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Kool-Stop
V-Type Replacement
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Submitted by
HaveBlue
a Cross Country Rider
from Centennial, CO
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Red Mesa Loop | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | Amazon.com | | Strengths: | Excellent stopping power; Excellent wear; No groaning or squeeking; No grinding; Very quiet pad | | Weaknesses: | Made brakes feel a little softer. I prefer a firm brake lever. But this isn't detrimental to the use of the pads. | | Similar Products Used: | XT V-brakes; Avid Single Digit 7 | | Bike Setup: | Trek 8500 hardtail setup for commuting | | Bottom Line: | I bought the "salmon" pads from Amazon.com for $15 for all four pads. I used to be a Shimano-only pads kind of guy. But after reading numerous positive reviews about these pads, I decided to give them a try. I am VERY pleased with them and will not be converting back to Shimano anytime soon.
For comparison, I was contemplating dumping my whole XT v-brake setup and converting to Avid Single Digit 7s. My Specialized has the Avid setup and I really like them. They're quiet and powerful. I almost started to hate to ride my Trek only because of the grinding brakes. A set of $15 Kool Stops saved me a couple hundred in a new brake setup. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a Weekend Warrior
from Hampshire, UK
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$11.00 | | Strengths: | excellent braking characteristics superior power and modulation. Superior wet weather performance. Low rim wear rates. | | Weaknesses: | all good | | Similar Products Used: | rim wranglers | | Bike Setup: | avid single digit 7 with koolstop pads | | Bottom Line: | these pads offer excellent braking wet or dry.
in the dry they offer better stopping power than any other pad that I've tried. Modulation is good too. In the dry they provide performance not too dissimilar to discs.
There is a performance degradation in the wet - but the fact that they manage to provide half decent braking when covered in thick slop is still something I marvel at - the plough tip certainly does it's job - my pads have nearly worn away the plough tip and wet weather braking has started to degrade.
Rim wear is excellent too - 6 months of muddy riding, my pads are fried, and I can't detect any rim wear - the front which I have now had to replace was polished extremely smooth by the koolstops.
the best rim brake pads period- worth every penny even if they were twice the price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Garth Weinberg
a
from Rotorua, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$11.00 | | Purchased At: | NZ internet shop | | Strengths: | Rim Friendly
Work awesome | | Weaknesses: | Hard to find locally
Can squeel sometimes but that's because there is some play in the brake pivots. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XTR | | Bike Setup: | Jeffson single speed | | Bottom Line: | Have always used Shimano pads because cheaper ones wreck my rims. The XTR's are great but still have slight rim transfer. Threw some Kool Stop puppies in and noticed the change immediately. Using dual-compound and they brake really well rain or shine. No embedded alloy fragments from rim surface. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marc
a Cross Country Rider
from Netherlands
Date Reviewed: December 26, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | SBM | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$5.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Had the triple compound blocks, labeled as bike-totaal brand.
Durability, bite, noise free, price | | Weaknesses: | The brand under which they are sold is so low budget that you are almost afraid to show them ;-) (but the price is nice) | | Similar Products Used: | XT, XTR (with the extra mm pad) | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale F500, Old shimano XT Vbrakes | | Bottom Line: | The past year, during the sorpetal marathon (hail, snow, rain etc) I got very disappointed by the XTR pads. There was metal sticking out onto the rim, destroying the rim. Furthermore they became very brittle and parts simple broke loose.
I was soo pissed off with these expensive pads that I went for the Koolstop triple compounds. Best choice ever. I was afraid they wouldn't last the SBM this summer, but no problem. They became really hot, but didn't fade or wear out. Also in the mud these winterdays they seem to live up well.
Best buy for the Vbrakes. For the value rating I would like to add a sixth chili, because they are way better than the XTRs and cost less than half. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Darren Ling
a Cross Country Rider
from Fairfield, Ohio
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | soft compound, excellent grip | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | shimano xt and xtr | | Bike Setup: | doesn't matter | | Bottom Line: | Salmon pad review: Just like all the other reviews say, these are so rim friendly. My rims were getting destroyed by shimano pads, with metal embedding into the pad, and then making this lovely sound on the rim. A friend recommended the salmon kool-stops and now my bike brakes quiet, and with almost the same power as my disc bikes. If you are a rim brake rider, get these. I only use them in dry conditions, but they work flawlessly, and are so easy to install on my xtr rim brakes. Love em. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Freddie
a Cross Country Rider
from Harbor City, CA USA
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Review is for the salmon colored pads. As others have mentioned, outstanding modulation, great stopping power, quiet operation, and yes, they totally protect your rims. After approximately 3 months of use, I have never seen or picked out one shard of metal from any of the pads. NO OTHER PADS I have tried can lay claim to this awesome trait. These pads are cheaper than others as well. | | Weaknesses: | Absolutely none. | | Similar Products Used: | Ritchey reds and blacks (both rim gougers), shimano XT, Avid Rim Wranglers | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Superlight with wheels built by Gravy Wheels (Mavic 517, Hugi 240S, DT Supercomp spokes). Pads (front and rear) are on Avid SD 7 brakes. | | Bottom Line: | One of the best and cheapest upgrades I've made. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Jug Handle Loop, Moab, UT | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$7.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay | | Strengths: | Very rim friendly (does not wear out the rim prematurely), quiet (much less squeeking and no grinding noise), smooth, and stops very well | | Weaknesses: | None that I can think of, especially compared to all the other brake pads on the market | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XT, LX and some lower ends; Avid; Delta | | Bike Setup: | Schwinn Homegrown Pro (2000), 2004 XT cranks, Avid brakes and levers, American Classic hubs, XTR shifters, Shimano M540 pedals, Thomson seat post, Specialized Telluride saddle | | Bottom Line: | Most all other pads I've tried have the nasty habit of, as you're braking, picking up small silver splinters from the rim's brake surface, embedding those small metal splinters into the pad, and then turning your nice smooth brake pads into coarse sand paper against your expensive alloy rims...thus wearing out your rims prematurely. This has happened with many different rims I've tried...including Mavic. Kool-Stop pads are the absolute best at protecting your rims against this occurance. Their compound does the best at not picking up any metal slivers. Kool-Stop pads are a must for all those serious riders who invest a lot of money into good wheels and want their rims to last as long as they can. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill
a Weekend Warrior
from San Jose, CA USA
Date Reviewed: December 18, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Hicks road South San Jose | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$8.00 | | Purchased At: | Cambria | | Strengths: | Quiet, powerful, do not make a sound, do not heat up and growl at you, no fade, absolutely fantastic!!!! I'd rate them 10 if I could!!! I got the SALMON / ORANGE / MANGO color!! Think the different colors have different compounds!!! | | Weaknesses: | Get 'um wet and they take a bit more squeezing, but that's normal for brake pads | | Similar Products Used: | What came on my Gary Fisher Utopia, and another common brand name, can't remember it, but they both made noise and galled up and growled at you when hot!!! | | Bike Setup: | Stock Gary Fisher Utopia | | Bottom Line: | Don't leave home without them!! You will love the quiet power and absolutely NO fade!! I gave them the hardest treatment I could on Hicks road, about 1.3 mile downhill at 14 - 18% grade and was merciless! They were fantastic!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Witold Wilk
a Cross Country Rider
from Tychy, Poland
Date Reviewed: March 17, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | excellent modulation, great "softness" feeling while braking, durable, yet soft. they don't wear off the rim. all conditions - excellent handling. | | Weaknesses: | they just cost 4 times more than shimano's in poland, though "what You pay is what You get". nothing more. | | Similar Products Used: | noname (tektro, sacoon, logan), shimano. | | Bike Setup: | XC machine, pads used with the excellent sram 9.0 levers, koolstops have been shipped with 9.0's. | | Bottom Line: | excellent product. all in all - the best pads I've had. half a year, most in winter, 3000km, braking with front everytime - and what can I say? they have made a real breakthrough in braking for me. will definitely buy more. excellent quality, though for a steep price... but worth every penny... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
GG
a Cross Country Rider
from Annapolis
Date Reviewed: February 15, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$7.00 | | Purchased At: | Internet | | Strengths: | Koolstop Salmon has superb braking, no squeal, recovers quick in wet, no residue on rims. | | Weaknesses: | Not as good as disk brakes in wet or mud | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano & Avid V-brake pads, old canti's, Avid disks | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale, XTR V-brakes | | Bottom Line: | Koolstop Salmon pads in XTR brakes are super in the dry but disks are better in wet conditions. They recover fast when wet or muddy. Much easier to set up squeal-free than Shimano pads. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nikolas
a Weekend Warrior
from Greece
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$8.00 | | Strengths: | Everything | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | swissstop RX | | Bike Setup: | gtpantera lx-xt judySL | | Bottom Line: | Very nice.I tried out theese and the dualcompount model.both will stop at a dime no mater what conditions wet,dry anything.Excelent durability even after long rides down the mountain they will never loose their performance or over-heat(like discs)I have lx v-brekas,avid sd5 levers,boosters and jagwire cables.They work great but i changed to swissstop just to see the difference.There was none.Both pads are top of the line.Feels very good to see disc brakes walk-out and overheat while you keep going down.5 flamin chilies-they diserve 6 | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alan
a Weekend Warrior
from Blacksburg, VA
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$5.00 | | Purchased At: | Pricepoint.com | | Strengths: | Excellent stopping power. Almost as good as disc-brakes | | Weaknesses: | None. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Expert Cartridge Pads | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale F400 w/ Ritchey V3 pedals | | Bottom Line: | Just slapped these on today and noted dramatic improvements. These pads will literatly send you over your bike if you press too hard. They do feel a bit softer than my previous pads, but the stopping power is just incredible. Got them at prices that even your el-cheapos can't compete with, you can't go wrong. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
stripes
a Cross Country Rider
from Pasadena, CA
Date Reviewed: August 27, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$9.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: |
No matter what condition you ride in (dry, wet, rock, etc), these things will stop you. That's what brake pads are supposed to do. Also, they do not wear out very quickly and tend to last. | | Weaknesses: | None. | | Similar Products Used: |
XTR V-brake pads (total crap), and Koolstop Eagle IIs with my old canties.
| | Bike Setup: | Big Sur Genesisters, XT/XTR mix, Fox Float RLC, etc. | | Bottom Line: | I love these brake pads. I've used the Koolstops for years, and it's because they do what they are supposed to do--they stop you. They perform better than the XTR crap or any other Shimano pad for that matter.
I started using Koolstops back East because of the wet trails, but with all the creek crossings in SoCal, they make sense to use out here too.
Also, they are priced fairly well (half as much as the XTR) and the work 10 times better. I won't use any other brake pad. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
George F
a Cross Country Rider
from Orleans, Ont. Canada
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Silverbark | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | McCranks | | Strengths: | Very powerful stops. Cool colors. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Eagle claws, Pro Max, Shimano XT pads. | | Bottom Line: | Great pads, colors to choose from from a well known company, cheap and works great. Highly recomend these pads if you want awesome brakes at a good price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Trevor Adams
a Downhiller
from Canada
Date Reviewed: April 5, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | North Shore | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle Path | | Strengths: | Good modulation, and they won't eat your rims! Kool colors
And they have good stopping power. | | Weaknesses: | I found my brake lever felt softer because, well the pads are softer. I managed to get use to it though. | | Bike Setup: | Planet X with, Avid Arch Rivals | | Bottom Line: | I ride trials, and when I'm in a jam, and can't afford Plasmatic pads. I found that these pads are a good back up.
I guess you could say that they are the poor mans plasmatics. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gary Gao
a Weekend Warrior
from Shanghai, China
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | all | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$14.00 | | Purchased At: | rei.com | | Strengths: | design, function, perfectly match my XTR brake shoe holders, and RIM FRIENDLY COMPOUND!!! | | Weaknesses: | a bit softer feeling at the brake levers. | | Similar Products Used: | XT, XTR | | Bike Setup: | hardtail with half set of XTR and the rest XT | | Bottom Line: | Thank God I got the Koolstop pads. They are really COOL! no more worry about tiny metal grits get stuck in the pads and scratch rims excessively. My previous XTR pads nealy ate my rims. Now it's from hell to heaven, brakes are more responsive and easier to modulate. I can even practise nose wheelie better. However, probably due to the angled tips on pads and its softer compound, the brake levers feel softer than before, though I prefer harder feelings when braking. But it couldn't be a problem once I am used to them.
All in all, a highly recommandable product for all v-brake users like me! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RICARDO ORTEGÓN
a Cross Country Rider
from BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA
Date Reviewed: February 6, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | LA VIGA | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$5.00 | | Purchased At: | CICLO CROSS | | Strengths: | DURABLE, DON'T EAT THE RIM, BRAKE GREAT. | | Weaknesses: | TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO BRAKE IN WET CONDITIONS. | | Similar Products Used: | AZTEC, SHIMANO | | Bike Setup: | SMITH, SHIMANO SALAD ( DEORE, LX ), RITCHEY HANDLEBAR, STEM AND GRIPS. | | Bottom Line: | THEY'RE THE BEST PADS I'VE USED WITHOUT DENIEING ITS WET PROBLEMS. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Shorthills Provincal Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$5.00 | | Purchased At: | Mountain Co-op | | Strengths: | Funky colors, rim cleaner works!! | | Weaknesses: | Nothing really comes to mind. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano | | Bike Setup: | Norco Rampage, XT | | Bottom Line: | These pads work well and are reasonably priced. Go ahead and buy them you won't be sorry. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kelly Fischer
a Weekend Warrior
from Upstate NY, USA
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | all | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | These just work great. | | Weaknesses: | Can't think of any. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano | | Bike Setup: | MC San Andreas XT v-brakes | | Bottom Line: | I replaced the shimano pads last week because I was going downhilling at Plattekill. Red pads on the back and black up front. Plattekill was cold and rainy. Thank you-know-who I did. The shimanos would never have stopped me. These were great. I'm a big rider and they stopped great in wet weather over crazy steep terrain. They got rid of the terrible screeching in back, too. I was thinking of upgrading to disc brakes, but after riding these I may not have to. Have fun riding. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bjorndoggie Cruiser
a Weekend Warrior
from Sacramento CA, USofA
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Forresthill Divide Loop | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$8.00 | | Purchased At: | American River Bicycles | | Strengths: | On my wifes Tracer and my sons Trek they stopped the squeal in the front Shimano XT brakes. Excellent modulation and power. | | Weaknesses: | Compound seems softer so it will probably wear faster but I don't want to cut corners or or try to be thrifty when it comes to brakes. | | Similar Products Used: | Tektro crap and Rim Wranglers (pretty good). | | Bike Setup: | 2001 Stumpy FSR xc Pro: Monkeylite, SID, FOX RC, XTR/XT drivetrain, XTR hubs, Mavic 517, SRAM PC99, Panaracer Trailblasters, Thomson Seatpost/stem, Planet bike Protege 9.0 computer, Avid Mag brakes (really it's a total chick magnet). | | Bottom Line: | I put the Koolstops on my wifes bike (so she would stop scaring all the critters in the woods). I really noticed a huge improvement in power and modulation on her Intense so I bought some and put them on my AVID Mags. Now my AVIDS were already the best rim brakes I had ever tried but damn if the Koolstops didn't make 'em better. Just guesstimating I think I picked up about a 15% improvement in power. Modulation seems a little better too. They're great pads and I was even able too get them in red to match the all important color scheme ( we all know deep down that the better you lok the faster you go!). Have fun & keep riding! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew Klauser
a Cross Country Rider
from Feldafing
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | hibike | | Strengths: | don't squeal at all, brake nicely, also in the wet. | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano standard and Ceramic-suited, red Ritchey. Else, I 've got Magura rim brakes on my other two hard tails. | | Bike Setup: | DeKerf Generation 1996, Shimano XT/Grip Shift, Mavic 521 Ceramic Rims, XTR Brakes ('99) | | Bottom Line: | Well, well, well. These green Z-Chromium pads are super on my ceramic rims, clearly the best ever. Function of my tuned XTR brake has now reached the level of the Magura Quick Silver, without the weight penalty of 200g or so. Set-up is: these pads, Muddy Carbon boosters front AND rear, Nokon Koncavex trac pearls. Very recommended!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil
a Racer
from LA, CA
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$7.00 | | Purchased At: | Dunno | | Strengths: | Work Great, Priced Right | | Weaknesses: | Hard to find Ceramic pads at the usual shops | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano | | Bike Setup: | Superlight | | Bottom Line: | Sometimes there is a product that just works great and is priced right. This is one of those products. I will NEVER use any other pad, and I will NEVER again pay the Shimano premium (at least on brake pads...). I wonder is Koolstop can make V-brakes????? WAY TO GO KOOLSTOP.
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Submitted by
Scott Clark
a
from Philly
Date Reviewed: May 9, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$7.00 | | Purchased At: | Local shop | | Strengths: | Works great inexpensive. | | Weaknesses: | None yet | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano, Ritchey | | Bike Setup: | Mountain style bike, meant for off-roading | | Bottom Line: | These work great, and are not expensive. What else do you need to know?
Five flaming piles of smelly horse turds! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Philip Orosco
a Racer
from LA, CA
Date Reviewed: January 31, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | The Bone | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$7.00 | | Purchased At: | Online Store (cant remember) | | Strengths: | CHeap, and they work. | | Weaknesses: | None yet. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano V Brakes | | Bike Setup: | 2000 S Works FSR XC with a bunch of gadgets. | | Bottom Line: | I was a little nervous at first to go away from the recommended shimano pads for my XTR brakes. Now that I finally did, I will never go back. They are far superior to the shimanos, and a breeze to put in. All mountain bike parts should be so reasonably priced and work this well. Nice work kool stop. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
HardmaN
a Cross Country Rider
from Ohio
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$9.00 | | Purchased At: | Jenson | | Strengths: | Excellent grip on rims | | Weaknesses: | Might not last that long due to the soft pad compound (only had 'em a few months, though, so I can't say for sure) | | Similar Products Used: | Pads that came with my bike. They resemble little black bricks, and are so hard they could be used in a Viagra advertisement. | | Bike Setup: | Trek 6500, many mods | | Bottom Line: | Unlike many pads that are just cool, these pads are "Kool" like the Kool-Aid guy that busts through brick walls. These pads will also make you "stop" on a dime. What are you waiting for? Finish your beer and get these pads. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Kaye
a Cross Country Rider
from MTB Heaven
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | they just plain stop ya!!! good control, NO squeeeeeling!!
pad design cleans rim of muck and funky colors! | | Weaknesses: | None!!! | | Similar Products Used: | XT pads, WTB multi | | Bike Setup: | Hard Tail with all the go fast goodies! | | Bottom Line: | Unlike my sh*tmano pads that pieces broke off of mid ride, these pads are terrific!! I have rode them in sand, mud, hills, flats, water, snow, nuclear waste.. I love them!! they are quite and reliabe and see to be lasting longer then my averge cotex pad!! I LOVE'EM!! 5 flaming camel turds | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
icycle
a Cross Country Rider
from Central MA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | homegrown singletrack anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$7.00 | | Purchased At: | Pricepoint | | Strengths: | LONG LASTING, no squeal, effective, cheap, easy to replace | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano V pads | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mtn Blizzard, Zokes, RaceFace, XT | | Bottom Line: | I have absolutely no complaints with these pads. They have lasted longer than I expected and have performed much better than the Shimano pads I had been using before I read the reviews. It seems that Shimano stuff isn't always the best value. The best part about these is the price/performance ratio. 5 heaps of dung for em! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul Nielson
a Cross Country Rider
from Provo, UT USA
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | ridge | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$8.00 | | Strengths: | Clears muck from the rims quickly. Very good stopping power. | | Weaknesses: | None so far | | Bike Setup: | KHS fxt team | | Bottom Line: | good pads, great stopping power, cool colors! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeremy
a Racer
from Ohio
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Ceasar Creek State Park | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$8.00 | | Purchased At: | Wilmington Bicycle Company | | Strengths: | Great braking....uh....great braking......braking.....did I say great braking? | | Weaknesses: | Doesn't come in pink | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano M-system XTR pads | | Bike Setup: | Homegrown (XTR, SID, Sun rims) | | Bottom Line: | I can usually go a whole season on one set of pads (if its an extra muddy season, than make that two). These are the best pads on the market (according to me). I use the red compound. Black seems to be too solid and blue is too soft. Red is just right for North-Eastern riding and racing. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Anthony Beneri
a Cross Country Rider
from Levittown, NY
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Stillwell | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Planet | | Strengths: | These pads work realy well in dry weather. They are the quietest pads I have used . | | Weaknesses: | These pads do not work well in wet conditions. I got caught in a rainstorm and braking was very difficult. | | Similar Products Used: | shimanos | | Bike Setup: | cross country duel suspension. Kona Manomano | | Bottom Line: | These pads are great if you avoid wet condidions. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jon
a Weekend Warrior
from van isle, BC
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | last longer than shimano, but... | | Weaknesses: | they last longer than shimano pads but that is because the compound is much harder, which is fine when your rim is dry, but THESE PADS SUCK WHEN WET! | | Bottom Line: | If you live in the desert, fine... If you where it is wet, try shimano's...(or pinch pennies and get disc's) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: January 11, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | -Stops well in all conditions
-Cheap
-Doesn't squeal
-No crap left on rims | | Weaknesses: | Need to be replaced more often | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano LX | | Bike Setup: | Zakar custom | | Bottom Line: | You would never think pads make a difference but they are a smart and cheap way to increase breaking performance dramtaticly. If you have a nice set of rims don't destroy them with cheap crap, buy a pair of these. Great for any rider and come in different colors too.
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Submitted by
John-Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Virginia Beach (the flattest place on earth)
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$7.00 | | Purchased At: | Pricepoint | | Strengths: | I HAD to replace the shimano pads, they were squealing so loud i refrained from using my front brake. Kool stops squealed for a day or two until broken in, now they are very quiet, and noticeably stronger than the original shimano pads. | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | shimano | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Super-v, with all shimano XT | | Bottom Line: | if your current pads are squealing, change them to Kool Stops! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Nanuet, NY, USA
Date Reviewed: November 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | stewart | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$7.00 | | Purchased At: | nashbar | | Strengths: | quiet, no black crap on rims, stops well, wears better and much quieter than Shimano. Has a better feel than Ritchey at half the price | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano, Ritchey | | Bike Setup: | stock cannondale F700 | | Bottom Line: | The cheapest and the best. How often can you say that in bicycling? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jiri Malec
a Weekend Warrior
from London Ontario Canada
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere in the area | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$5.00 | | Purchased At: | To Wheels | | Strengths: | great braking power, no squealing, long lasting | | Weaknesses: | riding down a beautiful paved downhill at about 50km/h I started applying the brakes when I was getting to the stop sign at the bottom. I suddently felt my rear brake give in as if the cable broke and next thing I know I had no rear brakes. One of the pads broke where the pin that holds it is and the pad actually flew out of the holder. Not nice...has anybody else have had that happened to them??? | | Bike Setup: | '98 Giant Iguana | | Bottom Line: | besides the pads dislodging themselves while braking, the brake power on these pads is great...still using Kool Stop, just don't trust them as much as I used to... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Free Rider
a
from Aliso Viejo CA
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Meadows | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$6.00 | | Purchased At: | www.jensonusa.com | | Strengths: | Strong stopping power! | | Weaknesses: | They fade a little on long downhills, but not nearly as much as my old pads. | | Similar Products Used: | Diacompe pads (Terrible!) | | Bike Setup: | FSR 99 | | Bottom Line: | These pads were a huge improvement over my stock Diacompe pads. I have Diacompe 735 brakes, which are known to be pretty bad. I was resigned to toss the brakes and puchase some Avids. However, these pads breathed new life into my brakes. They still don't work great but they improved enough that I don't need new brakes immediately. My old pads gave me Popeye arms on every descent. I guess I'll have to get used to scrawny forearms again. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chi-Ho Song
a Cross Country Rider
from Seoul, South-Korea
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | All trail in Korea | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$6.00 | | Purchased At: | www.bikeworld.com | | Strengths: | Incredible performances
- powerful breaking like disk-brakes
- never melt by friction heat in a wet condition
- no dregs on rims after a long time use
- various colors | | Weaknesses: | No dealer in Korea, so it is difficult to get them in Korea. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XTR V-brake pads (I hate them!!) | | Bike Setup: | Trek OCLV 9900 ('98), Answer Manitou SX-R ('98), full Shimano XTR, Mavic 517 Citron rims, Michelin wildgripper Comp S tires | | Bottom Line: | From 1 year before I have used 2 pairs of Koolstop pads of which colors are black, and now I would like to replace them with reds ones, but they seem never to be worn and they seem to maintain its performances forever even though I have used them in very serious conditions, so I can't expect when I should replace them.
It would be the ultimate V-Brake pad you may choose.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Mountain View CA
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Henry Coe | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Good in the dry | | Weaknesses: | Horrible when it's wet | | Similar Products Used: | Ritchey, Aztec | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Superlight-X | | Bottom Line: | The black Avid pads on my Superlight turned out to be made by Kool-Stop. I replaced them with Ritchey black pads, as the Avid/Kool-Stop pads glazed up something fierce when they got wet. It would take took miles of riding after a soaking before they would again stop properly. I've generally had good luck with Kool-Stop pads on the road bike, so it makes me wonder it they just made a bad batch. Whatever the reason, I'll just play it safe and stay with the Ritchey pads. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
streaker
a Cross Country Rider
from portland maine
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | any i can ride | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | excellent stopping ability, no squeeeeelll!!!! | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | shimano pads | | Bike Setup: | zaskar, w/Bomber | | Bottom Line: | At first i did not care for these pads, but after the initial break in period I would not go back to shimano. These things shed mud, dont squeal, stop you when you need to, plus no crud on your rim. I will have to see what the next few months bring, but right now I give these beauties four infernos. They are worth a try. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nicolas
a Cross Country Rider
from santiago chile
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | guitreras | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Good braking power in any condition (CERAMIC) | | Weaknesses: | The little thing that is to clean the rim, I had to use them too long | | Similar Products Used: | xtr xt koolstop non ceramic and trek bikes included pads | | Bike Setup: | xt brakes tektro levers xtr brake tubes | | Bottom Line: | I like a lot the power of braking of this pads but the thing that clean the rim is very idiot, I have to use the brakes too long. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
johnnyb
a Cross Country Rider
from San Anselmo
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything more than 25 miles | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Been using them for two years, strong, quiet, kinda inspires confidence (see below), cheaper and better than XT. Last longer than others tried | | Weaknesses: | Read below | | Similar Products Used: | XT, WTB | | Bike Setup: | 98 stumpy pro, manitou, raceface, XTR | | Bottom Line: | Today as I rounded the summit and started to head down a tasty, steep, eroded, rainy fireroad my front brake began to howl, common right? But as I applied more pressure to my XT front side-pull brake, I lost all brake grip because my Koolstop pad flew out of the XT holder leaving me to slam on the rear, and to drop and bail as I rounded a small corner.
When I finally found the missing left pad on the ground, I saw that the small rubber stopper on the back of the pad next to where the clip goes had ripped off. This is the second time. Has this happened to you with the black Koolstops? Is it in the installation or is it product?
4 stars, because they're my favorite. 3 stars for scaring the hell out of me today. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Karthik
a Weekend Warrior
from Atlanta
Date Reviewed: December 7, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Chicopee GA | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Emm... these ARE brakes... so the only thing thats usually good... is how well they help you stop... so thats the 'strength' | | Weaknesses: |
None yet | | Similar Products Used: |
Promax V-brakes,
Shimano XT brakes/pads | | Bike Setup: |
it has a Bontrager Mustang rear rim and Rhyno Lite front rim... XT brakes all the way... and thats all that matters | | Bottom Line: | I must say... Shimano XT pads ... When I think of their residue-on-rim-leaving-habit.... their stubborn squealing when 'moist'... and the fact that they keep sprouting pieces of metal which scratch my precious rims (nope.. the pieces dont come from the rim)... I wonder how I stuck with them for 3 months.
Do yourself a favor - go indulge in a set of Koolstops that wont mess your rim up in ANY way. I tried them out in heavy... crazy-heavy rain and not a sound from them (ahh the relief on my ears!!). Of course, you have to grab the levers a bit harder when the pads are wet...
Anyways... Kool-stop rules... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jessen
a Racer
from Kuala Lumpur
Date Reviewed: December 5, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
sungai buloh | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
great in mud
powerful braking
long lasting | | Weaknesses: |
none | | Similar Products Used: |
koolstop eagle2 | | Bike Setup: |
mongoose iboc team sx
ritchey rock440 rims(F)
bontrager mustang(R) | | Bottom Line: | this are get
especially for mud
works great on others too | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from Blacksburg, VA
Date Reviewed: November 11, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Leading edge of pad does a good job of scraping mud & dirt off of the rim before the rest of the pad makes contact | | Weaknesses: |
pads have a tendency to self-destruct | | Similar Products Used: |
$himano, Ritchey | | Bike Setup: |
cannondale super-v, XT v-brakes | | Bottom Line: | I loved these pads, until the little leading edge piece of one of the pads tore off and wedged itself between the rest of the pad & my rim, rendering the pad useless & locking up my back tire on a 30mph downhill. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Morten Trige
a Cross-Country Rider
from Arhus
Date Reviewed: September 28, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Long lasting, more linear breaking than shimano XT brakes | | Weaknesses: |
none | | Similar Products Used: |
WTB
Shimano XT, LX | | Bike Setup: |
GT Zaskar | | Bottom Line: | Better in any way compared to the other products that I have tried. They last very well are gentle to the rim. Brakes well in all conditions, the only one that are close in performance are XT pads, but they are more eXpensive, don't last as long and are harder on the rim | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sandblaster
a Weekend Warrior
from College Park, MD
Date Reviewed: September 1, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
campus, yo! | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
they don't suck. | | Weaknesses: |
They only come aftermarket. | | Similar Products Used: |
XT, generic | | Bike Setup: |
930, z.3 LT, XT/LX | | Bottom Line: | These suckers STOP!! I got a nice XT brake for my front, to compliment a cool XT/Bontrager wheelset I had built up... they squealed like mad. I swapped them for kool-stops, and the squealing continued for all of a day, until they'd rubbed off the bad karma from the XT pads. Now they offer mad variability, insane control, and best of all, they're F'ING SILENT!!! Beautiful product. Five puddles of nuclear waste. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kman
a Cross-Country Rider
from Fort Worth, TX
Date Reviewed: August 27, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Cedar Hill SP | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
Quiet, long lasting, they do what they are supposed to do. | | Weaknesses: |
None | | Similar Products Used: |
Shimano | | Bike Setup: |
GT Zaskar, Judy XC, XT/XTR | | Bottom Line: | They stop. My Shimano pads made a bunch of noise but I've had none of that from the KoolStops. They seem to last longer than the other pads too. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greenos
a Cross-Country Rider
from Decorah, IA
Date Reviewed: August 3, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
hometown trails | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
no noise
clean rims
good price | | Weaknesses: |
none here | | Similar Products Used: |
XTR severe condition | | Bike Setup: |
Y 50, Stratos, FS Ti | | Bottom Line: | These pads just work. Don't try goin with the XTR pads, nor the severe condition pads either. Those things wear down, leave black gunk so you're always scuffin your rims, and make that crappy noise. Kool stop is completely the opposite. Never had a better brake pad. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mtb_411
a Weekend Warrior
from Montreal
Date Reviewed: July 23, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Bottom Line: | What can I say? These pads eliminate the black gunk on your rims and give a constant feel to your braking in any conditions. Just add a brake booster and then who need disks???? :-) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Miguel Gomes
a Cross-Country Rider
from Guimarães, Portugal
Date Reviewed: June 17, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
xc | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Long lasting!
Normal braking power when dry! | | Weaknesses: |
W~hwn I pass thrue water they loose much braking power!! | | Similar Products Used: |
Shimano xt pads | | Bike Setup: |
Gt pantera with s.i.d. | | Bottom Line: | They are not going to be my next choise!!!
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Arnaqueur
a Weekend Warrior
from Trois-Rivieres,Qc,Canada
Date Reviewed: May 25, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Bromont | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Good grip in mud.
Never do noise.
Long lasting | | Weaknesses: |
None | | Similar Products Used: |
Shimano | | Bike Setup: |
Giant, LX V-brake | | Bottom Line: | When I changed for this pads, I had one thing to say: Pehaps in an another life, Shimano | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mikeymike
a Cross-Country Rider
from Perth Western Aus
Date Reviewed: April 29, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Bibbleman!! | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Long wearing even in the wet gritty stuff. Shit on shimano | | Weaknesses: |
Takes a couple of seconds to grip in the wet. | | Similar Products Used: |
Shimano | | Bike Setup: |
Trek 8000 XTR V brakes | | Bottom Line: | Heaps better than Shimano. During the winter, the wet trails created havoc! In fact, I have been known to wear out a set of Shimano's in one wet race!! Had black crap on everything! But these puppies are great! Long wearing and they don't leave residue on everything.
They just take a while to grip in the wet but once you get used to that, you compensate and everything is gravy. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JOHN
a Weekend Warrior
from canada
Date Reviewed: April 13, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Bottom Line: | these pads last longer than the shimano pads and are cheaper. There are great but they don't stop as well as the shimano pads. Close though, these are the only othe rpads I have triesd | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Francisco Caetano
a Cross-Country Rider
from Portugal
Date Reviewed: April 5, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Magnific product! | | Weaknesses: |
None yet. | | Similar Products Used: |
Shimano XT | | Bike Setup: |
Aluminium frame.
ESP 9.0
Mozo-Pro | | Bottom Line: | I'd been using pads like shimano LX and Acor before. They worked regular but skell a loot.
About 4 months ago I bought Mavic ceramic rims, and ESP 9.0 V-brakes. As you shuld know, these come whith Kool stop pads. But, these pads are not specific for ceramic, so I bought shimano XT for ceramic. After some kilometers of agonizing pain in the soul, thinking of the money I had spent on those things, and the very low level of breaking power and lack of modulation, I decided to try the Kool stop just in case.
On my first real try, I almost got myself flying over my bike. Their stoping power is amazing, consedering they're not specific for ceramic.
About their rate of wear, well, they are consumig a lithe faster that I espected, but considering
their stoping qualities, I don't mind.
One last thing, as these pads are softer than the specific ceramic ones, they are keping my rims as good as new, ceramic coating included. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris G
a weekend warrior
from DC, CA
Date Reviewed: February 1, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I've put about a month's worth of riding on these pads and they are definitely better than the stock shimano pads that came on my XT v's. Modulation and overall braking strength is excellent. I feel like I put new brakes on my bike. Squeeling is history, even in wet weather, which we've had a bit of in the bay area. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john
a cross-country rider
from north shore
Date Reviewed: January 31, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Diffinitely the best pads for V-brakes. The shimano pads wear out way to fast, Kool stops are the only ones for extreme stuff! They stop just as well as shimano but last a lot longer. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
eapathome
a weekend warrior
from Pasadena Ca.
Date Reviewed: January 27, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Give-up on Shimano pads. I went through Shimano brake pads in one month. The Kool Stop… Stop. I have used them on the V's and cants and they are by far the best you can buy. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
woody
a cross-country rider
from Japan
Date Reviewed: January 25, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I own a pair of Kool-Stop V Pads. They are on my rear wheel and the stopping power is untouchable besides disc brakes. I just ordered 4 new pads and can't wait till they come in. Let u know!! These are a great buy.
Domo (thank you) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Harookz
a racer
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: December 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I went through shimano brake pads in one or two rides in the north shore when it is wet, muddy, etc. I was constantly having to buy new pads and decided to give these a try. I have the yellow koolstop pads and they are EXCELLENT! Awesome stopping power in all conditions, and they do last a hell of a lot longer than shimano's. Don't bother with the shimano xt/xtr extreme condition stuff, I've tried em many times, and they are no good. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Betenia
a weekend warrior
from Urbana, Il
Date Reviewed: November 27, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought my Kool stops at my LBS, since he did'nt have the Shimano replacements. He told me he was getting god feed back from everyone he sold them to on their performance. He was right. I've had mine one since November of last year and there is still some pad left before I'll have to replace them. I'm using them on XT V-brakes and I took a trip to Colorado Springs this summer and definitely used the hell out of them for two weeks. When I first bought them I was'nt very excited about their performance, but after they broke, a couple of rides, the were up there with the stoopping power of the Shimano's. They definitely have a longer life. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Noah
a cross-country rider
from Boulder
Date Reviewed: November 27, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I went to 4 shops before I finally found one that had these, the rest just had shitmano pads. I've been a fan of Kool-stops for years, and these finally make my brakes work like they should. They don't seem to pick up the crap that the stock shimano pads did, which drastically reduced their stopping power. I don't know how long they'll last, but it can't be shorter than the shimano pads. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul Hill
a downhiller
from Perth
Date Reviewed: November 20, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
these suck, a day after I got them they had become un-usable due to the rubber perishing and just coming of as if it were a pencil eraser. Major rim scratch was the result. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin
a racer
from Nelson, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 10, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I got the black ones and they work great. They elminated the brake squeal from my xt v brakes even thought they didn't really squell before. they last about 3\4ths of the season which is enough because i ride everyday although i'm thincking of disk brakes. . . . . . . . | | Overall Rating: |
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