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Submitted by
Nasty610
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbia, SC, USA
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$280.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Initial bite | | Weaknesses: | After the initial bite they fade out very quickly. | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes Mechanical | | Bike Setup: | Weyless 67 lx drivetrain w/ 8" rotors | | Bottom Line: | The pads came with drivetrain package when I purchased it. I didn't really notice how bad they were since most of my riding was light XC. When I took my bike to Korea and came down some of the trails I noticed that I could pull my front brake lever to the grip and I wasn't going over the bars. I thought it was just the long decent but they are the same way on flat ground at 5-10mph. That's really sad when I think that my mechanicals would lock up the front tire even at the very end of a 5 mile decent. I wouldn't take another set of these if shimano paid me to. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fred
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Nashbar.com | | Strengths: | None. | | Weaknesses: | Disintegrate in wet conditions and leave black residue all over wheels and tires. They also sound like they are grinding material off the rim. | | Similar Products Used: | Kool Stop - Salmon | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher hardtail | | Bottom Line: | JUNK! Through them out. Shimano should be ashamed for making this junk. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phillip
a Weekend Warrior
from Berkeley, CA
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | Poor stopping ability. | | Similar Products Used: | Kool Stop Eagle 2, Matthauser. | | Bike Setup: | old Univega Gran Turismo touring bike. | | Bottom Line: | after 2 days, I decided I had to replace these, and ordered some Kool Stop Eagle 2's. The Kool Stops stop me in half the distance, and cost me half as much. These are junk, and I'm irritated that my LBS even stocks these. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jonathan
a
from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 5, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | None, the gayest thing i have ever used. | | Weaknesses: | Evrerything, Noisy as hell. F^&ks up ur rims pretty bad. Leaves black crap on em. They magically melt away when it rains and they hardly work. | | Bottom Line: | Blows my balls. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jonathan
a
from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 5, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | None, the gayest thing i have ever used. | | Weaknesses: | Evrerything, Noisy as hell. F^&ks up ur rims pretty bad. Leaves black crap on em. They magically melt away when it rains and they hardly work. | | Bottom Line: | Blows my balls. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jonathan
a
from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 5, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | None, the gayest thing i have ever used. | | Weaknesses: | Evrerything, Noisy as hell. F^&ks up ur rims pretty bad. Leaves black crap on em. They magically melt away when it rains and they hardly work. | | Bottom Line: | Blows my balls. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a
from Sydney AUSTRALIA
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Came with brakes | | Strengths: | These work well in the dry you cannot deny that | | Weaknesses: | As everyone else has said, if you ride in the wet dont expect these to last more than one afternoon. These destroy rims with ease | | Similar Products Used: | Kool Stops | | Bike Setup: | LX V-brakes, XT levers | | Bottom Line: | As soon as you can, REPLACE THESE PADS. It is not worth taking the risk of wet weather catching you out. Water will murder these pads and you and your rims will not be on speaking terms for some time | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Yasco
a Cross Country Rider
from Bay Area, California
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$28.00 | | Purchased At: | online | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | 1. they squeek enough to make you hate biking
2. they leave black tar and grind your wheels
3. it is impossible to calibrate them, after hours ...
4. stopping is worse than on $3 Tektro pads | | Similar Products Used: | Replaced with Koolstop Mountain Pads and love biking again | | Bottom Line: | Do not even think about getting these pads. If you get them on your bike, sue the manufacturer and the bike shop and in the meantime get some decent pads. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MIkeY
a Cross Country Rider
from Helsingborg, Sweden
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Wish it existed near me | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | I think the LX pads a great. They give a good 25mph-0mph in 12-15feet. | | Weaknesses: | They mark the rims black....
When they are wet they make noises and get much less braking power. They can get pretty tricky to calibrate. | | Similar Products Used: | All kinds of V-brakes | | Bike Setup: | Deore/LX, hardtail, Axel 110mm travel, Selle Royal Freccia, VP Components pedals | | Bottom Line: | Good in dry conditions and enough for the average biker. I'am thinking to get a front disc brake, because they doesn't get the job done in rain. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brian gera
a Cross Country Rider
from naga, cebu, philippines
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | ykk trading | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | screeeeeeeeccchhhhhhhhhhhhh!these things are noisy. my older pad which is cheapo taiwan performs better. it's better to replace immediately these pads coz it can do nasty sh*t on your rims. too bad bike shops here dont sell kool stop. | | Similar Products Used: | deore , no brand taiwans | | Bike Setup: | gt zaskar, LX/XT gruppo, panaracer fireXC (my fave tire) | | Bottom Line: | this product suck! it makes an annoying metal to metal sound especially you are downhilling. avoid this crap like the plague! doesnt even deserve 1 flamin' chili. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Berto Matic
a Racer
from Sedona
Date Reviewed: August 26, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Broken Aarrow | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Strong enough to Ruin my wheelset | | Weaknesses: | Weak says it all | | Similar Products Used: | Kool Stops, xtr | | Bike Setup: | KHS Tandemania Alite | | Bottom Line: | Take these little wonders and throw the as far away from your beloved bike as you possibly can...No wait that would mean some poor unsupecting neighbor may find them and use them. maybe you could burn them. I am sooo p-ssed. My nice tandem rims are scarred like the end of Michael Jackson's nose and equally as ugly. Give'em the heave ho before you even get on the bike. 1000000 flamin turds for this cheap crapola. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tibor Gijssen
a Racer
from Nijmegen, Holland
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | groesbeek | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | wagenberg | | Strengths: | well, ehm when its dry and they are new they work | | Weaknesses: | they melt when it rains | | Similar Products Used: | avid stuff | | Bike Setup: | trek 8000 stock | | Bottom Line: | dont buy it, its crap | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
XC Guru
a Cross Country Rider
from NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | OEM | | Strengths: | Good if you wanna blow some money on a new pair of rims seeing that these brakes detroyed your old ones. | | Weaknesses: | 1. Weak braking performance.
2. Cuts 3/8" channels in your expensive rims. I swear, this happened to me on my old bike.
3. Screech!!! (Grind, Grind) Bikers a mile away can hear you.
4. Leaves black sh*t on your rims.
5. DANGEROUS when wet. Wear out so damn quick! No even a month. | | Similar Products Used: | No namers, Kool Stop Eagle 2 | | Bike Setup: | C-dale F500 XT goodies, Mavic, and the rest..... | | Bottom Line: | If you have them, chuck them or burn them. If you don't, good, treat yourself to some excellent Kool Stops. They are by far the best I've used. Stop reliably even when wet and muddy. What was Shimano thinking?? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Sheffield
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | These should be completely outlawed, every poor review on this site is spot on. They chewed my rims after 1 ride in the wet, bits of aluminium actually embedded in the pad. | | Similar Products Used: | Koolstop Eagle 2 - Fantastic buy them now | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Rockhopper stock except new grips, pads, selle royale gel saddle and VP104 clipless pedals | | Bottom Line: | These are dangerous, bike chewing pieces of S**t and should be avoided at all costs. If anyone offers you a set ask how much money they'd be willing to give you to take them off their hands! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matte
a Weekend Warrior
from Stockholm
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Crosscountry | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Cykloteket | | Strengths: | No strenghts... | | Weaknesses: | They're eating your expensive rims and paint them black. Plus they make a metal vs. metal sound when braking. | | Similar Products Used: | Tektro | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Big Sur | | Bottom Line: | This product is completely worthless. I strongly recommend to NOT buy this brakes. I really wonder what Shimano are thinking... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Toivonen
a Weekend Warrior
from Stockholm, Sweden
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Järfälla | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Cykloteket | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | Everything. They eat upp your rims and sound like made of stone. | | Similar Products Used: | Avid, other Shimano, Campa Daytona. | | Bike Setup: | Stock Gary Fisher MT Tam 29. | | Bottom Line: | Check if your new bike is equipped with those POS and right away in the shop ask them to replace with anything else. Swedish bikers: what happened to you? Cykloteket says they never heard any complaints. Or are they lieing....? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
roger
a Weekend Warrior
from lower makefield, pa
Date Reviewed: April 4, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | delaware towpath | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | Well.... they stop the bike. They have lasted a pretty long time also. | | Weaknesses: | Make my rims black | | Bike Setup: | giant rincon w/ thudbuster | | Bottom Line: | I haven't had as much of a problem with these as everyone else has. They work ok, not noisy at all, and have lasted me a long time. But I have to admith I'm getting some Kool-Stop pads and probably won't be going back to Shimanos | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
shaun
a Cross Country Rider
from moss beach, cali
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | dirt ones | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | none. well, better than nothing? maybe not. if you had nothing, you would be forced to buy something, and any salesperson worth thier salt would steer you to some afternarket stuff. | | Weaknesses: | bad to start with and then turned to useless rocks. | | Similar Products Used: | kool stops. so much better. | | Bike Setup: | over the years it has become pretty expensive, and there are three of them. stop now, if you can. | | Bottom Line: | IMHO, the first upgrade, even before clipless. get the shimano turds off the otherwise fine brakes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Philly
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto , Canada
Date Reviewed: November 18, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Don trail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | Stock pads on LX' V | | Strengths: | When they squeal , other riders on the trail will know you are coming . | | Weaknesses: | Leave major black scums on the rims , feels soft and it squeal and grind VERY LOUD. Not much "controlled" stopping power unless you press very hard until your wheels are lock! | | Similar Products Used: | deore , Koolstop | | Bike Setup: | C'dale hardtail with LX drivetrain and brakes , these crap pads come with the LX Vbrakes sets. | | Bottom Line: | If you only ride on sunny days , and only on flat road , and at VERY low speed , these will do just fine , don't waste your money , keep the LX pads.
But if you ever ride on any sloped surface with any kind of speed , spend the few more dollars to get some decent pads! The Koolstop I have work 1000 times better.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kyotadog
a Weekend Warrior
from Des Moines, Iowa, USA
Date Reviewed: November 18, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | These pads would be good for etching stone, shrapnel, or to cut diamonds. | | Weaknesses: | They suck as brake pads! | | Similar Products Used: | Two pieces of granite. | | Bike Setup: | LX Cantilever Brakes | | Bottom Line: | Bogus
Worthless
SCRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Dangerous
If they are on your bike, pitch them immediately.
These rate less than 1, even a zero seems generous. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
phil rowlands
a Weekend Warrior
from south wales , uk
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | afan argoed | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$9.00 | | Purchased At: | h.. middleton cycles | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | pads wear extremely quickly in wet uk conditions , also scraping noise is apparent under heavy sustained braking which leads to rim scoring | | Similar Products Used: | fibrax/coolstop | | Bike Setup: | specialized a1 comp fsr/ stock specialized chainset bar and stem /xt front and rear mech / deore pods/ shimano lx brakes , mavic crossride wheels | | Bottom Line: | pads originally came with lx brake set which were an upgrade from the original tektro quartz brakes that came with the bike which I was not happy with.
stopping power from the LX brakes was exellent but I started to notice a strange scraping 'metal on metal' noise under heavy braking. On inspection I have noticed pieces of metal imbedded in the pads and some scoring on the rims (my nice new crossrides !!)
Pads also seem to dissapear at an alarming rate as soon as the weather becomes remotely damp ( not good living in the welsh damp climate)
In short..
Don't buy these pads - if you upgrade to lx V's dump the stock pads straight away. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Jones
a Weekend Warrior
from Chevy Chase, MD
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | absolutely none | | Bottom Line: | These pads came new on my cyclocross bike. The first ride gouged the new set of rims! I can't believe any company would actually put such a product out there! Stay away! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Todd
a Cross Country Rider
from Smithfield, NC
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | All of them | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Bottom Line: | As if the previous reviews weren't enough, stay away from these pads. I recently equipped my wifes bike with LX brakes. After just 3 weeks of light use these pads were gouging the rims, actually removing large pieces of aluminium from the braking surface. It isn't the rim. I used these rims for 2 months runnning Avid pads and no such problems occurred. If I could give these pads less than a "0" I would. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom
a Cross Country Rider
from Sapporo, Japan
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$9.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Stops you in dry weather | | Weaknesses: | Japan is one of the rainiest places on the planet so don't you think its strange that shimano makes a brake shoe that f333ing sucks in the wet. I think they are quite aware of thier lameness but just don't give a s77t. | | Similar Products Used: | Ritcheys ( they don't do much better in the wet either) | | Bike Setup: | Yes | | Bottom Line: | If you don't have to don't get them. I'm currently testing out some cheap soft rubber brake shoes used on the generic bikes most people ride in Japan. They are pretty thick but they brake OK in the wet although they squeak and screeech sometimes when I feather my brakes. Bottom line wet weather brakes seem like they should be made from a softer better gripping substance. I'm waiting for a V-brake specific wet weather brake shoe but until then I WILL SURVIVE I WILL RIDE | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Getaloda Theseguys
a Racer
from Cottonwood, AZ
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Mingus Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Stock | | Strengths: | Destroys rims with ease | | Weaknesses: | Will stop you if you are going 1 mile every 5 hours | | Similar Products Used: | Magura, Shimano XTR | | Bike Setup: | KHS Mtn Tandemania Alite | | Bottom Line: | Oh my god, I just checked my rims on my BRAND NEW TANDEM and they kacked my rims. I was wondering why the godawful things wouldnt stop me and now I see why. Shimano is doing such a disservice to the customer by selling this glorified piece of sh&t. If you read this review dont throw them in the garbage because some bum may pick them up and may die from your negligence. Take them to ground zero or incinerate them IMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!!! 10,000 Negative chili's. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
weather expert
a Weekend Warrior
from iowa
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | cambria | | Strengths: | not as bad as stock pad on walmart bikes | | Weaknesses: | not as good as anything else either | | Similar Products Used: | koolstop--real pads | | Bike Setup: | xcaliber | | Bottom Line: | what a POS. everytime i apply the brake i hear that sound of something hard scratchng metal. and oh my god my rims are ruined. they should only appear on walmart bikes.
don't buy these pads ever, even for a penny. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a Weekend Warrior
from Berkeley, CA
Date Reviewed: April 5, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | They stop you. | | Weaknesses: | They don't stop well, they leave black crap all over your rims instantly, and they feel mushy. | | Similar Products Used: | Kool Stop pads, Avid/Kool Stop pads, old crappy Shimano cantilever pads | | Bike Setup: | Upgraded Giant Iguana | | Bottom Line: | These brakes suck. While they will stop you, they don't inspire any confidence. I thought I needed brake boosters until I changed pads to Avid/Koolstops. What a difference! My Kool Stop canteliver pads stop my old bike with low end Shimano cantis better than the LX pads on new parallel push LX V-brakes. I replaced the Shimano V pads with Avid Rim Wranglers and noticed a big improvement. Don't buy Shimano brake pads. They haven't got a clue on how to make them properly. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert
a Cross Country Rider
from Lewsiburg, PA USA
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | technical ones | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | mail order | | Strengths: | better than bricks | | Weaknesses: | will destroy your rims, and then your head, as they will not stop you. | | Similar Products Used: | Avid Rim Wranglers | | Bike Setup: | KHS steel hardtail LX and XT | | Bottom Line: | Don't use these! Take them off now, and get some Kool Stops or Avids. They grind your rims like a grinding stone would. They have poor stopping power and are noisy(you can hear the grinding). Even worse when wet. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: January 11, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Stock on bike | | Strengths: | -reasonable stopping power | | Weaknesses: | -Blackens rims
-Shreiking noise when stopping
-Crappy when wet
-Leave pout holes on your rims | | Similar Products Used: | Kool Stop | | Bike Setup: | Zakar custom | | Bottom Line: | Take them off your bike immediately. Most manufacturers use these to cut costs. They blacked my old rims and left scars on them (the rims were upgraded eventually). Buy a set of Kool stops that are decent wet, provide nice stopping power and most importantly will not scar your rims. You'll notice the difference. These things are the equivalent of cheap plastic. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Doug
a Cross Country Rider
from Tacoma, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Lots of 'em at Victor Falls | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Performance Bike | | Strengths: | hmmmmmm... I guess they stopped the bike. | | Weaknesses: | Pretty much everything. They wear out SUPER FAST and eat your rims in the process. | | Similar Products Used: | Kool Stop, pads on my old Alivio Canti's. | | Bike Setup: | GT Ricochet with full 2000 XT Group except for LX brakes. Easton EA 50 riser bar and seat post, Rhyno Lite rims (best rims avaliable IMHO) Salsa Brake booster. | | Bottom Line: | These pads suck wookie!!! They came with my LX brakes, and wore out after about 3 rides! On top of that, upon inspection they had some mysterious metal shards in them, which I assumed were the source of the horrible grinding noise they made whenever I stopped with them. I dont know where these shards come from, but they gouged the beautiful machined sidewalls of my Rhyno Lites somthing fierce (I hope they werent pieces of rim). Unless you want to ruin your rims and waste money, don't ever buy these pads. The LX brakes work well, just replace the pads first thing with some Kool Stops. If only you could award negative chilis... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rui
a Weekend Warrior
from Lisboa, Portugal
Date Reviewed: December 7, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Fair amount of stopping power. They came with LX V-brakes | | Weaknesses: | They destroy your rims. They´re dirty - everything goes black. | | Similar Products Used: | acera, koolstop | | Bike Setup: | Cube Pro Elite XT/LX V-brakes | | Bottom Line: | I was reasonably happy with these pads, although they were making everything black (like disks do in cars), until I inspected more closely my rims. Well, they were all scratched by these terrible pads.
Now I changed to a set of Koolstop pads embedded in the beatifull SRAM ESP 9.0 cartridges and I am quite happy. These seem to be much more gentle to the rims and stopping power has also increased. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rod Angler
a Weekend Warrior
from NOLA
Date Reviewed: December 6, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | hoopuh | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Odor, as in Strong odor (they stink) | | Weaknesses: | grabby, no modulation.
Harsh, scour metal off rims.
Glaze over with aluminum.
Leave rims black and etched.
| | Similar Products Used: | Precision Billet pads. | | Bike Setup: | yep, it is. | | Bottom Line: | Very poor. Don't ride a mile with these on a new bike, dump immediately as recommended below. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Blair
a Cross Country Rider
from Wellington, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Makara Peak | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | Good stopping power initially | | Bike Setup: | 2000 Avanti Agressor, LX throughout with XT BB & rear der., Rock Shox SID XC in lieu of the stock Manitous, changed the tyres (it's spelt like that in NZ, not tires) | | Bottom Line: | These pads came stock on my new Aggressor, I'd read these reviews prior to I got delivery of the bike & thought that they couldn't be that bad. HOW WRONG I WAS !. They had been good for the first two rides, but at the top of my third ride with me looking down a gnarly wee section of single track the rear brakes decided to vibrate. Now they didn't just vibrate a bit & squeal, they shock the @#$% out of the whole rear of the bike, so much so that I could feel the vibration all the way up my spine when the saddle was pressed against the inside of my thigh. It felt like they had a tree trunk stuck in them. No amount of adjustment or tweaking fixed them. Off they came & I now have a new set of Kool Stop All Weather Thin-lines and they are fantastic. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan S
a Cross Country Rider
from Kirtland
Date Reviewed: November 8, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Stock on bike | | Strengths: | Durable with decent stopping power. | | Weaknesses: | Hard on rims? | | Similar Products Used: | Various stock pads (Shimano & D/C) | | Bike Setup: | GT Pantera with Mavic rims / Shimano LX V-brakes | | Bottom Line: | These pads came stock on my GT. I thought everyone complaining about these pads must have been crazy until this past summer. One day I noticed a "grinding" sound coming from the rear brakes. I figured that one of the pads picked up a small rock or some other foreign material. When I removed the pads they looked clean except for bits of metal embedded in them and there were also scars on the rim. I cleaned the pads (picked out the metal) and sanded the rim sidewalls to smooth over the gouges. Unfortunately, the problem returned during my very next ride. Being that others have complained about the same problem, this must not be unusual. I just bought some Kool Stops and am hoping that they will be a little gentler on what's left of my rim. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
micki
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle
Date Reviewed: October 3, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Can't think of any. | | Weaknesses: | Scoured my rims, wore down, squealed like mad. | | Similar Products Used: | Kool Stops | | Bike Setup: | Schwinn Mesa - mostly stock. | | Bottom Line: | These pads came stock on my Schwinn. Being a newbie, I kept trying to adjust the pads to get rid of the terrible squeal. Hey, what's all that metal on the pads? And why are my rims so chewed up? Finally consulted some newsgroups and swapped them out for Kool Stops. No more squeal, but I probably will need to replace my rims too. If they came stock on your bike, replace them. Better yet, see if the LBS will do it before you take it home. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
woodsman
a Cross Country Rider
from Oregon
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | fireroads rule | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Are you kidding????? | | Weaknesses: | Makes complaining too easy... | | Similar Products Used: | Koolstop threaded | | Bike Setup: | Cdale f1000 | | Bottom Line: | Listen to these reviews on these things. One would think the big "S" is out to destroy rims (could be). Metal flakes, scored braking surfaces, the metal-on-stone grinding noise are all true, along with a monumental stopping distance. Only an imbecile would buy these as replacements!! Have replaced them with koolstops and they are everything these aren't. Stock "S" pads are junk; AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom
a Weekend Warrior
from Palo Alto, CA
Date Reviewed: July 28, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | None. | | Weaknesses: | Noise. Not squealing, just a loud rubbing noise when the brakes are applied. Then a metal to metal rubbing sound after a few hard brakes. | | Similar Products Used: | Dia Compe (OEM on my bike, which performed better - DOH!!) | | Bike Setup: | Rockhopper | | Bottom Line: | To everyone who reads mine and the others' reviews. Believe them. Do not go an inch on your bike with these brake pads if you value your rims. Get third party pads. Anything, just not the LX ones. I thought I was going crazy thinking something like rubber or whatever compound could actually scour metal. I have grooves on my rim that prove that they can. Read on...
I wish I had read all these reviews before I got the LX brakes. I am thankful, though, that I've only gone riding with them 3 times. The rubbing sound was apparent my first time out. I blamed myself for maybe not adjusting the brakes properly. In the middle of the same ride during a long bumpy, somewhat steep downhill (hence a little more braking than normal) I hear this metal to metal scraping sound that is obviously coming from the rear brakes on the rim. I stopped as quickly as I could thinking that somehow a pebble had lodged itself between the pads and the rim. After releasing the brakes to examine them further, I found nothing, which shouldn't be surprising to all the other ex-LX-pad-users here. I experienced the same exact thing the two other times I went riding. I've made adjustments in between all three rides. Reading these reviews makes me feel better knowing I'm not going nuts. My rims are saved!! I'm going to get Kool Stops at my LBS on my way home. The ratings should be zero but one is the lowest. The sad thing - my LX pads including all those that belonged to the reviewers before me are paid for, so Shimano shouldn't care, right? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
M.H.
a Cross Country Rider
from the UK
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | A good, solid steel bolt
They're called "M-System", which sounds OK | | Weaknesses: | Crap wet weather performace
Squeal
Tendancy to destroy rims | | Similar Products Used: | Kool Stop Eagle Claws (on cantis)
Fibrax cartridge pads (on Vs) | | Bike Setup: | GT Karakoram | | Bottom Line: | Often reviews on this site are a bit over the top, a bit sensationalist, but in this case the reviews are absolutely right - these are truly terrible pads.
They are impressive for the fisrt few hours of riding, simply because the LX V-brake they're bolted onto is such an excellent bit of kit. After a little wearing in, they start to make hideous scraping noises. Out of mechanical sympathy you stop and examine the pad, and find that it has picked up bits of aluminium from your rim. These then grate along the rim, digging into it.
I find it impossible to fathom how a company like Shimano, who have produced the superb LX V-brakes and levers, can come up with these pads. Why don't they give up trying and get someone like Kool Stop or Fibrax to make pads for them.
Within 3 weeks of buying my bike I changed the pads to Fibrax cartridge-style pads. The dry weather performance is at least equal, the wet weather performance is leagues ahead and when properly set up they are completely silent. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike taylor
a Cross Country Rider
from forney tx usa
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | a good dirt one | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | quickly learn how to build a new wheel! And how to install new kool stops! | | Weaknesses: | all! | | Similar Products Used: | now have xtr they are ok | | Bike Setup: | carbon hardtail | | Bottom Line: | these don't belong on a huffy! they are good for scrubbing that last bit of stuff off the dirty pans though! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
DaWobbler
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Rosa, CA
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | The one that snapped me collarbone! | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | They make absolutely great curled aluminum garnishes. No longer have to buy abstract art as i just hang my destroyed rims on my walls. Grinding noises scare the hell out of fellow bikers immediately alerting them that I'm a squid whereby they rapidly jump out of my way. | | Weaknesses: | As if I needed to continue.... | | Bike Setup: | Proflex Beast... JC at www.Bennetts.com absolutely rocks...great prices on K2 Closeouts and JC is without a doubt the most stand up guy in the business. Bought three bikes from these guys and JC ROCKS!!!! | | Bottom Line: | Simply put, theses pads devoured a set of Sun rims in one single concrete ride to the trail. If you bought the bike new and it came with these pads...Dont, DONT bother turning a single revolution without first throwing these at the first Big S rep you can find!~
Lemme see... Wheelset 300-400 - Brake Pads...tops 20 bucks... you make the call!
One flaming set of brake pads because they might keep you warm if you burned them while lost on the trail. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
matt
a Cross Country Rider
from raleigh
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | pisgah | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | none. they dont even come with washers. rediculous | | Weaknesses: | compound too hard, wears down VERY EASILY. rather difficult to adjust in comparison to kool stop. dont clear dirt and grime at all. they absoloutely suck. | | Similar Products Used: | kool stop | | Bottom Line: | only took one ride to killem, albeit in the rain, downhill. after apporox ten minutes of downhill i had to adjust the barrels to full, ten minutes after that i was out of compound and the metal was rubbing against the rim, scoring it severely. dont buy them, theres a reason why theyre OEM...theyre CHEAP! disgregard the value rating. it should be zero. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob Valentine
a Downhiller
from Banbury UK
Date Reviewed: March 13, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | uuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmm............ they are not pink, my DX brakes a a pretty colour (red) | | Weaknesses: | power (sorry lack of power)
price
set up,
wear,
just about every thing | | Similar Products Used: | dia compe 757's, with even worse pads ???????????????? sorry but i thought you couldn't get any worse, just off to get kool stop pads | | Bike Setup: | orange airo maz bomber z3 long travels, '98 dx v's mavic d521 cd rim (although they are silver on the brake walls now because of the wear | | Bottom Line: | do not touch these with a 100mile bardge pole, buy fibrax or kool stop instaed why waste 7 quid on a pile of shiite like these when you counld spend 6 quid on decent pads. these have a stopping distance of about 50m at 20 mph | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Thomas Baumann
a Weekend Warrior
from East Lansing, Michigan, USA
Date Reviewed: March 1, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | none detected | | Weaknesses: | they damage the rim, no stopping power | | Similar Products Used: | Kool Stop | | Bike Setup: | Shimano LX V-brakes, Ritchey aluminum rim | | Bottom Line: | These brake pads came with the brakes, so I did a test ride with them. From the mtb-reviews on LX V-brakes I knew that these brake pads are bad, but I didn't expect this: after riding only 3 miles and braking hard for two or three times, I could see aluminum flakes that were ripped out of my rim! Then I knew why the brakes made a milling noise when applied! And they have no stopping power, because they get clogged with aluminum flakes. Considering the large number of bad reviews and damaged rims, we should try to get new rims from Shimano! I wouldn't give them a single chili, if that was possible! Don't buy them; if you have them, replace them right away! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Westy
a Racer
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Cool Looks | | Weaknesses: | Everthing | | Similar Products Used: | Kool Stop, Magura | | Bike Setup: | Kona Jake the Snake, Kona Hahanna, Specialized Stumpjumper. | | Bottom Line: | These pads suck the big one!!! A shining example of a company with a monopoly! They suck and will always suck, and they don't care! They eat rims like you wouldn't believe. I wish I could rate them lower but its not possible!
They were OE on some of the bikes and man did I ever learn my lesson, the meterial from the rims gets imbedded in the pad and scores the rim!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul Baswell
a Weekend Warrior
from Henderson nv usa
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | black trail Lv | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | ajusments are dun very fast | | Weaknesses: | brake fading | | Similar Products Used: | only ever uesd shimano brakes | | Bike Setup: | treck cm fram with mostly xtr and a few lx conponits | | Bottom Line: | if u are a down hill kind of guy forget theas brakes unles u want to go over a monten!!!! mostly the way theas brakes pick up mico amonts of dust and grait wich is what i belev coses there down fall i think perhaps just a redo of the pad matireal would help gratly. as to heat disapasion theas
brakes seam to have a hard time geting rid of it the are mad of aluminemin perhaps an aloy would hep that . | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a Weekend Warrior
from Vernon
Date Reviewed: February 11, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | they stop u, well sort of | | Weaknesses: | melt in water | | Similar Products Used: | the ones on my bike | | Bike Setup: | Giant Boulder 550 w/ RST 281(w/ 20mm of travel, not including boots), LX brakes | | Bottom Line: | If and when u buy these really good brakes, buy different pads with the brakes! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sleep
a Cross-Country Rider
from North Texas
Date Reviewed: October 10, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Trying to find one | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
They are better then jamming your foot into the spokes | | Weaknesses: |
They are eating my rims, don't stop in the wet, raise all kinds of hell in the noise department, make a black mess of the rims and wear fast | | Similar Products Used: |
Kool Stop and Tektro | | Bike Setup: |
Nils Palm Wind fully suspended recumbent | | Bottom Line: | It boggles my mind to think that Shitmano can make a pad that completely sucks! I guess that when you don't have competition your products get crappier and more expensive. The pads had slivers of aluminum jammed in them and I slapped a set of Tektro pads I had laying around and they work way better then the LX pads. No noise, no rim eating and no mess! How hard can it be to make brake pads? Shitmano is coming out with wheelsets and I guess this is a way for them to generate funds by destroying your rims. Total garbage and they wreck your rims. Zip chilies! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
doug
a Weekend Warrior
from longmont
Date Reviewed: October 7, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
hall ranch | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Hmm....none? | | Weaknesses: |
Loud.
They don't stop well.
Marks rims pretty badly. | | Similar Products Used: |
Kool Stop | | Bike Setup: |
Barracuda Comp HT | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is these things suck. They make nasty noises and have very poor stopping power. My old GT had a U brake/canti combo that I slapped Kool Stop pads on and it stopped way better than these brand new LX Vs that were professionally installed! Upgrade, big time. Get some Kool Stop replacements. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jeff 12 years old
a Cross-Country Rider
from mn
Date Reviewed: October 5, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
xc | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
none | | Weaknesses: |
they make to much
noise you can hear them for 8 miles | | Similar Products Used: |
xtr pads rule and
rock shox,hope,hayesamp rule to | | Bike Setup: |
i have rock shox disk
up frount on my trek
and LX on the back | | Bottom Line: | they SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! alot | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Morgan
a Cross-Country Rider
from Fresno CA
Date Reviewed: September 24, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Millerton Loop | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
None | | Weaknesses: |
They made tons of noise and scarred my rims. The front brake pad fell right off of the brake the first time i rode the bike. | | Similar Products Used: |
Just purchased a set of 1999 XTR brakes. I think my troubles are over. | | Bike Setup: |
1998 K2 proflex 4000 with Rock Shock Judy XC.
Azonic bars, truVativ crank, Azonic riser bars, wellgo pedals | | Bottom Line: | The pads suck, and this comes from a Shimano fan. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: September 11, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Great braking power | | Weaknesses: |
Destroy rims | | Similar Products Used: |
LX cantilevers, XT-XTR V's, Avid | | Bike Setup: |
93 Trek 8000, 98 LX group | | Bottom Line: | When new I was impressed with the braking power. After 50 miles I noticed a metallic noise when braking and some grooves on the rims. At 200 miles I noticed too many grooves and a lot of aluminum particles in the pads. I replaced them with Kool Stops.I contacted Shimano customer service. They indicated that they haven't received any complaints about LX V-brake pads. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy Rixon
a Downhiller
from Oxford UK
Date Reviewed: September 9, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Aston Hill, Wendover | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Bottom Line: | THEY ARE CR@P, they worst ever, they barely stop the bike, I got Aztec pads after a week and they are brilliant | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Simon
a Cross-Country Rider
from Alpharetta Ga
Date Reviewed: August 11, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
I don't think they have any. | | Weaknesses: |
They are not cartridge. Very expensive. Blacken your rim. Wears FAST. Makes a grinding sound after awhile. SUX in water. | | Similar Products Used: |
Kool stop avid rim wrangler-SWEET (they are the same) shimano XT-SUCK | | Bike Setup: |
Schwinn | | Bottom Line: | I have probably never used any bike component as bad as these pads. They are terrible!! They leave this black smudgy stuff on your rim and they wear in a heartbeat. They are also waaaaaaaay tooo overpriced. But, in the first couple of days they actually work nicely but then you get that terrible sound and all the problems start. Go with the Koolstops. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Micke Olofsson
a Cross-Country Rider
from Stockholm, Sweden
Date Reviewed: July 28, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
None | | Weaknesses: |
Totally destroying my Araya rims. Deep scars in the rims. Sounds really bad when braking. | | Similar Products Used: |
Ritchey - the red ones for V-brakes. | | Bike Setup: |
GT Tequesta '98. Indy XC. LX V brakes. | | Bottom Line: | They are the worst pads I have ever tried!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross-Country Rider
from NC
Date Reviewed: July 27, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Concord Track | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
I DON'T KNOW | | Weaknesses: |
Paints my rims...
Wears FAST! | | Similar Products Used: |
xtr, xt, lx, stx-rc, hayes, coda, list goes on | | Bike Setup: |
Schwinn S[969].20 | | Bottom Line: | It sucks! I had to send my spin wheels back to the factory to get new rims installed... it totally chewed and digested my rims! I'd give it 5 dung piles! Don't ever get LX V-brake pads again.... it sanded my *%#@ing rims down! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joachim
a Cross-Country Rider
from Germany
Date Reviewed: July 26, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
xc | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
??? | | Weaknesses: |
leave gum on the rims
mould alu from my rims | | Similar Products Used: |
-- | | Bike Setup: |
katarga alu race, rigid
lx v-brakes | | Bottom Line: | really bad stuff, my rims look as if I was braking with stones or drills. I have them for only 2 weeks and after my last ride I'm sure to have to replace them by now. If possible I would give them minus 4 chilis.... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
noTHINGface
a Cross-Country Rider
from Around
Date Reviewed: July 26, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Errmm..... | | Weaknesses: |
Poor modulation in the wet, overheating in the dry, bugger up yer rims. Taste funny. | | Similar Products Used: |
STX | | Bike Setup: |
Marin , LX | | Bottom Line: | These pads are very poor, I have to agree with everything that has been said before, there is nothing I can add. Within 4 miles these buggers had cut into my rims and covered them with the ubiquitous black residue.Have Shimano just reboxed the crappy Dia Comp blocks?One red log....... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SK
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia
Date Reviewed: July 21, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
The narrowest pad I have seen | | Weaknesses: |
Eat the rim side wall
Low stopping power | | Similar Products Used: |
Dia Compe 733 pads | | Bike Setup: |
Avanti Hammer
Jett XC | | Bottom Line: | It is a totally crap pads and even the 733 is better than that. Ate my rims' sidewall and left a black mark all around. Very disappointed! I would give -ve chilly if i could. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Taylor Boyko
a Cross-Country Rider
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: July 20, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
better than no brakes at all | | Weaknesses: |
leave black stuff on your rims
make noises sometimes
hard to stop in rain (oregon) | | Bike Setup: |
Specialized Hardrock | | Bottom Line: | It is relatively cheap to buy new brake pads so if you are going to be riding in wet conditions, or you have nice enough rims that you dont want them to get black, buy new brake pads. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jaromir
a Cross-Country Rider
from Prague, Czech Republic
Date Reviewed: July 6, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Good braking in dry conditions
Look cool | | Weaknesses: |
Catch any piece of junk they come in contact with
Not very long-lasting
rims scratched
sqeezing in wet conditions | | Similar Products Used: |
STX
Tektro | | Bike Setup: |
Mongoose Iboc 0G, Marzocchi XCR | | Bottom Line: | Shame on shimano, the last good braking pads from shimano were the STX. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a Cross-Country Rider
from vernon
Date Reviewed: July 4, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
technical ones | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
stop you | | Weaknesses: |
black stuff on rims
scratchy noise | | Bike Setup: |
giant boulder 550 | | Bottom Line: | The brakes are awesome pads suck! I have had these brakes less than 2 months and I haven't started to ride really hard until 3 weeks ago and I am going to have to buy new pads. They stop you in dry conditions but it really hasn't been dry in Vernon since May long weekend so I really can't say. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Arnach
a Cross-Country Rider
from PA
Date Reviewed: July 3, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Maybe 700-800 miles last month still stop good. | | Weaknesses: |
Why the %@#& are my rims black? They were silver when I got them...have to clean them every ride. | | Bottom Line: | Need to replace them. They make alot of noise when wet...but they do stop. I wondering if I can get this black gunk off of my rim now... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Drew
a Racer
from Harrisonburg
Date Reviewed: June 16, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Cheap | | Weaknesses: |
Wear too fast
Rim damage
Noisy | | Similar Products Used: |
Ritchey, Kool Stop | | Bike Setup: |
Trek 930 frame with Ritchey Pro Wheels, Rock Shox, Shimano LX/XT components | | Bottom Line: | These pads came with the brake set. They stop well, but gouged big slivers of aluminum out of my brand new Ritchey rims, which then got stuck in the pads and proceeded to cut somne nice deep grooves in the braking surface. This happened during a race, so it wasn't like I could stop to fix them on the fly. Luckily, the rims are not ruined. I replaced these LX pieces of junk with Ritchey pads. So far, so good. Come to think of it, I had the same problem with the Dura Ace brake pads on my road bike. Hmmmmm, looks like Shimano needs to do a little more R&D! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a Weekend Warrior
from Salisbury,MD
Date Reviewed: May 27, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
They come free with the brake kit. | | Weaknesses: |
See bottom line-too many to list. | | Similar Products Used: |
Aztec II | | Bike Setup: |
Schwinn heavily modified 96 Clear Creek | | Bottom Line: | These pads sucks the lower half of my balls. Horrid creations-Black gunk, absorb any type of grease or oil and never seam to stop leaching it out. They also hold dirt and have been wearing through my bontrager rims like no tomorrow. Buy the v-brakes-trash the pads. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Racer
from Elkridge,MD
Date Reviewed: May 3, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Avalon | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Reviewing Canti's...
Ability to rip through perfectly good rims | | Weaknesses: |
Ability to rip through perfectly good rims | | Similar Products Used: |
Ritchey | | Bike Setup: |
Stumpy A1FS | | Bottom Line: | I have added similar reviews to this thread in the past. I feel so strongly about the quality of my Canti experience that I give the lowest rating again. Pads suck suck suck. Brakes are just fine. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
AIDS
a Cross-Country Rider
from Vancouver Island
Date Reviewed: April 4, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Easy on your rims! Not bad when conditions are dry. | | Weaknesses: |
Wear-out way too fast. Leave horrible black gunk on your rims, especially when wet. When they are wet, you may as well not have them because the DON'T WORK! | | Bike Setup: |
Norco Rampage | | Bottom Line: | These pads work well in the summer here but when we get our wet, west coast conditions they SUCK! Last week I went through a creek and then down a hill. At the bottom the was a corner but there was no way that I could slow down at all. I hit a tree and bent my rim really bad. Had to buy a new rim. You may save a couple of dollars and they don't wear out rims as fast as other pads but when you have to spend $150 on a new wheel, your better off getting the more expensive pads! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
nate
a Cross-Country Rider
from ia
Date Reviewed: March 30, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
brushy creek trails | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
? | | Weaknesses: |
relly soft compound | | Similar Products Used: |
koolstop pads | | Bike Setup: |
trek bike with an indy shock | | Bottom Line: | these pads came with an lx brakeset i just bought i have only ridden about 175 miles and there already down to the medal studs they are oem peices of crap | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MCA
a Weekend Warrior
from Clarkston, MI
Date Reviewed: March 15, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Bottom Line: | The pads came OEM on mybike. I haven't had any problems with them. I've ridden ian all types of terrain and weather and they seem to work fine. I do notice that black resin crap on my rims, that's really the only complaint. You need to clean your rims often. Minus some chilies for the maintenence. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Colin Tucker
a cross-country rider
from Somerset, UK
Date Reviewed: March 7, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I wore out a new set of these in 3 days riding in the wet sandy muddy conditions of the Quantocks (a large ridge in North Somerset). Not Impressed at all. Total waste of money. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ed
a weekend warrior
from Apex, NC
Date Reviewed: March 1, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Junk, crap, worthless, excrement, etc...You get the point. What the hell is that black crud on my rims that I have to clean off EVERY time I ride??? But a least they wear out in a hurry so I have to go buy some real pads. No modulation, it's either nothing or locked up (and I used to be able to modulate my braking with my old Ritchie Reds equipped bike). Your better off using the closest tree/boulder to slow you down. Shame on Shimano... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Al
a cross-country rider
from college station, Tx
Date Reviewed: February 24, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
These things are pretty sorry. I haven't had the problems others have had with no braking power in the wet, but they don't feel good and they wear out way fast. Definately not worth the 15 or 20 bucks a pair they go for. Now that Aztec makes V pads, I'm getting them--I had Aztecs on my cantis for years and loved them. Two chilis, cause they look cool. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom
a weekend warrior
from Indiana
Date Reviewed: February 23, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
These are good pads...for me to poop on!! Seriously folks, you don't have to be a cross country racer or even know much about bikes to realize that all the complaints about these pads are valid. For awhile I was wondering what all the fuss was about. That is, until today when I rode my bike for less than 1 mile back to my dorm while it was snowing. During the ride I noticed that modulation in my breaks was increased. Got back to my room and found a layer of rubber on my rims. They do stop well in dry conditions but are awful when it's wet and cold. I can only imagine what these pads have done for the people below me who took them on rides lasting more than a quick jaunt around campus. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Too $hort
a weekend warrior
from Moscow, PA
Date Reviewed: February 14, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
These pads came stock on my Giant ATX 880 bike. The stopping power in very dry conditions was adequate, but they literally melted at the first signs of moisture. Since I am away at school now, I spend 9 months of the year in the middle of the state, riding the semi-technical trails of Rothrock and Toftrees … and am subjected to a lot of mud. The main prob I’ve had with these pads, besides the fact that they only lasted me a few rides, is that they left black residue all over my rims. In addition, they’ve shredded my rims, and have made them a pain to clean.I’m getting my baby ready for the spring and, needless to say, am replacing my pads with some Kool Stops. We’ll see how they do compared to Shimano’s weak attempt at brake pads.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Geoff Warnock
a weekend warrior
from England
Date Reviewed: February 5, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Contrary to most of the reviews here I think these pads are fine, for the money.
Under downhill riding the pads heat up massively, and produce a lot of residue, but have still lasted me months. To those who say they only last a week or so, dont brake so much you wimps, try riding over 20 mph !!!( and nearer 40)
I have ripped one pad set into pieces doing trials, but this was due to a buckled rim if anything.
4/5. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a cross-country rider
from England
Date Reviewed: February 2, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
These pads are crap. They wear out in a couple of rides and don't stop as well as most other pads. In wet, muddy conditions I have seen them go from new to being worn out in just one ride. Don't buy them. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Oronde Armstrong
a weekend warrior
from Boston MA
Date Reviewed: January 29, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I never had any problems with these pads, I ride trials and so far have been able to use these pads wet, or dry with no tar and not have my rim slip. I personally believe that half the people on this list don't know what there talking about and just like any good lemming are following the crowd and giving poor reviews. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Elliott Austin
a weekend warrior
from Blowing Rock N,C
Date Reviewed: January 24, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Let me tell you these are the worst pads I have ever had in my life. I had just got a new bike (Schwinn Moab 2, but eventualy tradded in for a Moab 1 Alu. 2 weeks later) and in less than 3 weeks the pads were worn down to the steel wires. Now I'm only 15 and weight about 130 pounds. This should not have happened. DON'T BUY THESE IF YOU DONT HAVE TO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ringo
a weekend warrior
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: January 21, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
These comments are probably getting repetitive by now, but seriously, they have all the durability of soggy gingerbread in wet conditions. Granted, they stopped me OK, but left a trail of black crap everywhere, and have all but disintegrated in a few hours of riding in the wet.If you NEVER cycle in within a week of a rainstorm, then they seem to be OK, but I'm sure there are better pads out there. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard
a weekend warrior
from Antwerp, Belgium
Date Reviewed: November 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Imagine, just bought a new bike (Scott Comp Racing) and I went happily into the most beautiful hills of Luxembourg (Do check out the regions around Diekirch and Echternach if you get the chance). The rain, leafs and mud couldn’t stop me from going, and apparently the LX break pads (model 99) thought the same. Already after one day of heavy duty the pads were gone and I was exploring the dirt from a closer distance then intended.I do not get it, because, for example, the old EXAGE pads work fine, even after 4 years of heavy duty on a classic Batavus Buster (15.5kg of Dutch steel and rubber)!!!!! I now replaced them on this old bike with the STX-RC cantilevers and they are even better than the EXAGE.....AND LX.....ones…MESSAGE FOR SHIMANO: THE DEORE LX PADS ARE BAD AND SHOULD, AS THEY ARE NOW, BE REMOVED FROM THE MARKET. I do NOT want to stop my bike with something cotton like!
WEREN’T THE BAD REVIEWS OF LAST YEAR ENOUGH?Oh yes, one weak chili for their impressive looks after one day on the edge.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nathan
a weekend warrior
from Calgary, Alberta - Canada
Date Reviewed: October 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These pads came stock on my Mongoose Tetra SX bike. The stopping power in very dry conditions was OK. But since I live on the west side of the Canadian rockies I am subjected to a lot of muddy trails. Once you these puppies get wet they screach like crazy and mud builds up fast. Another beef that I had with these pads is that they left black residue all over my rims (A real pain to clean off). Thes pads are also very abrasive to the rims. I actually found pieces of metal embedded into the pads. I recently bought some Kool Stop Pads which are absolutely superior to these Shimano pieces of crap. If these come stock on your bike I recommend changing them immediately (you'll save the life of your rims!) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ricksom
a weekend warrior
from Toronto, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a review of the Shimano LX V-brake pads.They seem to last a long time (over 1 season and 800 kms later), considering I use them a lot on the singletrack I ride. However, they do rub against Sunn CR18 rims which are now quite shiny because they are not the hardest rims. They also seem to have chewed these rims quite nicely because they seem to catch grit and hold it well. I suspect these pads are quite hard compared to other brands.Now the bad news...
These pads squeal like hell whenever there is any moisture around, or high humidity.
Your rims start looking like black soot.
If you clamp hard on your brakes for more than 10 seconds, the pads start to quickly fade and oscillate under stress making you not too confident on steep descents.
Mud gets easily stuck in these pads.Recently switched to Kool-Stop Thinline, and Mavic 517 rims. Things are much better now! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pedro
a weekend warrior
from Portugal (Lisboa)
Date Reviewed: September 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
these pads lasts a lot, but they are a dirt.
the rim is scratched out and they constantly creak.
They just stops well in dry time, in wet time they stops badly and they still creak more.
this is a piece of shi...don´t buy Shimano LX pads, for the some money you can have Kool stops. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brad hartsock
a weekend warrior
from phx, az
Date Reviewed: September 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
lx pads came standard on my raleigh m600 and have been my only source of trouble. grindy, noisy and load the rim up with metal chips that seem to shred the pads even quicker. kool stop pads (along with having the rims buffed) was the only solution. YIKES! tektro pads that came with my wife's raleigh m80 kick ass...smooth and silent. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chucko
a weekend warrior
from Silicon Valley, USA
Date Reviewed: September 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These came stock on my '97 Gary Fisher Big Sur, attached to the otherwise quite decent STX-RC/LX V brakes. The pads weren't the worst stock component on the bike, but they're not far from it.The Shimano pads have a nasty habit of squealing as they get warm on long downhill runs (gotta keep it under 15 MPH to avoid a big fine from the radar rangers around here). Then the squealing turns to scraping and you find your rims are getting thin, as the pads are flaking off the alloy!Unlike some others, I found pad life was not a problem. But rim life was going to become a problem, so I switched to Ritchey black pads. I'll find out how they work tomorrow.Two chilis, and that's being generous. Why can't Shimano make a decent brake pad? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jere Keskiaho
a cross-country rider
from Finland
Date Reviewed: September 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've used these pads just for 3 weeks and now they are all worn out. They pick up sand and so much dirt that they have scratched my rims totally. I would not recormend these to enyone who would like to use rims longer than a year. When it rains these pads seem to melt. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pete
a cross-country rider
from Miton, Ont, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 31, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These pads were on my bike when I bought it (used), and they just didn't seem to be effective at stopping. My LBS replaced them with Ritchey pads and, wow, what a difference. The LX pads are very poor at stopping in all conditions that I ride in. Too bad because everything else LX is good. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mitch
a weekend warrior
from Indiana
Date Reviewed: August 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These pads pick up so much grit that they are sanding my rims (And my wife's) down. They came stock on our bikes but will be replaced soon. I will probably replace them with Topo shoes and pads from Performance as these have replaceable pads like XTR's. Shimano better get this act together. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon
a cross-country rider
from CT, USA
Date Reviewed: August 17, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Dude, these pads blow. My bike came with Avid V's, and the original pads were great stoppers, but unfortunately didnt last long. So, i took my bike down to the shop to see what pads i could get with my pocket change. I finally decided on LX pads, cause it was the only cheap pad i could afford at the moment with a name i could trust (well, usually). MISTAKE!!!! These pads stop worse than the originals, and wear down even quicker! They lasted me a record ONE WEEK! I live in a hilly area, and i usually bike to the place i bike at. Well, on the road, you're going 40MPH, and stop sign ahead. I brake to stop, and boom, a third of the pad is gone. Poopy pads. Great for people who brake in dry conditions or do technical stuff. Bad for people who have lots of corrosion going on between the rim and the pad (mud, water, dirt, etc.). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
DoCh
a weekend warrior
from
Date Reviewed: August 17, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had these Pads for 2 months, and the pads are worn down already. They work well in dry conditions but when i was cycling in the rain all this black crap went all over my rims. They occasionally sound like scratching which i think shouldn't happen. I thought shimano would have made better pads then these crappy burn away pads. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lubosh
a weekend warrior
from Czech Republic
Date Reviewed: August 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
LX pads full of metal (aluminium ?) pieces again and again. Shimano is too strong on bicycle market and makes some sh*t components. No competition - no performance. Scratch my rims in downhill braking. Good stopping power on dry conditions. Did not ride in wet ones. Hope that will get pair of new shoes as free replacement! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Cory
a weekend warrior
from clinton wa
Date Reviewed: August 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
great stopping power all around but they literally melt in the wet. If you ride only in dry conditions they're some of the best pads ever. but any amount of moisture and you'll end up with a black tar all over your rims. I'd give them 5 stars for those of you who only ride in the dry, but only 2 if you ever ride in the wet. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob
a downhiller
from Lansdale PA
Date Reviewed: August 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I do most of my riding downhill with a Cannondale FR Raven with disc brakes, but i was on one trip in maryland (No hills) with some friends and was riding my new Cannondale KV 700 that i use when im not racing. I agree with what everyone said about their quality. They have good stopping power like the XT, which was good. One day it rained and we rode after the storm. holy sh*t, the brake pads DISAPEARED! apparently, these pads really dont like the water because after the ride, the normally blue Richey rims were BLACK and the pads were not there anymore.
i give these pads a 2 because they would work good if you lived in a flat desert that never gets wet. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joacham
a
from Tennesee
Date Reviewed: July 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I don't know why everyone is complaining about these brakes. I've ridden over 12,000 miles and these brakes look as if they are brand new. - Stopping power is tremendous. I can go 60mph to 0 in 15 feet. If that doesn't tell you something then go watch Scooby - Doo. Scooby dooby Doo where are you? We got some work for you now. We can count on you please scooby doo. We know you can catch that villain. We'll give you some damn scooby snacks if you catch the bad guys Scooby!!!!!!! Where the hell is Shaggy and Velma? | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kate
a weekend warrior
from Nottingham, England
Date Reviewed: July 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These pads came on my Timberline which I bought 5 weeks ago - I knew they weren't going to last long, but I was disgusted when I had to take the road route home halfway through a great ride in the Peaks on Sunday cos they had worn down to nothing. Be warned, if you use these pads and are going anywhere further than the newsagents, take spares with you. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a cross-country rider
from irvine, CA
Date Reviewed: July 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
F*CKING S*IT!
Bought these pieces of S*IT 2 days before my trip to
Anza Berego, Cuz sales clerk recommended em
So, im goin down this 13 mile downhill trail they got there, hit some sand, hit
the brakes, no sweat. Get to the bottom, check my rims.
THE BRAKE PADS WERE SILVER WITH ALLOY DUST!
They had worn down and the wires were skratchin up my rimz!
Sob sob, papered em down and threw the S*itty LX's in the dirt, F*ck them
Went home, bought me-self some Kool Stops, =)
Yaya!
F*CK THESE STUPID PIECES OF S*IT!
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jon
a cross-country rider
from nh
Date Reviewed: July 14, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
these are horrible. they melted in the rain and cut into my rims. I'm riding aztecs now. don't really like them much but they're better than shimano. if you ride shimano now watch out if it rains, your pads will be gone by the end of the ride.need to fill up space | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
yakko
a weekend warrior
from u.k
Date Reviewed: July 10, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Yikes!! These pads are pooh!! Lots of metal sticks in them,they dont last long, and after a 4 mile downhill( which was very enjoyable) a quarter of the front most part of the pad on the front wheel just fractured off!!!!
They get two chilles cos their stopping powers alright. Oh and my rims get covered in black stuff- but that dont bother me cos my bike gets covered in shit anyway. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a cross-country rider
from Elkridge, MD
Date Reviewed: July 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I chek in here every so often to cast my vote that these pads suck.These things scored my freakin mavics so bad that the rim had to be replaced. They wear out in about two weeks. Save your money and get a coaster brake. Suck, Suck, Suck ,Suck, Suck ,Suck. Aint cheap either. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Henrik Huttunen
a weekend warrior
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: July 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I had the LX V-brake pads for about 6 months. They worked great for stopping, but then again I was only using them for trials in dry conditions. I did 1 day of riding in the rain and mud and the pads disappeared. Now, I know what everyone has been complaining about!!!!!!!!!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
hau
a cross-country rider
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: July 3, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had these for about six months and all the time I have been dissatisfied.
They ripped shreds out of my rims (luckily those were cheap and nasty) when slightly muddy (good pads would shed mud).
These pads stop well enough, just as well, nobody buy LX pads. Shimano has too tight a hold on the bike market, time somebody kicked their asses.
read my XT pad review as well. | | Overall Rating: |
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