Topic: Question for mountain bikers

[kneedownnate]

For those still running non-disc brakes, what are the hot brake pads available now?  I still have the originals that came on my bike in 96, and they were never very good back then.  I want to start riding my bike more but want better brakes.  I have a link to supposedly improve braking by 300%, but it looks to be more than I care to go through right now. 

[HDcruiser]

I run "Kool stop" brake pads for my V brakes, i think they are color coded for different applications. I run the red ones. I have tried different types back in the day and stuck with Kool stops. I have yet to get brake fade, ive ridding mammoth a ton of times and raced XC for a couple of years. My bike is also a dinosaur, its a 97 GT LTS 1.  Hope this helps you. 

http://www.koolstop.com/brakes/index.php

[kneedownnate [OP]]

Definitely!  Mine's a dino too, a 96 univega that doesn't look like it's been ridden much, mostly cause it hasn't.  I'll be upgrading the poly damper forks for oil damped rock shocks, swapping stem, bars and cranks to much better ones if I ever get my parts bike back from my friend.

[HDcruiser]

Sweet, upgrading can get expensive. I was at the bike shop 2weeks ago looking at the new bikes , there are pricey, but sweet as hell... I forced myself to leave before I bought one. 

[88_Pathy]

I run some XTR pull brakes and XTR pads.  They stop extremely well.  But I hope your under 180lbs if you plan on stopping with the pull brakes on a monster downhill.

[kneedownnate [OP]]

  not a problem, I'm about 125!

[88_Pathy]

The biggest difference I felt was when I went to cheapish discs.  They don't clog like the pull brakes do.

[Hammerhead]

I'm still ridin' a dinosaur too.  "Kool stops" on the front work great.  I have upgraded to rock shox forks and that made a big difference. 

Bike shops are like candy stores anymore.  I could spend a mint on some of that cool new equipment...