Quote:
Originally Posted by MineralGreyMetallic
My road bike, which also uses disc rotors, is covered in similar brown dust around the brakes after just one ride.
I have to swap those tiny pads out every 1-2 months, depending on how much I ride and descend. There is maybe 2mm of pad material not including the backing plate.
For reference, the rotor when new is about 2mm in thickness also. They recommend replacing it when it reaches 1.5mm.
If the theory that "most dust comes from the rotor" was correct I'd be replacing rotors every 1-2 months and not just pads.
After a solid year of ~15-17 hours a week of riding, the rotor is still thicker than 1.5mm and does not need to be replaced.
I know it's not an apples to apples comparison, but you get the idea.
|
You have to keep in mind that the surface area of the rotor subjected to wear is many times larger than the surface area of the pads, so the wear will never be 1:1. We all know that the rotors usually last several pad sets before needing replacement, but do eventually wear down. So the simple answer is that the dust on the wheels is from both the pads and the rotors, the ratio depends on materials, temperature and surface areas. If changing to a diffent pad reduces the visible dust on the wheels without loss of performance, then go for it. :-)