Bike brake pad deals Black Friday

What shape of brake pads for your road brake?

A brake pad is first chosen by its shape, specific to each family of brakes; the bike brand alone is not enough. For road brakes Shimano with dual pistons in Flat Mount, from the Tiagra BR-4770 to the Dura-Ace BR-R9170 and including the GRX, it's the L shape of the L05A and L04C that is required. At Sram, the same pad fits the road brakes Force, Rival, Apex, and S700 as well as mountain bike brakes Level Ultimate and TLM. Campagnolo has its own shape, for which Galfer and Elvedes offer pads. Independent manufacturers number their shapes: at Swissstop, the Disc 34 corresponds to the Shimano BR-RS805 and BR-RS505 brakes, the Disc 32 to the road brakes Sram.

Resin or sintered metal: choosing the lining

• Resin, also known as organic: a progressive and quiet braking performance, but wears out more quickly.
• Sintered metal: more durable during long descents and in the rain, sometimes noisier. Some discs do not accept it; Shimano then engraves a note on the disc.
• The fins: on the L04C and L05A, an aluminium radiator protrudes from the caliper and dissipates heat from hard braking.

Discounted pads: shape, lining, quantity

Two pads “for Shimano” are not necessarily interchangeable: compare the list of calipers indicated in the label of the reference engraved on yours. Then check the lining, whether resin, organic, metal, or metal-carbon depending on the manufacturers, and then the quantity: a pair fits one wheel, while boxes of 10, 20, or 25 pairs are aimed at workshops and clubs. A pair delivered with its spring avoids the need to reassemble a tired spring. To assess a promotion, compare the listed price of a box to the price of a pair, then confront it with the struck-out price of a pair of the same shape and lining.

The other pages on road braking

Off operation, the page for road brake pads details all year round the linings and shapes. If your bike brakes on the rim, you need the road brake shoes. New pads on a worn or warped disc brake poorly: the road brakes and discs of the operation replace the whole set, and the calipers a seized body. For a mountain bike, check out the MTB brake pads. All the offerings are gathered in the road braking of the Black Friday, and the new arrivals follow after the operation.

The brands of pads in the selection

Shimano offers for its Flat Mount road brakes two linings of the same shape, the L05A in resin and the L04C in metal, both with fins, available as a pair or in workshop boxes.

Galfer, the Spanish brake manufacturer, covers both the Campagnolo Ekar gravel calipers and many MTB brakes, Hope, Magura, or Formula.

Elvedes, a Dutch family business that started with control cables, offers brake pads for Sram Red road brakes in three linings: organic, metallic, and metal-carbon.

Swissstop numbers each of its shapes and equips them with its Disc C lining, an organic mix of kevlar, ceramic, and brass.

Sram sells their road brake pads in organic lining on an aluminium backing or in sintered metal on a steel backing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if pads are worn?

Look at the lining from the top of the caliper, wheel removed if necessary. Shimano recommends replacing the pair when the lining is only 0.5 mm thick. Reduced braking performance or a metallic rubbing sound are other signs.

Do I need to change the disc with the pads?

Not every time: the disc wears out much more slowly. Measure its thickness and compare it to the minimum indicated by the manufacturer, often engraved on the disc.

Do the Black Friday discounts on pads last only one day?

No. The day of Black Friday is indeed unique, the day after Thanksgiving Thursday, but Vélo-Store spreads its discounts on brake pads throughout November. Take the opportunity to keep a spare pair of the same shape, in resin or metal depending on what your disc accepts.

How to replace pads on a road caliper?

With the wheel removed, take out the pin or screw holding the pads, remove them with their spring, then push back the pistons with a plastic tire lever. Slide in the new pair with its spring, put the pin back in, and operate the lever several times before riding.

Are road and MTB pads interchangeable?

Only if the caliper has the same shape: the L05A, for example, fits some Shimano XT and SLX calipers in Flat Mount. Rely on the manufacturer's compatibility list rather than practice.