Hi, I'm planning to get a spare set of brake pads for my Shimano BR-RS505 brakes. They came with K02S resin pads, but I see I can also buy L02A Ice-tech pads with a built in heat sink. Is it worth the extra ~$8/wheel? I'm around 150 lbs and haven't had any problems with the K02S pads, but wouldn't mind some additional safety factor.
I also plan to replace the FD cable since it's getting sticky and takes a lot of force to operate. I've never dealt with internal routing before. It looks like the cable is inside a sleeve and the sleeve is inside a guide. The design looks poor to me. Water and dirt come off the tire in that area and will seep inside. Any tips? The bike is a Ridley X-trail.
As far as brake pads, it really depends on how you ride. The ice tech pads help reduce loss of braking due to heat. In most gravel applications heat really isn't a problem because rarely is there repeated hard or prolonged braking. But if you ride singletrack or ride some big descents then it might be worth it.
I wonder if one could modify a v-brake cable boot (or similar which is available for the rear derailleur cable) to be used to reduce the amount of water and debris is able to get inside the cable. Here's a link to a picture, but I'm only referring to the rubber portion: https://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/clarks-noodle-cable-guide-v-90d-with-boot
Grease, carefully applied at the end of the cable housing, will help keep water and mud from entering the housing but this requires regular maintenance as the grease will wear off and also pickup dirt so IMO it's not an ideal solution.
Thanks for the advice. I ended up getting the Ice tech pads. They were only $7 more and I figure brakes aren't a place to be cheap. I've also read the pads last longer when they stay cooler.
When I replaced the cable I got rid of the plastic sleeve. Shifting effort is much lower now. I've got a cable boot on the way.
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