Kool Stop Disc Brake Pads
By James Sharp

Disc brakes represent the best brake technology available for mountain bikes. Put sub-par brake pads on, though, and you have just thrown yourself back into the days of cantilevers. Kool Stop has been around for years making rim brake pads; it was only a matter of time before they branched into the disc brake market.

The main thing that sets Kool Stop apart from the OEM pad manufacturers, or even other aftermarket suppliers, is price. The Kool Stop’s brake pads can be had for as little as $13 per wheel, while many other pads cost $20-$30.

Of course this is a moot point if the pads made the brakes worthless or lasted half the time the others did. Well, we put them to the test with the popular Avid mechanical brakes and with the older Hope O2 hydraulic brakes. I can tell you that in both cases the pads performed about the same, or better, than the OEM brake pads. This is great news, considering the price.

We found them to bed in quickly; the brakes were back to full, or near full, power within minutes. They were quiet dry or wet, and were consistent regardless of the weather. They seem to wear like the OEM pads as well.

Summary: What you get with the Kool Stop disc brake pads is the performance and durability you expect from a high performance brake system. What you don't get is a big hole in your wallet. Kool Stop makes pads for all major brake systems, chances are they have your make and model. I cannot give them a more hearty recommendation; I will continue to replace my pads with Kool Stop’s.

James Sharp is a contributing editor for GearReview.com specializing in mountain biking.

For more information, contact:
Kool-Stop International, Inc.
P.O. Box 3480
La Habra, CA 90632 U. S. A.
Phone: (800) 586-3332
E-mail: ksicalifornia@sbcglobal.net
www.koolstop.com