I’ve recently started using my “good” carbon wheels more since the weather is improving. I’ve only ridden them three or four times, and both wheels seem to pulse under braking, almost as if some sections of the rim have more friction. I’m 100% confident the brakes are set up properly.
I’m using the manufacturer’s brake pads, which are apparently the only pads you can use, but they leave a ton of blue residue on the rim that is almost impossible to clean off.
Has anyone had this issue with any carbon wheels and managed to solve it? I’m thinking a swissstop eraser to clean the rim properly and a set of their yellow prince pads might be on the cards despite the manufacturer’s warnings.
The yellow prince pads will leave yellow marks on your rims that are hard to clean off. If the brakes pulse under braking, I’d wonder if there’s a spot of something on your rim causing a lack of friction or they aren’t 100% true.
It’s interesting about the manufacturers demands about brake pads and warranty. Zipp specify you can only use their own brand brake blocks, that if you look closely at you can see the words “Swisstop” on them!!
Braking does feel a little different on carbon rims. Just takes some time to get used to👍
Regarding the brake “pulsing” this may be down to pad placement. Firstly, are the pads fully toed-in to the rim? If not, they may be vibrating as the brake caliper is engaged, causing that feeling. Secondly, if the pads are too close to the edge of the rim, they may not be fully engaging with the brake surface, again causing the odd feeling.
It’s not uncommon for the pads to leave a bit of residue on the rims, especially in either hotter conditions or under heavier braking. It’s simply down to the brake pad compound that we use - we chose to go with a slightly softer pad which gives a lot more feel under braking versus a more common black compound.
There’s no harm in it remaining on the wheel as it won’t impact braking. If you want to remove the marks there are a couple of solutions we’ve used. The best is to use acetone on a dry cloth, then just rub the residue off the rim. Alternatively, using a citrus degreaser can work. If the cloth doesn’t shift the residue, you can also use a slightly more abrasive surface, e.g. a washing up sponge with a plastic scouring side. We wouldn’t recommend using anything more heavy duty than that. In either case, when using cleaning chemicals, just be careful not to drip onto the decals, as the clear coat lacquer could be damaged.
Mine are exactly the same! I think I’ll email them asking for advice.