They are synonymous with speed: carbon wheels. The aggressive look, the rich sound when pedalling, the aerodynamics that save seconds; plus the envious looks from your club mates ... No racing cyclist can completely escape the fascination of the shiny fibre wheels. However, the enthusiasm often only lasts until the first braking manoeuvre. "I've already ended up off the road twice and had several dicey situations, despite having the right carbon brake pads," admits Jürgen Falke, product manager at bike manufacturer Merida, openly. "I've never experienced that before. The last time it happened to me was in the 80s with Campagnolo's Delta brakes on hard anodised aluminium rims. And it was raining then." A lot has happened since then: the brakes have improved - thanks to stiffer brake callipers with less bearing play in the joints, adjustable pad holders and optimised pad compounds.
SHORT & SHORT
There is no winner in the test of brake pads for carbon rims - only recommendations. Use the pads recommended by the wheel manufacturer, try the yellow pads from Swiss-Stop in the second step - then the guesswork begins. Our advice: Only use carbon wheels in good, stable weather; braking performance is almost zero in the rain.
You can find these products in the PDF download:
BBB BBS-03CC
Campagnolo Clincher C2
Campagnolo Tubular T3
Corima Composite Brake Pads
Kool-Stop KS-DuraCF-04
Swissstop Yellow King
Zipp Shimano Brake Pad
Shimano BR-7800
Downloads:
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