual front brake! the wonders of the interwebnet.
>
> http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hydraao/vwp?.dir=/My+Photos&.dnm=
> 7.jpg&.view=t

They're dual-pivot calipers. Just about any "normal" brake blocks & shoes for calipers will fit,
including these nice ones: www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5300005947 (Let us know if
any problems fitting)

The salmon pads are pictured there but I'm not sure if these are actually supplied with the shoes
now (I think the ones I got from Wiggle came with Dual Compound: half salmon, half black).

Cartridges for them: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5300005952

~PB

 

[Tony W]

"Pete Biggs" <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Fraggle wrote:
>
> > Tony W wrote:
> >> Koolstop Salmons are meant to be significantly better than the Black but are not generally
> >> available in the UK.
>
> Some of the models are.
>
> > hmm maybe here? http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5300003397
>
> Wrong type. You don't have cantilever brakes.

Yes I do. Fraggle may not have though

: )

 

[Pete Biggs]

Fraggle wrote:
> As it looks like the rain is gona start I think its time to upgrade my brake blocks. Everyone
> seems to rave about "koolstop Salmon" brakes.
>
> I need the whole brake block, not just the pad, but I cannot find any
>
>
> Maybe someone prefers some other "all weather" brake? I don't mind fairly rapid wear, if they
> stop well.

I do use and have praised KoolStop Salmons, but to be perfectly honest, I'm having some doubts now
about their performance in heavy rain. The delay before they do anything seems alarmingly long! (I
stress this is only in heavy rain; seem to be good in light rain and the dry). One reason they're
popular is that they don't wear rapidly - but if you're not bothered about that, I recommend trying
Campagnolo blocks for all-round good stopping power. All basic Campag models should fit your brakes.
Quite expensive though, unfortunatley. www.parker-international.co.uk/components.htm - brake blocks
- Mirage/Avanti: £4.25 each (and that does mean each single block). May find them cheaper elsewhere.

A compromise would be KoolStops at the back (where pads tend to disintegrate more) and a softer
compound on the front.

Sorry if I'm just adding to the confusion. It's just that it's tricky to work out what actually
makes the differences with brakes because there are so many factors (blocks, rim model & condition,
levers, cable setup & adjustment, bike/rider weight & geometry, etc, etc). I've used the exact same
brakes on two different bikes and the performance is totally different.

~PB

 

[Fraggle]

"Pete Biggs" <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in news:bipqlj$boem9$1
@ID-144931.news.uni-berlin.de:

> I do use and have praised KoolStop Salmons, but to be perfectly honest, I'm having some doubts now
> about their performance in heavy rain. The delay before they do anything seems alarmingly long!

Recently I have been fortunate to avoid all rain, which was nice. But I do recall in the past
remembering to apply brakes softly *before* I am going to need them, in order to scrub off the rain
and slippy road rubbish from the rim.

I cannot believe its so hard for me to find brakes to fit :O I was thinking of getting my lBS to see
if my bike would take a 8 or 9 speed

some nice campy groupset (veloce maybe) but if I cannot even locate the correct *brakes* for my bike
maybe fitting a groupset is a bit adventurous

So final Question on brakes

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5300005947

offers campi or dura versions. My current brakes are shimano (something) so I guess I go with the
dura ones, but can anyone guess at the difference, and are they likely to be incompatible?

Fragg - no such thing as a silly question!

 

[Pete Biggs]

Fraggle wrote:

>> I do use and have praised KoolStop Salmons, but to be perfectly honest, I'm having some
>> doubts now about their performance in heavy rain. The delay before they do anything seems
>> alarmingly long!
>
> Recently I have been fortunate to avoid all rain, which was nice. But I do recall in the past
> remembering to apply brakes softly *before* I am going to need them, in order to scrub off the
> rain and slippy road rubbish from the rim.

Indeed that's what everyone should do with all brakes in the rain (and the Koolstops are fine when
that's done in advance enough) - but it's easy to forget sometimes. That feeling when nothing's
happening is stomach churning!

> I cannot believe its so hard for me to find brakes to fit :O

Shoudn't be. There are loads and loads to choose from.

> I was thinking of getting my lBS to see if my bike would take a 8 or 9 speed rear

8 or 9 speed brakes blocks?*

> So final Question on brakes
>
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5300005947
>
> offers campi or dura versions. My current brakes are shimano (something) so I guess I go with the
> dura ones, but can anyone guess at the difference, and are they likely to be incompatible?

Not at all sure, bit I think the bolts on the Campag Kool Stops might be too fat to fit through the
slots. The pads also have a different shape. Might as well play safe with the Dura's (no pun
intended). In fact I use them with my Campag Avanti & Mirage brakes.

* Only joking.

~PB

 

[Andy Dingley]

On 29 Aug 2003 22:06:06 GMT, Fraggle <[email protected]> wrote:

>As it looks like the rain is gona start I think its time to upgrade my brake blocks. Everyone seems
>to rave about "koolstop Salmon" brakes.

Not me. Koolstops are good in the dry, but they suffer in the wet - even the Salmons, although these
are better than the black for rain.

I'd stick with Aztec, which are good generally, survive rain as well as any I've found, and are easy
to get hold of.