Subject: Re: Ceramic rim/pads Posted by: bob on May 11, 2005 at 20:00:39: In Reply to: Re: Ceramic rim/pads posted by Al on September 27, 2004 at 14:07:13:

Message: >>i recently bought mavic ceramic (open pro) rims to my touring bike. i have avid v brakes with ceramic pads. i also ride primarily dry conditions. i also average 100-125 miles per week. my question is; >>how long do pads last? how many miles, weeks should i get before they need to be replaced? they seem to get used up pretty fast. jh >I had a front wheel whose rim had a ceramic coating (the amount of coating varies amongst different rim brands, the particular rim was a MATRIX rim with a fairly thick ceramic coat) ... it probably saw only 300-to-500 miles of dry road use with REGULAR brake blocks ... >Of course, the ceramic coating IS like a fine grit sandpaper, so it MUST wear the pads a bit quicker; but, I would say that there is no signficantly greater wear rate on REGULAR brake blocks under light, road use for the brief period of time the rim was in service (the wheel swapped out for purely cosmetic reasons ... at that point in time there was some visible brake material beginning to coat the brake surface -- i.e., "blackening" of the brake surface). >YOUR braking pattern will dictate how quickly your pads wear AND how quickly the ceramic coating is worn away; so, if your concern relates to an extended cross country trek, I would simply suggest you bring one extra pair of brake pads with you. >If you are planning on touring in the mountains with a lot of drag-braking, then get a drum or disc brake to scrub the excess speed on the descents.