# Can I use Swiss Stop Yellow with alloy and carbon wheels?



## velorider (Feb 4, 2007)

Hi, so I bagged some used carbon wheels on auction. Now I'm finding that buying the brake shoes and pads is an added expense. Is it alright to use the Swiss Stop yellows with both my training alloy clinchers and the Reynolds carbon tubulars I just got? It would save both time and money. And does anyone have a good source? Thanks


----------



## Urb (Jul 19, 2010)

not a good idea. The aluminum could gather debris that can damage the carbon breaking surface. Just get 2 sets of pads.


----------



## MMinSC (Nov 19, 2011)

Yes, it's fine. SS yellows are designed to go both ways. I do it and have never had an issue with debris in the pads.
That being said, they do tend to glaze a bit with alu wheels. I always hit them with some fine grit sandpaper before throwing my carbon wheels in.


----------



## forge55b (Jan 30, 2011)

Usually it would be a no no, since using anything but Reynolds pads causes the warranty to stop but since you got them on auction, use whatever you want!


----------



## the mayor (Jul 8, 2004)

Contrary to all the mis information....you can.
I swap mine all the time between alloy and carbon wheels.
I have a few carbon rims from the early 90's.....with a butt load of road and cross miles on them....still going strong!


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

i use swiss stop yellows and switch back and forth all the time. just be sure to check for metal in the pads before going back to the carbon wheels. i've yet to find any aluminum in mine, but i still check every time.


----------



## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

the mayor said:


> I have a few carbon rims from the *early 90's*.....with a butt load of road and cross miles on them....still going strong!


Do tell....


----------



## gordy748 (Feb 11, 2007)

Wow, I was about to say NO DON'T DO IT YOU'LL BE CROSSING THE STREAMS IF YOU DO... But I guess I'm as susceptible to the misinformation too.


----------



## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

I use yellow pads on one of the bikes that has an aluminum braking surface....I've had zero issues...


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

A lot of Carbon wheel manufacture recommend what pads to use with their wheels, look up your brand on the internet and find out what the manufacture uses and ONLY USE that pad...using any other pad could wear out the rim faster and or increase stopping distances. Then when your not using the carbon rims you'll probably need to switch the pads as well back to what you were using unless pad manufacture approves the use on aluminum wheels.


----------



## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

It would be cheaper to use the faster wearing carbon pads for carbon wheels and the inexpensive regular pads on your aluminium wheels. Also, the blue Reynolds pads work better on Reynolds carbon rims, and are now what Reynolds recommends. They no longer recommend the Yellows, even for their older rims. The Reynolds pads cost about half what the Yellows cost.


----------



## the mayor (Jul 8, 2004)

ericm979 said:


> It would be cheaper to use the faster wearing carbon pads for carbon wheels and the inexpensive regular pads on your aluminium wheels. Also, the blue Reynolds pads work better on Reynolds carbon rims, and are now what Reynolds recommends. They no longer recommend the Yellows, even for their older rims. The Reynolds pads cost about half what the Yellows cost.


It is funny how Reynolds recommend THEIR pads. It has to be that they have discovered the only pad that works on their wheels....not because they want to SELL brake pads.
It can't be marketing drivel....it has to be science.


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Maybe some marketing interest is at work, sure, but if you use another pad and there's a problem their warranty is void and the liability is not on them.


----------



## MMinSC (Nov 19, 2011)

ericm979 said:


> It would be cheaper to use the faster wearing carbon pads for carbon wheels and the inexpensive regular pads on your aluminium wheels. Also, the blue Reynolds pads work better on Reynolds carbon rims, and are now what Reynolds recommends. They no longer recommend the Yellows, even for their older rims. The Reynolds pads cost about half what the Yellows cost.


I have a set of yellows that ran on the bike for an entire season. They showed no more wear than the black KoolStops I normally run. If anything, they wore BETTER.


----------



## gordy748 (Feb 11, 2007)

The best carbon brake pads are yellow Swiss Stops. End. Of. Story. My industry contact rates these as pretty much the best pads for anything at anytime.

Any other recommendation is because the company wants to persuade you, the consumer, to continue to buy consumable items from them. Read, you won't buy a pair of Reynolds wheels for another 15 years, but in that time you will buy 30 to 60 pairs of brake pads (at a 1 to 2 set a year replacement rate). At $30 for their options, you'll put $900 to $1,800 in their pockets if you go with what they say.

Not to say that what Reynolds is selling is rubbish; they'll be very good. Just don't believe it when they say they have scientifically developed a special compound for their special type of carbon fiber they use on their rims.

Trust me. I'm a marketer (actually, that means you shouldn't trust me).


----------



## coachboyd (Jan 13, 2008)

Swissstop is in the business to make brake pads, and they make great ones. On carbon they stop better than any other brake pads. Stopping quicker is because of friction, friction will build heat. On carbon tubulars this is not usually a big deal because there is no outside pressure against the carbon wall, just a tire sitting on top of a rim. With clinchers you will want to stick with manufacturer recommended brake pads.

I have seen the testing done to know that with the increased friction and heat it can be enough to raise the temperature of a carbon clincher to a melting point (any carbon clincher wheel). This is why the rim manufacturers develop brake pads to go along with their rims (and yes they do develop their own pads). It's to work with the epoxies and resins used on the brake track. It's for good brake modulation which helps keep the temperatures down. It's a lot more important for carbon clinchers to use manufacturer stated brake pads (which is why almost all of them come with specific brake pads).

As far as switching back and forth, just really make sure the brake pads are clean and free of debris. But swapping out brake pads takes about 2 minutes (if that). That's a short amount of time to potentially prolong the life of your wheels by quite a bit.


----------



## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

I've used both the SwissStop Yellow and Reynolds Blue. The Reynolds work much better (on Reynolds DV46c rims). The Yellows require more pressure on the brake lever and overheat more easily. They glaze over, requiring a sanding every race or two. They also make a distinct smell, like brimstone. I wonder who *really* makes them. 

I'd use the Reynolds even if they cost more than the Yellows.

Results may vary with different rims. There is no one best pad for all carbon rims- some (like Bontrager) work great with cork based pads, others work better with rubber based pads.


----------



## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

I dont understand what is the big deal of not swapping the pads when you swap the wheels? it takes about a minute/wheel to change the pads and you dont have to worry about glazing, aluminum shreds or anything else.


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

gordy748 said:


> The best carbon brake pads are yellow Swiss Stops. End. Of. Story. My industry contact rates these as pretty much the best pads for anything at anytime.
> 
> .


You can end your story all you want, but it doesn't change the facts that some wheel manufactures specifically state to use only a certain brand of pads, generally the ones they made because they tested various materials with their rims and found only a certain type worked best against the biggest problem CF wheels have and that's heat generated from braking encountered on long descents or heavy riders.

AGAIN, you can use any pad you want but you will VOID the wheel manufactures warranty and if you can't stop fast enough and have an accident and won't be able to put any blame on the wheel manufacture for defective pads and thus will lose any liability case you might try to put on them. 

Do you think for one moment that a major CF wheel manufacture just dumps wheels onto the market and then want you to use a A brand of pads just for profit? They know there is a problem with heat and carbon fiber, they test their wheels the failure point to make sure their using the best pads so they don't get sued from a CF wheel overheating and failing hurting or killing a rider.

That's why you shouldn't buy cheap Chinese made knockoff CF wheels because those are not tested. But may not be a problem if you don't live in a mountainous area. Buy only the pads the wheel manufacture recommends.

AGAIN: Buy only the pads the wheel manufacture recommends.


----------

