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Break Pads
Hi everyone,
I did a search on damaged break pads and couldn't find a post so if there is one, please direct me to it otherwise here goes;
I've got a very new 29er, had used it twice off road before we started getting all this rain. I had taken my time to bed in the pads etc and they were working great.
Due to all the rain I have been riding the bike mainly on the road and on the route I take there are some fairly nice steep hills where I can get up to 60-65km/hr, there a two specifically where i have to break quite hard towards the end as there is a tight turn. After the second time I did this the breaks started squaking terrible and I took a look and I think I melted some of the pad onto the rotor . . . . . . anyone know if this is this possible? Is this going to happen if I ride the bike at those speeds or is there a way to avoid it? Perhaps my pads where not a well bed in as I thought!
The pads are now glazed [I think] but I dont want to change them if the general consensus is that if I ride on the road and get up to those kind of speeds it is inevitable that it will happen . . . .
Opinions?
Thanks,
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keep riding it, it will bed in and the noise will stop.
Be careful you don't break your brakes
... or you might end up broken ... and broke, from time spent in hospital following a bad brake
Your bike will probably have resin type pads... If its been raining a lot and the pads have got fairly wet then that can cause them to wear faster.
Get some metallic pads for the wet weather and you'll be right, they're noiser but prob better than riding into a truck...
Though if its not affecting performance and hasn't excessivly worn the pads, it should be right to keep riding it for longer, but i would swap out the current ones for metallics and put the factory ones back in when it drys up.
also see here:
http://singletrack.competitor.com/2011/03/bikes-...
also note sintered = metallic
If you have glazed you pads you can often save them. When glazed the pad surface will be shiny in places.
I usually take them out and sand the glaze off using the face of some nearby unpainted concrete blocks.
I hear sandpaper and files work too. Depends what you have nearby.
In big fast descents it is likely you will generate enough heat to glaze pads if they are dirty.
Have you washed the bike? Washing up liquid makes the pads squeal badly due to the silicon.
If not try powdering the disc with fine trail dust after wetting (spitting on) it. This is a trick that I used in the UK to take the glaze off of pads, get them going again & stop squealing. It works well.
If the pads are glazed or contaminated with road grime etc.
I've found it helpful to lightly sand both the discs and the pads with a medium grit sandpaper.
Cheers
Also try alternating quickly between both front and rear when braking at speed. This will prevent excessive heat building up and give an even pad wear.
I guess id better buy some sandpaper or find a rough concrete wall!
Thanks
Avid Elixir brakes by any chance?
If not, the Above fixes will work