Forum menu
Ceramic People are carbonized organic pads claimed to have great power and quietness at the expense of longevity. Rec by a trials rider for bite.12.5 GBP
Superstar Red Kevlar organic pad with Kevlar fibers for longevity. 7.99 GBP.
A2Z organic possibly with Kevlar. Read that people prefer them over both of the above pads. 7.99 GBP.
Looking for low/no noise in dry and wet, great bite and decent longevity! Riding (flat) street mostly. Road dust contamination could be a factor! Avid BB7 btw.
Based on several years of Shimano and then TRP Spyre cable discs on a CX bike for year-round commutes in all weather, you're probably looking at a year or so out of organics, so really don't overthink it. ย Decent rotors and keeping it all clean is going to be worth so much more.
At commute speeds, you're unlikely to be generating enough heat for the harder pads to warm up so will mostly be at their 'cold' performance levels which are generally pretty woeful.
I wouldn't get too attached to the Superstars as they've been selling their end of line brake stock for a while now, Uberbike are generally a good (possibly better/more consistent) alternative.
Thanks vincienup and good point about cold performance.ย For commuting only I wouldn't worry much about pad choice, whatever is silent and durable really, but I've also been learning some trials, where a strong rear brake is crucial. So looking for a pad with great bite.
I've also ordered two disco brakes steel rotors as they're 17.2 mm wide compared to my 14 mm HS1 rotor, should work better with 16 mm pads.
Wonder if there are actually any real difference between some of these 3rd party brand pads.