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review
SwissStop Disc 34 RS pads£26.99
VERDICT:
Quiet in the wet with a low wear rate – a very good upgrade
Silent braking in the wet
Simple to fit
Low wear rate
Slight price increase over stock pads
Weight:
17g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
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SwissStop's Disc 34 RS Pads are a great upgrade for any bike facing hard conditions. They remain silent in grotty weather, wear slowly and while they're more expensive than the stock pads, they don't cost a fortune.
SwissStop has provided the upgrade of silence with its Disc 34 RS pads. It might not sound like the best upgrade, but when you've heard the howl of contaminated disc brakes, you'll pay anything for a quiet system.
> Find your nearest dealer here
The 34 RS pads use an organic compound that, while offering quieter braking than the Shimano pads they replaced, don't seem to offer a noticeable difference in stopping power – and the Shimanos are slightly cheaper. That said, they performed well on steep descents, allowing me to slow down rapidly from high speeds. They also offer loads of modulation which further improves their performance in the rain.
Installing the pads is simple. Just pop the old ones out and slot these in. You'll need to do some bedding in of the pads but this is quick to do on a short ride. I just pulled hard on the brakes when heading down a couple of steep hills.
The pads are designed to fit all the latest Shimano callipers from Dura-Ace down to Tiagra, along with Shimano 'non-series' brakes. Once fitted, I can't say that I've had to touch them. It makes the pads very easy to live with.
> The stuff they never tell you about disc brakes
> Everything you need to know about disc brakes
As my testing has been done during a horrendously wet winter, the conditions have been perfect for exposing any issues with premature wear. Happily, the 34 RS pads seem to be holding up brilliantly.
The combination of silent braking, low wear rate and lack of maintenance needed makes these pads a great upgrade for a bike that is likely to see the rain. There aren't many upgrade options for your brake pads but thankfully, this is a very good one.
Verdict
Quiet in the wet with a low wear rate – a very good upgrade
road.cc test report
Make and model: SwissStop Disc 34 RS pads
Size tested: Shimano Flat Mount
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
SwissStop says: "Disc RS delivers powerful braking and precisely balances the performance characteristics important to racers and everyday riders alike"
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
FITS:
Shimano
Dura Ace BR-R9170
Ultegra BR-R8070
105 BR-R7070
Tiagra BR-4770
GRX BR-RX810,BR-RX400
XTR BR-M9100
Metrea BR-U5000
BR-RS805
BR-RS505
BR-RS405
BR-RS305
Tektro
HD-R310
REVER
MCX1 Flat Mount
Rate the product for quality of construction:
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
5/10
Rate the product for value:
5/10
A little more than Shimano's equivalent (£19 rrp).
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Silently and without need of attention.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The silence in what have been some dire conditions.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes. I've got a few friends with rather squeaky brakes.
Use this box to explain your overall score
They're very good: silent in what has been an extremely wet winter, and they've resisted wear well.
About the tester
Age: 24
I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Di2 My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 5-10 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, club rides, general fitness riding, I specialise in the Cafe Ride!
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13 comments
Hi
would these fit my. TRP/hywire Spyre hy/Rd callipers that’s on my specialized awol
thanks ken
Following with interest! I couldn't live with the noise of any of my disc brake setups in wet cold conditions, so gave up on discs.
A promise of silent braking could bring me back into the flock...
I can live with the noise (only persistent when it's raining), but I'll give these a try out the next time I change pads.
Looks to me as though the retaining pin has got a hex head. If so, that's a much better choice than the Shimano retaining pins that weld themselves in place and use a flat-head that has the strength of mashed potato.
More likely to be torx?
Torx is good too.
With a review not going much further than 300 words, hard to think much testing has been done at all.
Any chance of something a little more scientific considering they want £30 for brake pads?
They're brake pads. Not a tubeless tyre system, light or jacket. They're either on or off, noisy or silent, work or don't. Not sure what more info you're after beyond 'they work in the wet, last well and aren't noisy'?
Noting number of words does not depth of understanding or value infer. If it did, Haikus wouldn't exist.
They work in the dry
They also work in the wet
Swissstop Disc RS
They will stop your bike
Without making any noise
Swissstop Disc RS
RS 34
Other types available
For different bikes
etc
£21 a pair onlline....
are they replacing something like L02A/L03A pads, the one with fins?
wondering whether they offer any advantage in terms of mud clearance not having the extra material of the fins. heat dissipation isnt going to be a massive issue in CX
Can't say that I've had issues with mud clearance in the pads. Or maybe that is to become my latest excuse for getting lapped...
I'll get muddy and have a look.
If you want to replace L02A pads you'd want the EXOTherm2 range, which have a similar "heatsink" area.
On a separate note, it's a bit weird calling these "Disc 34 RS"...the 34 bit is just the designator of the specific shape of the pads (of which there are about a million). The RS bit is the crucial part, which identifies the compound. I guess RS 34 is the specific model you reviewed, but it would be like naming a jacket under review the "Rapha SuperDentist Medium Elite Jacket" because you happened to review one in a medium size.