Thursday 10 April 2014

Swissstop BXP Brake Pads for your Brompton

For quite some time I have heard from fellow Bromptonain, David P that the Swissstop brake pads were well worth upgrading to. It has taken me ages to do this but I finally got round to getting a set.




There are different versions but I opted for the BXP Flash Pro. They come as a full set of four brake pads and in addition to the pads you also get four new screws to lock them in place.


Screws included


One of the reasons I have been looking to change over from the standard Fibrax brake pads is that although being pretty good they seem to wear pretty quickly, leave a black residue on the rims and are only okay in the wet. According to David and those who have upgraded, the Swissstop trump the Fibrax pads in all these areas.




Fitting them is a fairly painless affair and certainly no real difference to fitting the Fibrax pads. When I first used them in anger on my Original Orange Brompton I did notice a slight difference in stopping power but nothing that dramatic. It was on Sunday when I took part in 'The London Classic' that I could really feel the difference and their worth.




Sunday's London Classic started with rain which persisted for a good hour. The braking in the wet conditions and especially on the steep descents was where the Swissstop pads came into their own. They were brilliant in the wet. They didn't squeal and braking was firm, responsive and gave me greater confidence that I'd would stop quicker and more importantly safer.

By the end of the ride I was a convert. Yes they are a little more expensive that the Fibrax pads but this slight increase is worth it for the safety benefits. I for one will be placing an order for another set to so on my Titanium Orange Brompton!

11 comments:

  1. Let me be brave and ask a potentially naive question. If it's raining, would grippier blocks increase the risk of a braking skid against a wet road surface? I presume from your write up that you didn't feel this was a risk.

    John

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    1. Still better. I had to apply less force to the brake levers on several steep descents and was therefore afforded more control. I did have to stop very suddenly during the Classic when a car turned left very suddenly. I was very glad I had the extra braking power.

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    2. Thank you. Will remember that when I need replacements.

      John

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  2. Sounds like the customization worked well. Here at the shop I've seen Peter try a number of different things, avid brakes for example, but nothing worked as well as the original parts that came on the Brompton. Here's a blog about some NYCeWheels employees Brompton customizations over the past few years for those interested: http://blog.nycewheels.com/lightweight-folding-bike/ - Jack

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  3. Are the brake pads standard size? Where did you order them from?

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    1. They are standard size. Just put Swissstop BXP Flash Pro into a search engine and local sellers should appear. They are rather good and especially in the wet.

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    2. Yes the are blue. Also a green version. Either will do.

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  4. On the strength of this article, I ordered a set for my Brompton. The real test for me was towing a trailer with old chipboard cupboard doors in it to the tip. Even on a steep downhill, I had no problem controlling my speed with all the extra weight pushing me forward. This had been an issue with the stock Fibrax pads.

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  5. Anyone had any issues with rim wear using these brake blocks? I fitted a set of the blue ones about 3 months ago and have worn down the rims past the indictor groove in that time!

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    Replies
    1. No. Lots of friends have these or versions of them on their Brompton bikes with no issues. Sorry to hear about your problems.

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  6. TFitted these and they are very good, thanks

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