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Ritchey V-Brake Pads

MSRP $ 24.00
# of Reviews 41
Average Rating 3/5
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Description: Ritchey V-Brake Pads


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    Submitted by roy sabb a from 18,anipele street
    Date Reviewed: February 14, 2006
    Duration Product Used:Tested or demo'ed only
    Bottom Line:HELLO SALES,
    IT IS A PLEASURE TO WRITE TO YOU.HOWEVER,MY PURPOSE OF WRITING TO YOU WILL ELABORATED IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPHS.
    I AM INTERESTED IN BUYING SOME OF THE GOODS SOLD IN
    YOUR COMPANY AND LOVE TO SHIP TO NIGERIA WHERE I HAD CLIENTS THAT
    HELP ME SELL GOODS OVER THERE AND I ALSO RUN A STORE THERE.SO I NEED YOUR QUICKEST
    RESPONSE REGARDING SOME QUESTIONS BELOW IN ORDER TO PROCCEED IN BUYING FROM YOU:-

    1.IF YOU SHIP INTERNATIONALLY[ESPECIALLY NIGERIA]

    2.WANT TO KNOW THE COURIER SERVICE USED FOR SHIPMENTS.

    3.IF YOU ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS(MASTER,DISCOVER AND VISA) AS A MEANS OF PAYMENT.

    4. CAN HELP ME SHIP THROUGH DHL/UPS OR TNT EXPRESSES.

    I AWAIT FOR YOUR EARLIEST RESPONSE FOR QUICK PROCEDURE.
    REGARDS



    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Todd a Cross Country Rider from Los Angeles, CA USA
    Date Reviewed: October 2, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Mission Peak
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $8.00
    Purchased At:REI
    Strengths:Stops great with little or no squeaking
    Weaknesses:None so far
    Similar Products Used:XT, Kookstop
    Bike Setup:Litespeed Obed with XT all around
    Bottom Line:My XT V-brakes had caused lots of frustrations with squeaking and squealing from every pad I tried. Finally another rider suggested Richey pads. I picked up some "red" pads... They worked great. Keep your rims clean and scoured and sand off the pads every couple of weeks. No more squealing!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by bobby gent a Weekend Warrior from canby, or
    Date Reviewed: July 17, 2002
    Favorite Trail:lots
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $13.00
    Purchased At:corvallis cycle
    Strengths:none
    Weaknesses:they break at the stem....where the metal shaft connects with the pad
    Similar Products Used:avid rim wranglers
    Bottom Line:go with the rim wranglers they are better
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by FSRslug a Cross Country Rider from Twin Cities, MN
    Date Reviewed: September 6, 2001
    Favorite Trail:The Farm
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $12.00
    Purchased At:Eriks Bike Shop
    Strengths:Provide slowing down power
    Weaknesses:Dont stop as fast i'd like them to. Can't get them adjusted to feel like my friends bikes. They are very squishy. The pad itself is too large.
    Similar Products Used:Dia-compe
    Bike Setup:FSR w/ extras
    Bottom Line:I will not recommend these to anyone. They work for the first 20 hours of riding and then start to degrade in performance a lot. They don't stop very fast(some of that is the brakes and not the pads). Developed a squealing noise like I have never heard before. Most squealing sounds somewhat similar, but this now sound like a teacher dragging her fingernails across the blackboard.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Paul Newdon a Cross Country Rider from Saarbrücken
    Date Reviewed: June 21, 2001
    Favorite Trail:Austrian Trails
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $10.00
    Purchased At:Online Store
    Strengths:No Tear, Great braking in every condition
    Weaknesses:Non so far noticed
    Similar Products Used:V-Brake XT Pads
    Bike Setup:Hardtail with XT Setup and rock-shock fork
    Bottom Line:BUY THE RED PADS and be happy with them
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Steve a Weekend Warrior from Mountain View CA
    Date Reviewed: June 11, 2001
    Favorite Trail:Henry Coe
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $8.00
    Purchased At:Bicycle Outfitter
    Strengths:Decent Stopping Power
    Weaknesses:They eat rims
    Similar Products Used:Ritchey Black
    Kool-Stop
    Avid/Kool-Stop
    Bike Setup:Santa Cruz Superlight
    Bottom Line:I tried some Ritchey blues, and I was blue. They remind me of the rim-ripping Shimanos. When I removed them, there were little bits of aluminum embedded in the pads - not a good thing. Even my last set of Ritchey blacks seemed a bit hard on the rims, but not like the blues. While I had some terrible Avid/Kool-Stop pads (no wet braking), the new Kool-stops are working very well for me, with little rim wear, and powerful braking, both wet and dry.
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Jonathan a Weekend Warrior from St helens, England
    Date Reviewed: November 18, 2000
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $10.00
    Strengths:Dry stopping, wear
    Weaknesses:Wet stopping. They don't.
    Similar Products Used:Most aftermarket V brake blocks
    Bike Setup:Mavic 517 rims
    Bottom Line:Excellent dry stopping, and even good stopping on muddy rides. But in the pouring rain they didn't do anything to slow the bike. I rode down a 1:3 grade with the levers clenched and the bike was accelerating.
    These pads are fine if you ride somewhere where it doesn't rain, but if you ride anywhere in Western Europe, they just don't hack it with water.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by AV98 a Cross Country Rider from SF Bay Area
    Date Reviewed: June 26, 2000
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Strengths:Stopping Power (Dry conditions)
    Durability
    Price
    Weaknesses:Stopping Power (Wet conditions)
    Initial breakin
    Similar Products Used:Shimano XT, STX-RC, XTR, LX
    Kool Stops
    Bike Setup:Proflex 857
    NR2 Front
    NR4 Rear
    Full XT Grouppo
    Bottom Line:Pretty good brake pads for the price with some faults. First thing I noticed right after I put these on, replacing my XT crappy shimano pads, were that they squealed quite a bit. After about 2-3 rides and the pads were worn down the squealing went away. Another quirk about these pads is the wet condition performance: basically really bad. I rode through mud and rain without too much confidence on these puppies. I just didn't push as much as I normally did and was braking way farther then I normally would. So I gave it 4 cheesy poofs for the great dry condition perfomance but I'd stay away from wet conditions with these.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by nelson binch a Cross Country Rider from charlotte,nc,usa
    Date Reviewed: June 2, 2000
    Favorite Trail:cane creek park
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Strengths:great stopping power for clydesdale riding
    red pads look super on my grey black and red bike
    Weaknesses:wears fairly quickly
    Similar Products Used:kool-stop (yuk) xtr avid
    Bike Setup:full xt cc hardtail
    Bottom Line:i put these in some ypk carbon fibre cartridge shells on some brand new deore brakes and i have three times the stopping power i had before with the avid pads
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by M a Cross Country Rider from Europe
    Date Reviewed: May 1, 2000
    Favorite Trail:anything narrow and technical
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Strengths:great breaking power
    no squeling
    not much fading
    really cheap here, like 7 $
    Weaknesses:weaknesses???
    Similar Products Used:lx, xt, corratec yellow
    Bike Setup:y11, xt, judy xc, but who cares, it's the pads we're talking about
    Bottom Line:A good buy, definitely an upgrade from xt. Couldn't stand the XT grinding my rims for nothing - there was no stopping power. Ritchey red pads don't fade even on long and steep descents and don't make any noise. Not that this is as good as it gets but I still have to discover better ones! At this price an absolute winner!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Steve a Weekend Warrior from Mountain View, CA
    Date Reviewed: November 17, 1999
    Duration Product Used:
    1 Year
    Strengths:
    The Ritchey Blacks pads have been good all-around pads. They have a reasonable lifespan and stop as well as anything I've tried in both wet and dry conditions. At $8 a set, they are reasonably priced.
    Weaknesses:
    The grooves are narrow and tend to clog up.
    Similar Products Used:
    Fibrax
    Aztec
    Kool-stop
    Bike Setup:
    XT brakes. I dumped the rim-ripping Shimano pads after only a week. In fairness, my experience with some new Shimano Ultegra road brakes leads me to believe Shimano has changed pad materials.
    Bottom Line:Some previous LX style Ritchey pads I had were labeled Kool-stop on the bottom. It would seem that just about every major pad is actually made by Kool-stop. However, I tend to look for the Ritchey's, as the grooves are cut deeper than most of the other brands, which means I can run them longer before replacement.
    Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Crazy maniac a Weekend Warrior from Europe
    Date Reviewed: November 9, 1999
    Favorite Trail:
    France
    Duration Product Used:
    1 Year
    Strengths:
    Slow wear,
    Good breaking power
    Weaknesses:
    They can sqeal a bit
    Similar Products Used:
    Shimano XT
    Bike Setup:
    XT
    Bottom Line:Good pads for the average rider. They DONT smoke after long downhills, really wear slowly and if they sqeal you only have to rub your rim and the breakpad a little bit with sand paper and voila..
    Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by sveck a Cross-Country Rider from kentucky
    Date Reviewed: October 28, 1999
    Favorite Trail:
    jump-off
    Duration Product Used:
    6 months
    Strengths:
    good power and strength in wet or muddy conditions. long wear.
    Weaknesses:
    none i can see.
    Similar Products Used:
    tektro, shimano XT/XTR
    Bike Setup:
    Specialized with 98 XT v-brakes.
    Bottom Line:get the blue ones. they are hands down the best pads i've ever had. they cost a little more but are WELL worth it. get some, you'll understand then.
    Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Emil Heise a Weekend Warrior from Frederiksberg, Denmark
    Date Reviewed: October 25, 1999
    Duration Product Used:
    2 Years
    Strengths:
    Black: Less noise than Shimano.
    Red: Less noise again, and offer braking in the wet.
    Weaknesses:
    Black: Wet grip as mediocre as Shimano.
    Red: Sporadic squeal, not helped by any lenght of adjustment. Always scream when it starts to get damp, although usually, they quieten down once they've heated up, but they lose power when they're hot....
    Similar Products Used:
    Shimano LX, XT
    Fibrax replacement
    Kool Stop
    Bike Setup:
    Marin Eldridge Grade '96, XT/XTR V Brakes, Mavic SUP rims
    Bottom Line:Noise and lack of power in the wet/cold means black pads are out of the question.
    Red pads are the best that I have tried, but I'm not satisfied yet!
    Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Mikael Olofsson a Cross-Country Rider from Stockholm, Sweden
    Date Reviewed: July 29, 1999
    Duration Product Used:
    less than 1 month
    Strengths:
    Good breaking performance without fading.
    Weaknesses:
    Squeeling a little - I know that a bit of toe in adjustment would solve this problem...
    Bike Setup:
    GT Tequesta '98, LX V, Indy XC.
    Bottom Line:Works much much better than the LX pads I replaced!!! The LX pads scratched my rims, the Ritchey pads don't.
    Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Peter V a Cross-Country Rider from Netherlands
    Date Reviewed: May 10, 1999
    Duration Product Used:
    6 months
    Strengths:
    Extreme pads!!!!!!Very good I'm 95 kg but no problem! I road 1500 miles and still they braek like hell
    Weaknesses:
    No pins for attaching
    Similar Products Used:
    Shimano XTR
    Bike Setup:
    Marin Palissade Trail, Shimano XT V-brakes
    Bottom Line:Perfect, they do not wear as fast as the Shimano shit, little expensiver but oke. Like the blue color!!
    Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by SNODOG1 a Cross-Country Rider from JERSEY
    Date Reviewed: April 29, 1999
    Duration Product Used:
    less than 1 month
    Strengths:
    NO SQUEALING
    Weaknesses:
    POWER, STOPPING, RESIDUE
    Similar Products Used:
    SHIMANO-XT
    Bike Setup:
    KONA/Z2
    Bottom Line:WAS NOT EASLIY INFLUENCED TO CHANGE OVER FROM CANTI'S DUE TO THE AWESOME POWER OF THE OLD RED CANTI PADS; NEVER LET ME DOWN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID TO THE COMPOUND FOR THE V-BRAKE VERSION... I TRIED THE BLACK JUST BECAUSE ALL THE BAD RAP ABOUT THE RED'S. THERE IS ALMOST NO WAY THAT THE RED CAN BE WORSE THAN THE RED. IF ANYONE CAN RECOMMEND SOME PADS FOR BIG STOPPING POWER FEEL FREE TO OFFER SUGGETIONS
    Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by jeff a Cross-Country Rider from knoxville, TN
    Date Reviewed: April 1, 1999
    Duration Product Used:
    less than 1 month
    Strengths:
    none realy
    Weaknesses:
    cheap feel, no modulation, squeaky
    Similar Products Used:
    xt stock, wtb dual-compound
    Bike Setup:
    gt aluminum, xt group
    Bottom Line:My bike shop slammed these on me during a service, and they seemed mediocre. No real modulation or improvement over xt's. I switched to WTB dual-compound. BIG difference.
    Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by ed a Cross-Country Rider from Apex, NC
    Date Reviewed: March 29, 1999
    Favorite Trail:
    Rocky Road
    Duration Product Used:
    6 months
    Strengths:
    Great modulation
    Good stopping power
    No black resin
    No squealing (wet or dry)
    Weaknesses:
    Wear fast (?)
    Price
    Similar Products Used:
    Shimano LX pads - but I am nor sure that these even count as brake pads
    Bike Setup:
    97 Klein Attitude w/ XC fork
    Bottom Line:Got the reds and am very happy with them so far. NO BLACK CRUD ON MY RIMS!!! (i.e unlike Shimano brake pads). They seem to be soft, but I haven't noticed any serious wear problems yet. They stop pretty good and really allow me to modulate my speed when rolling down techincal down hills. And they seem to excel in slimy mud and wet conditions - NO SQUEALING!!!(i.e. unlike shimano pads and my neighbors kids). A little pricey for my budget, so minus one chili.
    Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Eric Alexander a racer from Denver, Co
    Date Reviewed: January 3, 1999
    Bottom Line:

    These guys are all crazy! Use the black ones, and you'll see that these pads are much longer lasting, quieter, and cleaner than Shimano pads! My experience with Shimano's pads is that they melt like butter on your rims, and leave black crud all over them while they disentigrate. The Ritcheys are harder, and have no flaws as far as I can see. Maybe the red ones do suck, I haven't tried them, but DO TRY THE BLACK ONES FDOR YOURSELF. THEY ARE ESCELLENT!!!
    Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by John Richardson a cross-country rider from massachusetts
    Date Reviewed: October 15, 1998
    Bottom Line:

    As a cross country rider who likes the tough technical stuff And favors the down hills. I think these pads suck. they are good only in dry and when they are new. I had the red canti's before and loved them but the V-brake version must have gotten screwed up some how. This proved to be rather disappointing. I do like them better than the shitmano pads. But that ain't sayin much.
    Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Alan a weekend warrior from Kentucky
    Date Reviewed: August 24, 1998
    Bottom Line:

    I just tossed a set of Ritchie Reds. They did not work as well as the worn out XT pads I replaced.....bummer. Just as a test I compared stopping distance with both on pavement using rear brake only. From 10 mph to 0 using Ritchie was 11 feet! With XT it was 6 feet. Reds may work better in slop but are pretty bad for dry riding. Now using Kool-Stops but the jury is still out.
    Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Eric Hummel a weekend warrior from Sweden Gothenburg
    Date Reviewed: April 23, 1998
    Bottom Line:

    I have used the red Ritchey V-brake pads and they realy realy SUCK!!!
    I wore them out in just five weeks and they didn´t have superior braking power
    they promised in the store.
    The price of these in Sweden are aprox 18$
    TIP OF THE WEEK: By the original stuff from Shimano. it works!
    Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Eric a cross-country rider from Johnson City, TN
    Date Reviewed: March 26, 1998
    Bottom Line:

    The red (severe) v-brake pads are not the world's greatest for mud and stuff. They do wear down in a hurry, but their stopping distance remains good. I reason I gave them 2 chili's is because I have yet to find anything else that does not wear down after a couple of weeks of riding in the mud.
    Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Mick a racer from Stn. Mtn., GA
    Date Reviewed: March 15, 1998
    Bottom Line:

    The Ritchey V-brake (red) pads look great but function wise they suck. After just a few rides with mud, sand, dirt and shit on your rims be prepared to look for some change to get new ones. They work well enough to stop ya but unless they last longer they aren't worth it. What we need is good looks AND function. Stick with the XTR pads and/or Kool Stops.
    Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by J Burgevin a cross-country rider from Colorado Springs, CO
    Date Reviewed: January 23, 1998
    Bottom Line:

    Have used the Ritchey V-brake (black) pads for a period equal to twice the original Shimano XT V-brake pads. The Ritcheys' still have some life left. Didn't notice any difference in performance between the two dry or wet. Ritcheys' last longer than Shimano. Also have had no problem with squealing. If your V-brake is properly set-up this should not be a problem.
    Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Spacey a racer from Vegas
    Date Reviewed: December 27, 1997
    Bottom Line:

    Hey Kids! lookit the box, red pads are for EXTREME CONDITIONS. This doesn't mean dropping down a 60 degree slope on your 25 travel dh bike (dude...that's extreme) it means rain, sleet, even snow. The softer rubber compound wears WAY faster, but allows you to stop in conditions that you wouldn't be able to otherwise. And never, EVER use them with ceramic rims. If you want a good, ecomomical pad, lookit the black compound...or better yet, get kool stop (who do you think makes Ritcheys?)
    Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Lars Callary a downhiller from San Jose CA
    Date Reviewed: November 26, 1997
    Bottom Line:

    The red pads are shit, (pardon my French!!!) I just got back from a 1 1/2 hour ride in the pouring rain and mud, and I completely smoked my rear pads! Yeah I'm a downhiller, and yeah I go fast, but 1 1/2 hours of pad life at $9.00 a pop!?! That's insane! I've ridden the black V-brake pads, and they work great! DON'T BUY THE REDS!!!!!!!!!0 Chilis
    Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Schmidt a cross-country rider from South Australia
    Date Reviewed: November 21, 1997
    Bottom Line:

    The black pads are great for summer riding. Seem to be more predictable than the
    XT pads. Haven't had them for long enough to say anything about durability, but
    given the cost and effectiveness I'll be happy if they last past 2 months. (They
    only cost me $18 Australian) As far as squeeling and fading, I haven't experienced anything like that yet, but after the XT's won't be surprised if it happens sooner or later. Overall worth the money.
    Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Fred a cross-country rider from New Zealand
    Date Reviewed: November 4, 1997
    Bottom Line:

    The black Ritcheys are great. They give my amazing stopping power, and excelent life. They are quite expensive though, so I have bought the grey CoolStops since.
    Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Ted a weekend warrior from California
    Date Reviewed: November 2, 1997
    Bottom Line:

    I just installed the red V-brake pads and on my first ride, they squealed. I figure I'd give them another chance but same thing on the second ride. I've now deposited the red pads into my garbage can and am using my OE until I have time to buy some Kool Stop
    Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Wheels a cross-country rider from New Zealand
    Date Reviewed: October 25, 1997
    Bottom Line:

    Buy the black ones, they are the best v-brake pads available, a big improvement on the Shimano pads. ( Never buy the red pads - they suck the fat one.)
    Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Yorgason a cross-country rider from New Hampshire
    Date Reviewed: October 13, 1997
    Bottom Line:

    The red pads are too hard. They may wear a long time, but my braking power went way down when I switched out the OE pads.
    Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Greg Pierquet a weekend warrior from Point Mugu, CA
    Date Reviewed: October 4, 1997
    Bottom Line:

    These pads came stock on my Specialized Stumpjumper M2 and they suck. They are the squishiest pad ever. Squeeze them hard and they are like sponges. My LX pads worked better than these but I upgraded to XTR pads.
    Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by a racer a from denver
    Date Reviewed: April 18, 1997
    Bottom Line:

    great pads, only buy red pads for really wet cond. riding or they suck
    Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Allen Sutton a cross-country rider from Santa Cruz, CA
    Date Reviewed: April 11, 1997
    Bottom Line:

    The red pads are complete shit. I've gone through a set in only two weeks.
    Braking performance was worst than the stock XTR's. At first I thought it was
    me, so I installed my old XTR pads and braking improved.
    Also, the soft compound picks up little grains of sand and when this happens
    your rim gets scratched to heck. Makes a terrible sound.
    If they cost me $.50 I'd give them a 3 pepper, but since they cost 8 bucks,
    they deserve a zero.
    Not recommended.
    Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Dave Evans a cross-country rider from Saratoga, CA
    Date Reviewed: March 5, 1997
    Bottom Line:

    The red V-pads suck. They squealed, were tricky to toe-in, and burned thru in no time. I loved the red canti pads on my old bike and assumed the V-pads would be my favorite too. They stop ok, but are mushy and too short lived. I'm going back to the stock XT-Vpads, which were better in all respects.
    Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Troy a cross-country rider from GA
    Date Reviewed: February 10, 1997
    Bottom Line:

    The red Ritchey pads suck. I put them on and rode about six times in muddy conditions and had to replace them. Working at a bike shop has its priveleges though. The distributor rep that we order from came by and I told him my problem. He immediately gave me some prototype Kool Stop V brake pads made from the same compound Scott Mathauser pads are made of. If you've ever used Scott pads you know that means long lasting and excellent stopping power. Look for the orange colored Kool Stop pads soon.
    Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Jeremiah Starkey a racer from CA
    Date Reviewed: January 7, 1997
    Bottom Line:

    More durable then XTR pads, but still not durable enough. Its all about how long they last in the mud.
    Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Freddy Edgemon a racer from
    Date Reviewed: November 10, 1996
    Bottom Line:

    In my review above the pads worked awsome in mud, but now after 3 months
    of wet conditions and after four straight weekends of racing in pure mud
    the pads are gone.
    Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Freddy Edgemon a racer from US
    Date Reviewed: October 8, 1996
    Bottom Line:

    The red Ritchey V-brake pads are awsome. The old pads that came with my XTR v's woked awful in mud, water, and in damp conditions which made me look awful squealing down the trail. Also come in the cool color of RED!
    Overall Rating:5