Brake Pads

Jay

unread,

Mar 14, 2025, 1:54:28 PM3/14/25

to RBW Owners Bunch

What brake pads are folks running with your Riv's and what have you found works best for you? In addition to the brand/style of pad, I would be interested in knowing in what conditions you ride, whether you're on/off road, did you upgrade from the stock pads and if so why (e.g., you found better modulation and/or stopping power from stock pads).

I have the stock pads that came with my Tektro long reach brakes (on a Roadini) and I think they're fine, but as I may do more light trail riding with the bike this year (twisty/hilly gravel trails) I'm considering a different brake bad.

My guess is that any gain will be marginal at best and I'll likely stick with the stock pads, but how would I know unless I ask to see if I'm missing something (before I drop any $).

Thanks!

Patrick Moore

unread,

Mar 14, 2025, 2:42:06 PM3/14/25

to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com

Kool Stop salmon pads. Accept no substitute.

SW desert conditions: very dry but very dusty or sandy.

I have upgraded to Koolstop salmons on almost every bike I’ve owned for the last 25 years both on- and off-road, at least, except for disc brakes, and have noticed an improvement either in stopping “power” or modulation or both. And, the salmons seem to last forever.

The Kool Stop salmons on my 1999 Road Custom Fixed Gear have been on the front single pivot for at least 15 and probably more like 20 years and show hardly any signs of wear and no decline in performance. Salmons make the cantis on the Matthews IGH Riv Road clone work as well as they can; certainly better than the OEM pads on the original brakes.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/fdb2e735-d014-41e2-946d-603253d981bbn%40googlegroups.com.

--

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, letters, and other writing services

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When thou didst not, savage, know thine own meaning,

But wouldst gabble like a thing most brutish,

I endowed thy purposes with words that made them known.

Will Boericke

unread,

Mar 14, 2025, 5:15:45 PM3/14/25

to RBW Owners Bunch

I have salmons on most bikes. I will say that Swissstop BXP are ever so slightly better. And more expensive.

Will

Jim in Mpls

unread,

Mar 14, 2025, 9:27:26 PM3/14/25

to RBW Owners Bunch

I've been putting the Kool Stop E-bike pads that Riv sells on most of my bikes lately. I like the firm brake feel, with decent modulation and no brake squeal. I'm not a brake pad or brake connoisseur, I'm fine with speed controllers.

I use them on caliper brakes, cantilevers and V-brakes on road and singletrack. I live in the Midwest, so no mountainous descents.

Jim in Mpls

Bill Lindsay

unread,

Mar 15, 2025, 9:35:14 AM3/15/25

to RBW Owners Bunch

I agree that the E-Bike compound is an impressive alternative to salmon on set-ups for which salmon is not optimal. I'm running E-Bike inserts on three bikes now.