Brake pads

[Cubist]

Unless you are shredding fast downhills I really, really wouldn't bother with sintered. Organic or resin pads will be fine, and quieter. Order them from Superstar Components and get some free Tangfastics and some stickers.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Made sense to me too, but then I have only worked in the cycle trade for 30 years so what do I know!

To get back to the point if you haven't already taken the plunge......
The tektro Novela is a basic brake and for general 'fun' riding IMO the sintered or semi metallic would be fine.
With respect, the bike is an entry level ATB and recognizing the use its designed for (not serious offroad) I would say try all types and see what you learn in different conditions, its not going to brake the bank.
Find a good independent bike shop and ask them for advice.

Well, it seems that in the 30 years you spent in the cycle trade you never looked into disc brakes. Tenure does not equal training. Your statement I've highlighted in bold is exactly why so many people have a poor experience with disc brakes. You cannot just use sintered pads on any disc and think it "would be fine". Do you understand that the one type of pad is only effective at high temperatures? Do you understand the transfer of material from the one surface to the other? Do you know why one type of disc is magnetic whilst the other is not? It seems not.

Lastly, are you trying to get the bank broken or stop it?

 

[Cyphrex]

So I'm using a Specialized Rockhopper MTB with 26x1.95 Armadillo Hemisphere tires on aluminum wheels to ride street/urban/bike rides and am looking at the swissstop rim brakes that our LBS offers but which type should I get? I don't need fancy but I want them to last as long as possible for maximum training/riding possible and SwissStop site isn't super helpful on descriptions.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

So I'm using a Specialized Rockhopper MTB with 26x1.95 Armadillo Hemisphere tires on aluminum wheels to ride street/urban/bike rides and am looking at the swissstop rim brakes that our LBS offers but which type should I get? I don't need fancy but I want them to last as long as possible for maximum training/riding possible and SwissStop site isn't super helpful on descriptions.

Get Koolstop Salmon. Get them online if need be.

 

[Andy_R]

Rather than sit and read through @Yellow Saddle's usual high handed, condescending lecture, have a look here for some reasoned, articulate, and engaging information.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Rather than sit and read through @Yellow Saddle's usual high handed, condescending lecture, have a look here for some reasoned, articulate, and engaging information.

It is a pity the article fails to differentiate between two types of discs, one which is not compatible with metal pads. It also erroneously attributes the late brake boost of metal pads to the fact that the caliper warms up. It has nothing to do with caliper heat but the coefficient of friction between the two materials increasing as temperature increases.
It also fails to warn against switching between the two types willy-nilly, without the required deglazing in between.
Nevertheless, education is almost always valuable and tenure never a good substitute.

 

[Andy_R]

It is a pity the article fails to differentiate between two types of discs, one which is not compatible with metal pads. It also erroneously attributes the late brake boost of metal pads to the fact that the caliper warms up. It has nothing to do with caliper heat but the coefficient of friction between the two materials increasing as temperature increases.
It also fails to warn against switching between the two types willy-nilly, without the required deglazing in between.
Nevertheless, education is almost always valuable and tenure never a good substitute.

If you look into things a little more you will soon find that all pads are compatible with all discs. Just because it says "Resin only" on the disc doesn't mean sintered pads won't work. Therefore they are "compatible". The reason is that "resin only" discs will wear quickly as they are not hardened to the same degree as non "resin only" discs. Compatability is not an issue, wear rate is. I would have thought that you of all people (who oft tells people to ignore marketing hype) has fallen for this particular piece of marketing strategy

 

[Yellow Saddle]

If you look into things a little more you will soon find that all pads are compatible with all discs. Just because it says "Resin only" on the disc doesn't mean sintered pads won't work. Therefore they are "compatible". The reason is that "resin only" discs will wear quickly as they are not hardened to the same degree as non "resin only" discs. Compatability is not an issue, wear rate is. I would have thought that you of all people (who oft tells people to ignore marketing hype) has fallen for this particular piece of marketing strategy

It is more than marketing strategy. If you think it is a strategy of sorts, spell out what you think the thinking behind that is. I don't spot a conspiracy here. Fact is, these two discs are different beasts. The discs are different because they are made from a different type of stainless and it is more than wear rate. It has to do with how the coefficient of friction changes as the velocity and temperature increases. The one works better at high speed where high heat is attained and the other at low speeds where modulation is not that important. However, both require their specific compatible brake pads for this to work On the high-end discs you can downgrade to resin pads if you want and, obviously use the sintered pads. But if you have discs designed for resin pads only, you can't use metal pads on them. If you swap pads, you get noisy, ineffective brakes. This is because, during the bedding in period (which mechanics never explain to their customers or do upon fitting new pads), material transfers from the pads to the discs. Ideally you want this to happen uniformly. The sintered material doesn't transfer properly to the resin-only disc and coats it in patches. This causes noisy, grabby brakes. Swapping between the two without surface prep causes the same problem. Using sintered pads on resin discs requires more hand pressure and this doesn't improve as the brakes heat up or the bike speeds up. On sintered-sintered systems the friction increases at high speeds.

Suggestions we've seen here to "try them all and see what works for you" are hardly useful. To try them all, you a) have to know what you are doing and b) conduct some tests under controlled conditions and c) understand how to prep the discs between pad swaps so that you get the right effect.

Wear rate is just one of the issues, but not the most important one in my opinion since the type of bike where excessive wear will be produced by the wrong pads is hardly one to see high mileage or high speed. However, those people appreciate smooth, quiet brakes that work well at low speeds.

 

[DEFENDER01]

Made sense to me too, but then I have only worked in the cycle trade for 30 years so what do I know!

To get back to the point if you haven't already taken the plunge......
The tektro Novela is a basic brake and for general 'fun' riding IMO the sintered or semi metallic would be fine.
With respect, the bike is an entry level ATB and recognizing the use its designed for (not serious offroad) I would say try all types and see what you learn in different conditions, its not going to brake the bank.
Find a good independent bike shop and ask them for advice.

Glad i am not the only one it made sense too.
What is it with cycle brakes as opposed to car brakes that make a simple thing into some strange and mystical science.
I have run my own car business for the last 35 years dont get that much trouble with brakes and they need to stop 1 1/2 ton of metal.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Glad i am not the only one it made sense too.
What is it with cycle brakes as opposed to car brakes that make a simple thing into some strange and mystical science.
I have run my own car business for the last 35 years dont get that much trouble with brakes and they need to stop 1 1/2 ton of metal.

What is the difference?
1) Rim brakes (two different surfaces), drum brakes and disc brakes.
2) Two different types of disc brake pads.
3) Stainless steel vs cast iron discs.
4) Two different types of hydraulic fluid.
5) Green brake fade not found on cars
6) 1.5mm discs vs 20mm discs

It isn't a strange or mystical science, science never is either of those two properties. Fly-by-your-pants is strange and mystical.

 

[DEFENDER01]

What is the difference?
1) Rim brakes (two different surfaces), drum brakes and disc brakes.
2) Two different types of disc brake pads.
3) Stainless steel vs cast iron discs.
4) Two different types of hydraulic fluid.
5) Green brake fade not found on cars
6) 1.5mm discs vs 20mm discs

It isn't a strange or mystical science, science never is either of those two properties. Fly-by-your-pants is strange and mystical.

And the end result is two friction pads pressing against a metal rotor unless we get into the F1 braking world.
How many different grades of stainless do they use on cycle discs not many i suspect.
Your last sentence makes no sense to me and to knock everyones comment back as if no one but yourself knows anything other than yourself says a lot.
I have been in the car repair business for 35 years and i will admit i dont know everything in fact i learn something new everyday.
Hopefully you have learnt something today.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

And the end result is two friction pads pressing against a metal rotor unless we get into the F1 braking world.
How many different grades of stainless do they use on cycle discs not many i suspect.
Your last sentence makes no sense to me and to knock everyones comment back as if no one but yourself knows anything other than yourself says a lot.
I have been in the car repair business for 35 years and i will admit i dont know everything in fact i learn something new everyday.
Hopefully you have learnt something today.

They use two different types of stainless, one for each preferred brake pad.
1.5mm vs 20mm - thickness, not diameter. I thought that would be obvious but hey, you learn something new every day.

 

[DEFENDER01]

They use two different types of stainless, one for each preferred brake pad.
1.5mm vs 20mm - thickness, not diameter. I thought that would be obvious but hey, you learn something new every day.

sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.
And just about every reply you have made to me proves you have problems reading posts and bigger problems in your replies.

 

[MichaelW2]

Unless you are shredding fast downhills I really, really wouldn't bother with sintered. Organic or resin pads will be fine, and quieter. Order them from Superstar Components and get some free Tangfastics and some stickers.

I get at least 1 year of all-weather riding from my Superstar pads, no less than Shimano or big brand ones. Given their low price and free sweeties, you would have to be mad to use anything else. They do most patterns and have a helpful guide.
Don't forget to bed in new pads using hot braking.

 

[DEFENDER01]

I get at least 1 year of all-weather riding from my Superstar pads, no less than Shimano or big brand ones. Given their low price and free sweeties, you would have to be mad to use anything else. They do most patterns and have a helpful guide.
Don't forget to bed in new pads using hot braking.

O/K thanks for the info.