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Lightweight Ventoux / Gipfelsturm 240 Braking
Lightweight Ventoux
Lightweight recommends their own brake pads for their wheels, a black pad that reads “Lightweight by swissstop”, apparently a custom compound made by SwissStop for Lightweight wheels.
I used Bontrager cork pads with my ZIPP 303 wheels for years, but I don’t yet have the time on the bike to say how long the Lightweight pads will last. I was always very pleased with the performance and longevity of cork pads. Cork pads do work on the Lightweight wheels, because I test-rode the Lightweight Standard wheelset on my older bike. The cork pads tend to be a bit grabby, leading to less than smooth braking.
First ride
On my first ride with very modest braking, the pads seem to have lost a significant amount of material, which clung loosely to the front of the pad as shown below.
Also, I encountered some squealing noise from the front brake that does not sound so good. I don’t know if this is a break-in issue. It might be that the pads are simply a compound that wears faster and tends to shed more material. On a second ride, I did not notice any new material or any squealing, but the brake pads are now seated.
1300 mile update
After 1300 miles, including some 7-8% fast downhill grades, I’m satisfied with excellent braking performance.
When the wheels heat up from more braking, a high-pitched loud squeal tends to develop as the rims heat up, which I think is due to rubber in the brake pads.
Braking force
In terms of braking force, the Lightweight break pads on the Ventoux wheels are outstanding, and do require some technique feathering adjustment to avoid being too powerful—yanking on the levers hard offers considerable stopping power, so some caution is advised when riding the first time to avoid skidding. Definitely more friction there than with the cork pads on my ZIPP 303 wheels.
