Aztec Aztec2 Bicycle Brake Pads (Threaded)

My mistake for looking at the picture and not reading the description which says that the "color" is "threaded". Receiving the parts I see that these have a threaded shafts with hex nuts. I needed the cantilever post as was shown in the picture. I have an older set that I am replacing and I like them a lot but for this item I am taking off a star for the misleading picture.

I used several pair of Aztec brakes over the years. When I wasn't able to find them, I substituted Shimano's curved longer brake pads. The Shimano's sacrifice the aluminum rim in order to preserve the brake pad! In just a couple weeks I had deep grooves in the rim with the Shimano's. Frankly I want to brake pad to sacrifice itself, not my expensive rims! Aztec is the middle ground. Having read about the really cheap pads that are 'like butter' and need to be replaced every couple months, the Aztec are the middle ground. I get about a year out of a pair and they don't destroy the rims.

I am a bike commuter and these are great brake pads. I'm on my second set for my bike. They work well during wet or dry conditions. The first set got me over 2500 miles and that is mostly while riding on hilly terrain (a lot of braking). Due to the curved design, these particular pads fit 700c rims well and are threaded. They may fit other sized rims, but I've never tried them on anything else. The set comes with the appropriate mounting hardware. For those who complain about squeaking, which is actually very rapid vibration, the pads have to be "towed in" slightly (most pads do). When you apply the brakes you want the front of the pad to touch the rim before the back of the pad. It shows how to install them properly on the back of the package using the cardboard backing as the shim. Usually this prevents squeaking. There are grooves on each pad that act as wear indicators. You should change these pads when the grooves are worn down flush with the rest of the pad (see my photo).

These brake pads are pretty good for the price. They are quiet, and provide decent, smooth braking. They aren't as 'grippy' as Kool Stop pads, but they are much better than most pads you get installed on your bike from the factory.I've been using these for a little over 6 months, and nearly 1,100 miles on my commute bike, and they've recently worn down enough to warrant replacement. I installed these Aztecs on my rear wheel at the same time as some Kool Stops on my front wheel. The Kool Stops were much better at braking in both dry and wet conditions, but the Kool Stops were also very, VERY loud under hard braking, where the Aztec's were nice and quiet throughout their entire life.I would recommend these for most casual, fair-weather riders. But if you're riding faster than around 10-15mph (especially in traffic), commonly doing long and/or steep descents, or commuting in anything but perfect riding weather, I'd have to recommend going with the Kool Stops over these.

Super pads! Just replacing these with the same after about 1000 miles of general use and commuting. Strong stopping power with linear modulation makes the Aztec pads predictable and safe. They need to be toed in properly or they chirp very loudly, also the rims need to be cleaned regularly to ensure high performance. I was contemplating switching to discs, but honestly if I grab a handful of this brake, my back tire comes off the ground even if I'm leaning way back, so for the low cost of two pairs, I'm staying with v-brakes. If I have family buying a new bike, I mount these on to replace the OEM and it makes a huge difference. Also did the same for my kids' bmx bikes. I don't like that they use the braking power to skid and ruin tires, but in an emergency, these stop better.

I replaced some junk Promax 260 pads (factory equipment on my Trek 820) with these and I'm happy with the result. I didn't realize how bad the old pads were until I got the new ones on. After properly adjusting the pads, stopping power is greatly increased and much more linear.Installation note: I ended up using less toe-in than the packaging recommends, maybe half. The package recommends cutting a piece of the carded backing out and clamping it in between the rear of the pad and the wheel, then tightening the adjusting nut. I found that this produced a longer, spongier pull on the lever than I prefer. It also decreased the wheel/pad gap, which is problematic on my not-quite-true wheels. After cutting the toe-in in half, I got my firmer lever pull back without sacrificing ability to modulate, and also provided just enough gap between the pads and wheels to prevent rubbing.

These brake pads suit my needs- they work in wet and dry, they are quiet, and they are controlled- the pads they replaced caused the brakes to be either off or the wheel to be locked, these are definitely more gradual. With the upsides, especially the performance in wet conditions, the downside is inevitable- the wear is very rapid. My blocks needed replacing after four months, or about 800 miles, of urban/suburban commuting. However, as I say, the braking performance is great; even given the rapid wear, I am replacing them with exactly the same blocks.Edit- in the instructions, in bold, it says "IMPORTANT: Replace pads when grooves are worn flush" It really is important- I kept riding for another month or so, and did end up with the metal backing from the pads against my rims. This isn't anything that is wrong with the brake pads, just a PSA.....

Installed these front and rear on my GF's city bike.These brakes are solid!Fit perfectly, and stop HARD!Will def purchase again when the time comes to replace them.

Very good. Bought them for my new bike replacing the originals and these ones are better quality and work better. They saved me several times in difficult situations.

Great grip. Great performance bothdry and wet! Happy with the purchase! Price very reasonable.