Swapping pads on my CX bike is a royal PITA, fwiw. Not sure why; maybe the avids are just ornery.

Actually. Luka, low on sleep, is ornery. The brakes are just difficult.

@Jules, that's strange - I switched pads on my Avid Ultimates this morning in about 2 minutes flat. No hassle at all.

@Jules, that's strange - I switched pads on my Avid Ultimates this morning in about 2 minutes flat. No hassle at all.

Must be because you greased them up with WINNING

Surely you guys know all the tricks . . .

1) Take off wheel (I turn my bike upside down and rest it on seat and handle bars)
2) Insert thin straight-bladed screw driver into the back side of the brake shoe in between the pad and the shoe (back side faces the rear of the bike)
3) Pry and push the screw driver under the brake pad, which will eventually pop out
4) If you like, you can lubricate the brake pad for insertion. I rub a dryish bar of soap on the part of the brake pad that contacts the shoe.
5) Push the new pad in place with your fingers. (if it doesn't go all the way, make sure you are using the right pad (some are curved) and add more lubricant and clean the shoe with a rag)

I use this method both with shoes for Campy road brakes and with Shimano V-brakes
I also recently changed the shoes on Shimano road brakes with no problem

A bar of soap! Nice trick.

@Stokes my issue is that the 1mm screw on the shoe sits in a way that the fork prevents me from getting to it with a normal tool.

It's hard to explain; I'll show you if I can ever get to a CX race agsin...

Hmmm.... $734 with our additional discount for 55mm carbon tubulars ain't bad...

C55 from Neuvation: all service wheels

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mad-fiber-shuts-down-production

Old news Yack!

At Providence I cornered e SRAM guy and asked why I should choose SRAM over Shimano disks. His answer was "well ours are for sale, and shimano still doesn't have anything" http://www.cxmagazine.com/sram-road-hydraulic-brake-recall-red22-s-700-disc-rim-serial?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+CyclocrossMagazine+(Cyclocross+Magazine)&utm_content=cyclocross&utm_term=cyclocross,+cycling,+bike+racing,+veldrijden,+cyclo-cross Cue trombones

Attention @Yaks Toga claims to have Vectors in stock... http://www.pinterest.com/pin/8725793001710650/

lowered prices and......wait for it.....free shipping

You know, Jeremy Powers recently took exception to a tweet where I said, in response to a Velonews interview with him, "reading between the lines, disc brakes still not ready for prime time. Too many 'ifs'"

And he all responded, "I didn't say that, I said we did lots of R&D" (of course I clearly said "reading between the lines" but whatever)

And I didn't want to get in a back and forth over it, so I let that dog lie. But if you go back to the interview you see that he says that they did a number of things to make sure they worked better for him this year over last year. Including having hydraulic, "experimenting" with different pads, and switching to solid rotors (which as near as I can tell don't come with the standard package you and I can order from a store).

So, IF you have enough money to buy Red Hydraulic, IF you buy a set of after market solid rotors, IF you have the right kinds of pads (which in fairness, is an issue with all brakes I suppose), then maybe disc brakes are ready for prime time. There's still also the big IF in my mind, namely, IF you have 6 racing bikes and a pro mechanic at your disposal.

Not to mention this whole recall issue...

While I appreciate the value of the pro/product sponsor relationship, I've always been a little dubious as to what it means in the short term for us real world racers. Back when I was kicking around ideas for the marketing/sponsorship wing of the club, I had this idea that in many ways, we're a better bang for sponsor's bucks than the pro racer. Frankly, I'm more inclined to buy a product once I see a guy like JP riding/racing with it. When I see a real local racer with bills to pay, riding some gear, that he paid at least dealer wholesale for, it's a bigger endorsement of said product than the fully supported pro.

Myerson is riding disks without issue. Avid Bb7 Al's I believe. Cable actuated

Jules said:

Myerson is riding disks without issue. Avid Bb7 Al's I believe. Cable actuated

For some reason, I find that more credible than Powers' endorsement...

Marc Bertucco said:

Jules said:

Myerson is riding disks without issue. Avid Bb7 Al's I believe. Cable actuated

For some reason, I find that more credible than Powers' endorsement...

Me too, considering his past refusal to even consider them legal.

As myerson put it. You ride what a sponsor gives you. He's a pro don't forget.

Very true @Ragot but he's been riding them like he stole them thus far...

wtf @twoyacks, why you always gotta go rogue?

twoyacks said:

lowered prices and......wait for it.....free shipping

http://www.power2max.de/northamerica/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=fb1-uscnd

Jules said:

Myerson is riding disks without issue. Avid Bb7 Al's I believe. Cable actuated

They're TRP brakes mated to SRAM levers.  Cable-actuated but with a hydraulic caliper.  And they are what his sponsors wanted him to ride.

 Frankly, I'm more inclined to buy a product once I see a guy like JP riding/racing with it. When I see a real local racer with bills to pay, riding some gear, that he paid at least dealer wholesale for, it's a bigger endorsement of said product than the fully supported pro.

Is there any amateur CX racer on Kissena who right now really feels like they are not getting enough braking power??? 

My only real braking issue is that my levers/brakes require Thor like strength to operate...

But after trying Joaquin's avid super duper double deluxe ultimates, I put those bad boys on my christmas wish list.

Marc Bertucco said:

My only real braking issue is that my levers/brakes require Thor like strength to operate...

But after trying Joaquin's avid super duper double deluxe ultimates, I put those bad boys on my christmas wish list.

The Avid Shorty 6 works fine at a fraction of the price. And the Shorty 4's should be fine, too.  So, too, any number of low-profile canti's  But then, so, too, do the twenty two year old SunTour XC Pro brakes I have in a box.  I'm amused by the whole "can't stop, won't stop" jokes about canti's, but I've never had a problem with getting cantilevers to stop a bike--and this goes back to the pre V-brake days.  You can always customize the feel, which can change the modulation, by changing the length of the straddle cable.  And if you just replace cables and housing, adjust the springs properly,just about all brakes will work better. 

Maaannnn, when did JP become my stingy German mother? You can't have carbon tubulars, Avid Ultimates are for spend-thrifts, you'll shoot your eye out!??!!!

Jeesh, where's Vlad and Alyosha when I need encouragement to take out a second mortgage to pay for my habit?

i don't know what i'm more excited about: buying a bike with disc brakes or getting heckled about it

Marc Bertucco said:

Maaannnn, when did JP become my stingy German mother? You can't have carbon tubulars, Avid Ultimates are for spend-thrifts, you'll shoot your eye out!??!!!

Jeesh, where's Vlad and Alyosha when I need encouragement to take out a second mortgage to pay for my habit?

By all means, spend on carbon tubulars.  That you'll be happy racing on the road.  Just don't rush into it and be ready for the swapping of pads and adjusting of brakes.  cx brakes, that's another story.

They still have a few MadFiber tubbies left at Ride Marc. Get'em while you still can!

And race the front wheel at the track as well.