Fibrax Road Caliper Xtreme Compound Brake Pad/Holders Set

Fibrax Xtreme wet weather pads really bring budget stoppers up to scratch without running up an overdraft. They're not just for side-pulls or centre-pulls either – there's a version for V brakes. Folks with ceramic or carbon rims will need to look elsewhere though since they're only designed for conventional alloy rims.

Fibrax won't says what's in their Xtreme compound, other than to say a key ingredient is unique to Wales. Apparently, the pads boast a unique condition specific pattern, in this case clever channelling that uses water to flush accumulated dirt and grime away, theoretically preventing sidewall erosion. Look closely at the shoes and you'll notice they're cutaway, while supposedly shaving the odd gram or two.

More significantly, ours seemed a genuinely universal fit, swapping between contemporary Miche/Tektro brakes and some 1980's single pivot Modolos. Toe in is equally simple and the shoes only need a half-turn from a 5mm Allen key to sit snug, although I put a precautionary trace of wet lube on the threaded sections just to be sure.

Predominantly paired with a combination of Cane Creek brakes and Miche wheels, modulation and feel felt notably improved over a rival brand's dual-compound pads. Post-ride clean ups aside, I haven't needed much persuading to whip the Teenage Dream for a quick twenty mile blast in the spring monsoons.

Good brakes certainly encourage a quicker pace and it wasn't long before I was haring along the zigzags, confident of leaving braking to the last minute. Approaching the next left-hander, lo and behold, a Lamborghini tractor complete with some seriously sadistic looking hardware emerged from a siding. A quick press of the right lever scrubbed off the necessary speed and I overtook on the next straight section.

No matter how filthy the roads, grit doesn't seem to accumulate in these pads, so grinding, squealing or sludge-purging rituals should be pretty rare even on a winter bike. Descending the odd 1 in 4 saw the computer registering 42mph, but feathering the brake kept things well mannered into the final bends.

Since the test-mule bike weighs 22lb, I'd like to test the V brake version to see how they cope with a heavily laden tourer but with my 70 kilos, we've had no problems, whether riding in the bunch or tricking through lines of stop-go traffic.

Verdict

Impressive, wet weather aftermarket pads at a good price too