Got my first ever disc brakes recently, sat waiting to be fitted. Woohoo. I was just wondering how I tell whether the pads are resin or sintered – I am assuming they are resin, but is there any way to tell visually?

Resin is a bit yellow and sintered is a bit grey metallic.

Google images (sorry I’m lazy to paste 2nite)

Well, they look a bit grey/metallic which would suggest sintered then. Don’t want to remove them from the calipers unnecessarily. Woohoo for sintered, I guess!?

the resin/organic pads are a dark grey colour with gold flecks in and have RESIN written on the back of the pads. They usually have silver backplates

the sintered/metal pads are usually gold coloured, for both the pad compound and backplate. Should have METAL written on the back of the pads.

My SLX came with resin pads, but I think they are the supersoft resin compound as they have RESIN A01 S on the back plate, and I think the S is for soft compound.

if you’ll be riding in wet weather then get some sintered pads in, as resin only last a few rides in wed weather usually.

Aha. Clear as mud then. My immediate suspicion was that they would be resin. Will prob get a spare set of sintered in anyhow, maybe i’ll find some on ebay for pre-price-hike-prices. Or maybe I will start a thread asking how SS pads perform…

useful pictures on here, click the two thumbnails for bigger photos. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=19004

I just bought 4 x Superstar Sintered for my SLX / Saint combo and they bedded in very nicely and are working well so far

I’m pretty certain most Shimano brakes come with resin pads as standard

On this evedince they definitely seem to be resin.

P.S F-Me pads are expensive!

I’m pretty certain most Shimano brakes come with resin pads as standard

My XTR’s didn’t, in fact one set came with resin & metal, the other just metal. I really don’t know why they bother with resin for the UK.

Shimano, £21:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=3369

Goodridge, £13:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=7762

Sorted!

<Neatly sidesteps cheap pads/one-particular-make/quality debate>

Weird, mine are XTR and the resin is yellow. Did a google search and the SLX is as how AndyP described but it has the part numbers on the back of my Titanium plates.

Usually run resin in the front and sintered on my rear.

I use Fibrax pads with my XTs; they are lot cheaper and work the treat.