Brake Pads

[Gionnirocket]

 

[john peck]

I did not use koolstop because they don't make what I need. they cost less then shimano but they don't make sintered pads either. Hey if you think it is worth saving literally less then 10.00 on pads thats up to you. but I l have learned from Hark many years of riding there are places to save money and places not too. I ridne in the rain the winter all the time.
you can also buy some cheap imported no name Chinese bike too. I am not going to risk my life on cheap brakes.
500 miles and no wear? I get about 4000 miles with lots of High speed stopping as I ride in the city

Whatever you can afford is just dandy with me, & I´m just fine with what I´ve got.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Whatever you can afford is just dandy with me, & I´m just fine with what I´ve got.

well china chose not to make cheap pads for my brakes. I nee to trade them in for low end calipers so I can experience the cost savings.

 

[Gionnirocket]

well china chose not to make cheap pads for my brakes. I nee to trade them in for low end calipers so I can experience the cost savings.

Have you tried the link I provided... They do make pads for a wide variety of manufacturers

 

[fooferdoggie]

Have you tried the link I provided... They do make pads for a wide variety of manufacturers

you mean from aliexpress.com? nope I will support real companies I don't want them drying up and going over to the cheapest Chinese crap.

 

[fooferdoggie]

lol you sound like my boss from work.

He was looking for an ebike, so I suggested all the ebike companies Ride1Up, Rad Power, Juiced, Rize, Aventon, among others.. the companies he had never heard of. (But bike companies like Rad Power and others have good customer service)

He pretty much brushed me off and told me how doesn't trust his life with cheap Chinese ebikes and will just stick to "real companies" like Trek, Rocky Mountain, Specialized, Cannondale, Yamaha, etc.

I have absolutely no problem with Chinese ebikes and parts, but hey, I can understand why some people are still hesitant.

so you would buy a no name bike from aliexpress.com?

 

[RunForTheHills]

The reality is that the big name bicycle manufacturers also use Chinese factories to make their frames. There may be a difference in quality control, but the main difference between them and smaller companies is in volume. Small companies have access to the same components that the big companies do. However, if they are targeting a sub $1000 or sub $2000 price point, they are going to have to make compromises in the components that they use.

 

[fooferdoggie]

The reality is that the big name bicycle manufacturers also use Chinese factories to make their frames. There may be a difference in quality control, but the main difference between them and smaller companies is in volume. Small companies have access to the same components that the big companies do. However, if they are targeting a sub $1000 or sub $2000 price point, they are going to have to make compromises in the components that they use.

quality control and support. buying a bike you cant ride first is just problematic for me.

 

[RunForTheHills]

quality control and support. buying a bike you cant ride first is just problematic for me.

It is possible for a smaller company, for example Watt Wagons, to have good quality control and support, but not at the price point many of these startup companies are selling bikes at.

 

[fooferdoggie]

It is possible for a smaller company, for example Watt Wagons, to have good quality control and support, but not at the price point many of these startup companies are selling bikes at.

yep they sue reliable parts too. Still don't know if I would buy from them since I cant ride the bike first.

 

[RunForTheHills]

yep they sue reliable parts too. Still don't know if I would buy from them since I cant ride the bike first.

Given how many miles you ride, you could probably safely buy a bike online. You know what frame geometries work for you and could use the published frame specs to determine if the bike would be a good fit. That isn't true for someone who hasn't ridden a bike in years. They are better off buying a bike from a place they can test ride it.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Given how many miles you ride, you could probably safely buy a bike online. You know what frame geometries work for you and could use the published frame specs to determine if the bike would be a good fit. That isn't true for someone who hasn't ridden a bike in years. They are better off buying a bike from a place they can test ride it.

but I don't I would have to find the info. but yes more so then most.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

big name bicycle manufacturers also use Chinese factories to make their frames

If "Taiwanese" meant "of People's Republic of China" then you would be right. It is not the same though. Taiwan is the world's home of bikes and bike components. Perhaps you ride a crap made in People's Republic of China. I ride the Taiwanese.

Isn't Watt Wagon using motors made in People's Republic of China?!

 

[fooferdoggie]

If "Taiwanese" meant "of People's Republic of China" then you would be right. It is not the same though. Taiwan is the world's home of bikes and bike components. Perhaps you ride a crap made in People's Republic of China. I ride the Taiwanese.

Isn't Watt Wagon using motors made in People's Republic of China?!

my bike was built there even though its a German bike.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

my bike was built there even though its a German bike.

My Vado is American/Swiss, proudly made in Taiwan, with the motor from Berlin/Germany. My Trance E+ has been made in Taiwan with a Japanese motor. RFtH was mentioning big brands. I don't know bigger brands than these two, Trek being of similar size, Cannondale the fourth.

 

[retiredNH]

An FYI regarding "Florida". I get most people's take on Florida, as many vacation orientated areas are just that - flat! The reason though, that I even considered an e-bike to start with was hills. Big hills. Think sand dunes that have been around long enough to have serious vegetation. Called a rolling coastal area. We hunted all over the place and finally located a place we liked, and one of the reasons we liked it was it's proximity to a 46 miles bike trail system located about 6 miles away.

So we bought it. As it turns out, hills that didn't seem like much while driving a car turned out to be much bigger than we thought when riding our bikes. 1st ride out to this major bike trail just about killed us, leaving enough energy left when we arrived to turn around and head home! As it turn out, our new house was located right smack in the middle of a large area rolling hills, with no way to get out other than to ride over them. Super disappointed, we had pretty much decided there would be no bike riding in Florida.

Until somebody mentioned the potential of an e-bike. The rest is history.

Point being, there ARE hills in Florida.....

The highest point in Florida is Britton Hill, 345 feet high. The highest. That's about how much I climb at the START of most of the rides from my house. Or I go DOWN at least that much. Of course folks out west think in terms of thousands of feet, not hundreds.

I can also assure you that descending hundreds of feet over a 1/2 mile or so is a good test for brakes, especially if you're on a dirt/gravel road, like I frequently am. You want to stay under control. The last thing you want is inconsistent braking. Would cheap no name pads work? Probably, but I don't want to be the one to find out the ones I got (remember, no name) have "issues" because some of these steep roads also cling to steep hillsides. You get off the road on the downhill side, your ride will become very interesting indeed.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I can also assure you that descending hundreds of feet over a 1/2 mile or so is a good test for brakes, especially if you're on a dirt/gravel road, like I frequently am. You want to stay under control. The last thing you want is inconsistent braking. Would cheap no name pads work? Probably, but I don't want to be the one to find out the ones I got (remember, no name) have "issues" because some of these steep roads also cling to steep hillsides. You get off the road on the downhill side, your ride will become very interesting indeed.

and think of that on a tandem when the weight is about 400 pounds.

 

[AHicks]

The highest point in Florida is Britton Hill, 345 feet high. The highest. That's about how much I climb at the START of most of the rides from my house. Or I go DOWN at least that much. Of course folks out west think in terms of thousands of feet, not hundreds.

I can also assure you that descending hundreds of feet over a 1/2 mile or so is a good test for brakes, especially if you're on a dirt/gravel road, like I frequently am. You want to stay under control. The last thing you want is inconsistent braking. Would cheap no name pads work? Probably, but I don't want to be the one to find out the ones I got (remember, no name) have "issues" because some of these steep roads also cling to steep hillsides. You get off the road on the downhill side, your ride will become very interesting indeed.

As mentioned, deal with your level of paranoia, and be happy. Maybe I could add local conditions to that thought?

 

[AHicks]

and think of that on a tandem when the weight is about 400 pounds.

I just wanted to mention, SOME of us are approaching 400 lbs while stopping a bike designed for a single rider. (315 pound rider on a 65 pound bike?)

 

[fooferdoggie]

I just wanted to mention, SOME of us are approaching 400 lbs while stopping a bike designed for a single rider. (315 pound rider on a 65 pound bike?)

on a 20% grade? or 5 miles of downhill? when I am riding in the rain and its dark and car pulls out in front of me I want to know my brakes will stop me in time even at 20mph. this has happened several times. would you buy brakes for your car from some no name Chinese company for 1/4" the price?