Brake Pads lifespan

[Kyogiro]

Just out of curiosity, how long have last your brake pads.

Of course, it's expected to see a great variety in longevity given the many factors we have to take into account - riding style, weight, etc... -

I have a 2020 Rad Rhino (US Rover), I weigh 70 kg (~ 150 lbs), I'm changing my pads after 1000 km (~ 600 miles).

My new pads are from Swisstop and organic.

 

[mrgold35]

I can be up to 300 lbs with winter riding gear, rack bag for tools, commuter back pack (work cloths, lunch), and water.

I changed out my original pads/calipers after around 1500 miles on my 2016 Radrover. Original set-up was fine for weekend riding. The brakes were getting noisy, needed constant adjustments, longer stops, and getting glazed when I started work commuting at 55-70 miles per week. Switched to Spyke TRP brakes with Jagwire cables and zero issues with almost 4000 miles on the ebike (same Spyke pads).

 

[Tars Tarkas]

I want to say I got about 900 miles, but you are right, there are a lot of factors that go into brake wear. Change the pads when you need to. Cheap and easy.

TT

 

[Gordon71]

I'm at a point where I'm going to need to replace the pads on my 2020 Rad Rover for the first time. I looked at the Rad site and they want $13 per set. I checked Amazon and found them for just a little more but they include a new spring which I didn't see that included from Rad. I expect overall buying from Amazon would be less due to free shipping. The pads have the same number E10.11 A30.

Amazon.com : Tektro E10.11 Disc Pads Metal Ceramic w/Springs : Bike Brake Pad Inserts : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Tektro E10.11 Disc Pads Metal Ceramic w/Springs : Bike Brake Pad Inserts : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Those will work fine.

TT

 

[Kyogiro]

I can be up to 300 lbs with winter riding gear, rack bag for tools, commuter back pack (work cloths, lunch), and water.

I changed out my original pads/calipers after around 1500 miles on my 2016 Radrover. Original set-up was fine for weekend riding. The brakes were getting noisy, needed constant adjustments, longer stops, and getting glazed when I started work commuting at 55-70 miles per week. Switched to Spyke TRP brakes with Jagwire cables and zero issues with almost 4000 miles on the ebike (same Spyke pads).

I will probably upgrade my brakes next Spring too. I feel like the stock brakes work fine for commuting, I may need more power for longer trips and a higher lifespan would be nice too.

I am still on my "first round" of upgrades. Still awaiting for my Bolton controller kit to arrive and some additionnal batteries. I have been preparing a road trip the whole summer but I am unfortunatly pushing this project for the fall with shorten and colder days (hopefully, I can get my materials this month).

 

[rich c]

4,565 miles on my Haibike Trekking, on the original pads. New ones on the shelf, but still good material thickness.

 

[legsofbeer]

Just out of curiosity, how long have last your brake pads.

2019 radrover, and I weigh 180lb. Replaced front pads at 2000 miles, rear at 2400. There was still some pad material left, but getting the brakes dialed in, the margins were getting super small. City riding with about two stops per mile.

 

[Sierratim]

My first set of Shimano organic pads lasted ~500 miles, but we do live in a very hilly town. The front pads were at their wear limit, but the rear were maybe 40% left. I switched to Shimano's metallic pads, but could not get them to quite down after multiple attempts at bedding them in.

Ended up trying Kool Stop's 'semi-metallic' pads with integrated heat sinks. They quieted down right away. At 500 miles they still had over 95% of their original pad thickness left. Did a visual check a few days ago with over 1,000 miles, still looking great. I'm guessing 2,000 - 2,500 miles on these pads. Very happy with them.

 

[Gordon71]

How do you use your brakes on hills? I tend to pump the brakes rather than a constant pressure. That's probably 90% of my brake use and it's mostly on groomed trails where I can't tell what might be coming up those trails. Some people just don't stay to the right which is especially true of children. On the road it's generally safe to just let it coast but I'm not comfortable hitting 20+ going down 6' wide groomed trails.

 

[Captain Slow]

I weigh about 165 lbs and on my Juiced CCS I get about 1,000 to 1,500 km's on the front pads and about 3,000 km's out of the rear. I use the rear brake less because it's a pain to change the pads.

On my regular bikes, the pads last a lot longer!

 

[Sierratim]

I also pump them to control my speed on downhills, but there are a lot of hills here! Most of my ebike rides are on city streets and backroads so my speed tends to be higher than on trails. I'm sure this and the hills were the causes behind the fairly fast organic pad wear out. I'd say about 1/2 my miles are running errands for groceries, hardware, etc. The added cargo weight would also be a contributor.

Edit - As an aside, I discovered the worn front brake pads at ~500 miles when I started to install a larger diameter front rotor for increased braking power. No rotor damage, but new pads became part of my rotor project! I went from 180mm to 203 in the front and from 160mm in the rear to 180.

 

[Kyogiro]

On my regular bikes, the pads last a lot longer!

As expected, we use brakes at a much higher average speed than non electric bicycles, especially when commuting. We accelerate to get away from a crowded situation and then we could use the brakes immediately after.

And, our e bikes weigh twice (if not more) as much as our traditional bicycles.

 

[pawtoki]

are there any exploded views showing how the calipers disassemble ?

Has anyone tried the "red sticky stuff" in Stop Squeal. I used the spray on my Ultra to quite those brakes down. The noise, I was told, is a high pitched vibration. The tacky spray stops the vibration. I also went away from metallic pads. I will probably be trying the same thoughts by next summer on my Rover-ST.

 

[BKing]

4000 miles, 2019 Radcity, 240lbs plus the bike, I’m hard on the brakes.
Original pads. Did a thorough adjustment at 3000 miles. Need to replace this winter even though I could go another 700. When adjusting you have to sometimes adjust the opposite pad inwards to keep the rotor centered. You don’t want the main active pad to bend the rotor more than about 1/64 inch to reach the stationary pad. If you have warped rotors preventing tight brakes without squeaking you need to replace them.
When adjusted properly you should still have 3/4 to one inch of brake lever movement left when stationary and squeezing fairly hard.

 

[Captain Slow]

As expected, we use brakes at a much higher average speed than non electric bicycles, especially when commuting. We accelerate to get away from a crowded situation and then we could use the brakes immediately after.

And, our e bikes weigh twice (if not more) as much as our traditional bicycles.

My Cervelo weighs less than 20 lbs. my Juiced CCS is 63 lbs. - The Juiced eats brake pads, though I'm generally commuting to work on it and hauling in both directions.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I'm at a point where I'm going to need to replace the pads on my 2020 Rad Rover for the first time. I looked at the Rad site and they want $13 per set. I checked Amazon and found them for just a little more but they include a new spring which I didn't see that included from Rad. I expect overall buying from Amazon would be less due to free shipping. The pads have the same number E10.11 A30.

This is an excellent source for break pads.. If you are unsure of what to order just add a pair to your cart and then click Contact from there. They are very helpful... A photo and some measurements on your end helps too.
For my breaks they offer Metallic, Semi Metallic and Ceramic pads.... I like Ceramic for long wear, minimal rotor wear and no noise.

EOOZ on Aliexpress

 

[Captain Slow]

Wow, that is really cheap. Is shipping really only $2.50? If so, how long does it take?

 

[RandallS]

My brakes got pretty loud the other day at 1000 kms. I think I'll head off to YouTube and find a "how to".

I ride a fair amount of hills, so it's time to check their wear. I'd been on some very narrow tracks and I suspect there was some debris causing the noises, as they did quieten down quite a bit later on..

As it's -9C and blowing snow outside, I suspect I won't be riding for a while...time for some cleanup and maintenance.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Wow, that is really cheap. Is shipping really only $2.50? If so, how long does it take?

It's really hard to tell for sure but on average when choosing Aliexpress Standard Shipping it takes about 16 days. I just ordered an air shock that arrived in 10 days... but I have had instances of 30 days. I typically order from them when time is not going to be a problem