I'm not a high speed, high skilled rider so this is purely from an economic point of view. I've been using Shimano sintered pads recently but they now seem to be almost twice the price of resin ones. I gather that sintered pads last longer (all other things being equal) but are they sufficiently more durable to warrant the extra price?
For winter sintered pads work better and last longer. I can burn through resin pads in bad weather quite quickly.
If funds are an issue and it’s mtb I’d give some uberbike brake pads a go - they’re certainly cheaper than genuine Sram pads. For 3 seasons I go with the race matrix (white) ones, then I run sintered in the proper gloopy winters. Either uberbike sintered or genuine Sram.
Resin for me, they may wear a bit quicker but they seem to be kinder on my rotors. And I like the feel.
Superstar are doing them again now and I'm finding their resin pads very good in my Shimano 4-pot brakes.
Sintered always for me
Another vote for sintered here. Especially if you ride all year round
I've been on superstar Kevlar recently and going back to sintered. Have shimano resin on my xc bike and again going to sintered
Noah and Theo Ceramic pads.
Always sintered. Yes the price is hefty but bed them in properly and they should last longer.
having burnt out a set of shimano resin grx pads on a ride i'd avoid them in gloop/mud winter,
hence resin for summer, sintered late summer to hope they last the winter.
I personally dont like sintered pads. I find the howl in the wet for longer and have a feeling they might wear my rotors out quicker. Resin I find great, but dont last particularly long, certainly not in the wet. So I use Uber Race Matrix and have been for years. Last a very long time, dont howl and as powerful as resin. However, christ, hasnt the price of them gone up! I'm sure I was able to buy a pack of 4 for £25 not too long ago. Just bought 4 for £40 🙁
I always use sintered, I've never worn out a rotor after many years of heavy use. Resin pads just wear out too quickly and don't seem to have any benefits over sintered IMO
Resin front, sintered rear for me. ..
Quick bite of the resin on front for your main stopping power then the long lasting sintered on rear as that's the brake you drag.
Resin lasts ages on the front I find. .
Always sintered for Welsh riding. I bought a brand new set of Shimano XT brakes once which were delivered with Resin pads. I did a double loop of Brechfa on a wet and greasy day and wore them down to the backing plates in that one ride!
They were quiet mind 🙂
I’ve never worn out a rotor after many years of heavy use
worth checking - I recently swapped pads and then had almost zero power on a downhill that led to a planned exit from the bike to grab a tree! The disk was really v v thin as I too had never thought to check. Replaced disk, bedded in pads and brakes as a good as new.
Always sintered. Well use up the resin if it's a new brake then swap to sintered. I always mean to try the halfway house types, racematrix/kevlar/wotsits, but seem to order my stash of pads in the winter, so default to sintered.
Have you checked your Shimano rotors aren’t ‘resin only’?
Just bought 4 for £40
I just bought OEM SRAM sintered; 4 for nearly £100.00. Count your blessings
Resin.
Just returning from Morzine, was using Galfer standard sintered pads at about a tenner a set, consistent stopping power, no fade or noise. Worth the extra couple of quid over the usual budget brands IMO.
I always was sintered but now use finned Uber bike semi metallic. Better bite, better on rotors, don’t over-heat on longer descents.
If you were Pro like me you would use one of each per calliper
I've regularly used sintered after finding that I could eat through a pair in one Peak District ride...
I've now taken to Kevlar ones from Uberbike which are great on the MTB.
For the do it all bikes we're on Resin Uberbike.
Sintered. I'm a tight wad. I can make a set last 1000km +.