Put these on the rear of my trek 1.2 road bike. Far better than what was there before. The brakes are more linear in their application and instill more confidence in the rider. The initial break tip in is soft and the stopping power is very progressive with application of the brake lever. M0F0
UPDATE: August-2011
I bought another set of pads for the front of the bike a few months ago. It was just a matter of safety, and I did not want to compromise with anything less. It was a good idea, no regrets. Kool Stop Bicycle Brake Pads with X Pad (Dura-Ace/Ultegra)
Kept hearing about how great Kool Stop pads are but I never got to buying one. I have the "if it's not broken, don't fix it" mentality. My old brake pads wore off and I was in need of a new pair so I thought this'll be the chance to try them out.
Wow! Stopping power improved dramatically. I originally set my caliper brakes to be extremely responsive with very little room between the pads and my rim. After I put these on, I dialed back my lever's responsiveness just because a little contact on these does a lot more in stopping than the older pads I had on my brakes.
Overall, great!
I installed this set of brakes to the front wheel of my bike. I have to say that it is so much more superior to the stock brakes that I replaced with these. It helps me decelerate much quicker so that I am less hesitant to ride fast around busy city streets where cars can suddenly appear. Good brakes for the price.
I couldn't have been more pleased with this purchase. Additionally, if your bike already has a functional pad holders, this particular set includes a second pair of pads, allowing you to upgrade the entire bike with a single purchase. Braking is noticeably improved. I will purchase this item again.
My first Kool Stop brake pads were the Eagle 2, which replaced the stock Shimano pads on my MTB, and were a huge improvement, especially in wet weather (as well as putting an end to the destruction that Shimano was causing to my rims). Now I have a road bike, and after searching for a compatible set of replacement brakes, I chose these.
The performance is much better, especially in terms of modulation and consistency, and I can actually stop in the rain, though it does take a few rotations of the rims before the water is cleared off by the pads. I had to clean off the old Shimano brake residue from my rims by shoving a dampened, folded paper towel between each of the pads and the rim, and then riding for a few minutes while applying the brake (steel wool was not necessary in this case). I also had to buy four #12 washers to "widen" my Royal Gran Compe brake mounts as they were not quite wide enough for these holders.
The pads do not capture small rocks and road grit like the Shimanos, so I rarely hear a grinding noise from particles embedded in the pads. I have had the dual-compound pads mounted on the front for 2500 miles, and it looks like they are almost halfway worn, so I'd say they could make it to 5000 (I'm tempted to put the included salmon pads on afterward to get more value from my purchase, we'll see how that goes).
If you already have Shimano holders (Dura-Ace or Ultegra), then I recommend just buying the Kool Stop cartridges Kool Stop Bicycle Brake Pads, as the holders are virtually the same. You'll be glad you did!
While these Kool Stop brake pads do out perform & out stop the O.E. pads by a bit, by no way am I going all 5 stars. After reading all the other reviews, I was expecting something just short of a miracle. It didn't happen. And yes...I do have the brakes adjusted tight. The slightest movement on the brake handles & they are in contact with the rim.
Bottom line: Do they work better? Yes - a little. Are they worth that much extra ($$$) from normal pads you can pick up at your LBS (local bike shop)? Not in my book.
I got stuck in the rain and found my brakes didn't work very well at all. A quick visit to Google let me know that the Kool Stop salmon-colored pads would solve the problem. That's when I found these.
Another reviewer mentioned that the more expensive pads had additional adjustments, but they didn't mention what those adjustments are. Always in the past, I had "rubber on a stick" break pads -- a piece of rubber with a piece of all-thread coming out the side. Very cheap. These have a metallic holder and a funny looking washer. It took me some time to figure out that the washer was curved, and fit over a curved part of the holder. This creates a small "ball and socket" joint to allow aligning the brakes to the wheel.
Ideally, there are three axis to align. Looking at the side of the wheel, the pad should be parallel to the wheel. Looking at the wheel from the top, and imagining the tire is not there, the face of the brake pad should be parallel to the surface of the wheel. Finally, the pad should be "toed in" so the front of the pad strikes the wheel before he back of the pad. This prevents the brakes from screeching when brakes are applied.Just about any bike repair book or web site will show a picture of a rubber band tied around the back of the pad to allow the correct amount of toe-in. I've never been successful with all this -- probably because my rubber on a stick pads couldn't really be aligned, except for the first axis. But these holders make it possible to align all three axis.
What's even better -- these pads (both the salmon and the mixed) have a curved surface -- the front of the pad is thicker than the rest. Pad alignment is little more than squeezing the brake handle. It makes installing the pads much simpler, and it's very effective at keeping the brakes quiet.
I put these on a Cannondale R900 to replace the original Shimano pads. The bolt needed a couple washers and some coaxing during installation. No filing just a little push and turn. The pads provide great stopping power and are quiet. - Cycling - Road Bike - Brake Pads - Shimano'
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