The Beacon Message Board

How many miles do you think you usually get out of your brake blocks (on a winter training bike)?

I seem to have been changing mine like they've gone out of fashion this winter.

My back brake blocks always wear out fast during the winter. Can be 3 or 4 rides and they have worn considerably.

it's one of those things were you get what you pay for i think. or at least thats how i find it. i normaly go for the cheap option and have to replace them every couple of months or so.

The odd thing about rubber of course is the greater adhesive brake force, the quicker the blocks will wear away. The harder the rubber, the brake force will be less. Possibly the best braking force I received came from some blocks bought from Decathlon but quickly required replacements.

The roads have been wetter this year ensuring that a greater volume of grit is attracted to rims and blocks. I have found that this abrasive mix wears away both blocks and rims – the latter being more problematic!

I don't know about you but I have been perpetually washing away a horrible black oily substance from the wheels after each ride.

Not really comparing like with like because I don't cover the same distances as you nor go fast enough to need to brake very often. However, I switched from standard blocks including OEM's to Koolstop Salmons (last autumn I think) because I found the ordinary ones were rubbish in the wet, quickly became impregnated with little flecks of metal & general gunk and wore the rims faster than I'd like.

The koolstops work better especially in the wet and are much gentler on the rims. Consequently I expected them to wear out faster themselves but I've yet to wear any out. They cost more but compared to the cost of wearing rims out it's a worthwhile investment and, as they also seem to last well, I'm happy with them.

Ditto Kool Stops, use them on all my bikes and they seem to last longer than other ones i've tried. (Zipps are rebranded kool stops so don't buy them)

you're lucky! try cross - you can do a set in less than an hr in the mud!

Thanks for the interesting replies. Unfortunately you're all doing the politicians' trick of not answering my question!

I'll take it the answer is 'don't know' then.

well i think there are too many variables to make a accurate estimate. depends on type of blocks, rims, weather conditions, distance of rides, how fast you ride, how much you break.

i'm sure some mathematician could work it out with one of those massive formula's that no-one but him understands.

I've done well over 3000 miles since August and changed the blocks once, not that they were worn too much, just wanted to fit some Koolstop Salmons.

Either I don't brake much, or don't carry enough speed to wear them out!

I guess I may have had 3000 miles out of the last set of brake blocks, which were Shimano. I guess that's not so bad on reflection.

I now have Koolstops but they're going to have an easier time of it in drier weather.

Missiles wrote:I now have Koolstops but they're going to have an easier time of it in drier weather.

Have you gone for green, black, salmon or dual compound?

I started with the dual compounds, switching to salmon for wet weather, but now I just tend to leave the salmon in all the time. When I manage to wear any out I can't decide whether to get more duals or even try the blacks.

I've got a couple of thousand miles on the set on my roadie, still going, but only couple of hundred on my knackered old commuter, and they now need replacing. Differences being - cheap blocks, old rims, all-weather use, more stop-start riding in town.
So no, Ruth, I don't know either!

Thanks, Graham, you have given a couple of suggestions which make me think I should be very happy with getting 3000 miles out of a pair of blocks in the winter.

Steve - I think the ones I've got are dual compound. They seem to be doing their job anyway.

Life of Brake blocks?

Sounds like an album track from a quadruple 1970's concept album, maybe Mr Notter will know...Van der graf generator or Harvest from Barclay James harvest on a rare solo outing?

Ah yes, Life of Brake Blocks a seminal track by swedish acid folk prog pioneers Moon Kraken. This 20 minute piece was side four on their debut album The Science of Saucepans and it has to be said the stand out track, from the hauntingly beautiful opening featuring the sound of sitar and gurgling frogs to the climatic ending where the main thematic material is restated on tuned saucepans in a homage to Mike Oldfields Tubular Bells.