SwissStop GHP II (Green High Performance) brake pads, complete with holder.
Where bought and price
Wiggle, for about $38 a set without shipping compared to $60+ in Australia just for the shoes... and no-one seems to stock them here (LBS's that is).
How it is used
Supposed to be a high-performance all-round brake pad that's easy on rims. Also supposedly used by a large number of riders in the pro peleton. How can you go wrong.
Description
Brake pads with holder, which unlike Shimano offerings has openings in the back of the holder to reduce weight, similar to the holders that KoolStop sells for their brake pads.
Positives
Nice and progressive, doesn't get grabby under hard braking (wet or dry), and seems to have a high coefficient of friction for good hard stops. Initial stopping in the wet is no better/worse than other brake pads.
Negatives
Picks up alloy in the wet and chews up the rims. This was quite a surprise as I though it would be as good as the KoolStops in this regard, but I spent a fair bit of time picking chunks of alloy out of the shoes with a scribe this afternoon. My front rim is looking pretty messed up after a 71km ride in the rain. But not as bad as Shimano pads would have been in the wet - both for shoe life and damage to the rims.
Recommendation
Might be good for extreme racing (ie. high speed stops), but for normal riding or going out in the rain your rims will be happier on KoolStops, and your wallet will be a lot happier. I bought these as I've been melting the KoolStops on descents and the GHP's are supposed to be the ultimate, but after riding on both including some high-speed descents I can't pick a difference between the pads... and it's failed the rain test - badly.
OVERALL SCORES
Quality
Performance
Value for money
