Is it just me?

I’ve got these on my hardtail.

If the bike is left for a week or two in the shed something seems to happen to them.

Braking from speed they are quiet and work perfectly but as the wheels approach stopping point (sub say 3mph) they make the most shocking SKROOONNNNKKKK noise until they’ve done 20 or so hard, long stops.

I use this bike for social rides with my kids as well as proper rides and it’s driving me and probably lots of other people batty.

Is this a peculiarity of the pads that anyone else has encountered if so it may be time for a set of Shimano organic pads again.

Yes I know this is a first world problem but that’s where I live.

A mate of mine uses these and has a similar problem. They are a bit noisy. Doesn’t bother him, they are effective, but do seem to be noisy especially after a bit of a lay off.

It’ll be vibration…at that slower speed the vibration (rattle) is causing the noise.

Get 25 hard stops done before the family leave and you should be sorted.

No engineering knowledge has been used in the production of this suggestion!

I use them. Can’t say I’ve noticed it. Won’t be a problem for long though as I think superstar have stopped making them

I use them. Can’t say I’ve noticed it. Won’t be a problem for long though as I think superstar have stopped making them

I messaged Superstar yesterday to see when they’d get sintered S5 pads back in stock and they said next year as “they’re focusing on British made products”

So what pads for XT785 with Ice-Tech rotors 😀

Weird how SS have given up on brake pads, the product that made their name.

Short-sighted IMO, as I’ll wander off to competitors’ sites and might get lured in by their other products too.

So what pads for XT785 with Ice-Tech rotors

either the OE finned organics or some other organic pad.

I’m sure Uberbike will have some. Similar if not cheaper than Superstar sometimes.

garage-dweller – Member

If the bike is left for a week or two in the shed something seems to happen to them.

When I had this problem it was the calipers (or something) leaking a miniscule amount of oil, you could actually see it if you remove the pads. Looked like it had a few spots of rain on it.

No idea how it actually got on the face of the pads from wherever it came from, but having replaced with a new brake system its stopped happening.

I use reds in our somewhat limited dry season. I find them great for that, but introduce a bit of moisture and they do like the old turkey gobble.

The only time I’ve experienced what the OP describes is when I had a miniscule leak. It slowly got worse over 3 months and was a total arse to diagnose. In the end I swapped out the caliper at it was right as rain again.

Weird how SS have given up on brake pads, the product that made their name.

Depending on whether you got some of the bad bad batch/year/decade that statement could be interpreted either way!

mehr – Member 
I messaged Superstar yesterday to see when they’d get sintered S5 pads back in stock and they said next year as “they’re focusing on British made products”

That’s what they said last year!

Basically they’re discontinued. They might do some British made pads I guess. Will be twice the price or more obviously.

Maybe eventually when they’ve finished doing their Brexit prep, they might start looking at cheap far east imports again, but in the meantime I have lost my favourite pad source. Had no real issues with their Kevlars. Quietest pads I’ve had, excellent braking, great in dry or wet. Only minor thing is the last batch had to file down the paint on the edges to fit in Trail/Guide callipers.

Uber may be next option, but heard a few negatives about their Kevlars. Otherwise there’s the Race Matrix everyone raves about, but not sure they are as long lasting.

@retro83 on the pad surface or the backing plate?

I will check that out thanks as brakes are a few years old now.

I have been using superstar for years so was a bit gutted when I couldnt get any S5.

I was surprised how reasonable the real shimano ones are though, £7.50 on CRC

Didn’t know that, will go back to Shimano myself then – they are better too.

garage-dweller – Member

@retro83 on the pad surface or the backing plate?

The surface of the pad and the brakes were three year old SLX. May have been the lever leaking though, I replaced the whole.

Quick update just popped the pads out for a look. They weren’t superstar it turns out but Aztec.

No oil evidence anywhere which is good.

Pad backs were corroded and I’ve sanded off the corrosion and rubbed the pad face flat again as it had a small lip on .

Scronnnk!

I guess some IPA on the rotors may help rule them out then I guess on to spare pads next.

Failing that somewhere remote to give them a pasting and try and scrub them up through heat!

If I’ve missed anything feel free to add below.

Thanks

I really like them but they are a wee bit noisier than most. Disco kevlar may very well be the exact same pad.

Run them in M4’s on the front of the Spitfire. Was using an SLX 203mm rotor and they were fine. Will see how they work with those Lifeline £7 180mm floaters tomorrow night. Same caliper and rotor on the BFe but with On-One organics (were 99p a set so got 20-odd)and there’s a warble at low speed.

There might be a factor being missed here… the storage conditions.

Is your shed made from wood treated with creosote or similar? Or are there paint tins or fuels that might be evaporating into the atmosphere in there?

A friend in our riding group always had noisy brakes, even when discs & pads were brand new (but bike left in the shed for a bit)
Someone came up with the oily atmosphere idea a month ago. From our observations and tests do support it.