Any recommendations or anyone I've not heard of?
How do they compare to OEM?
Looking at Uberbike vs Disco brakes at the moment
Superstar are knocking them out again now, recently fitted some organic pads to my Zees and they're really good.
I've always used Shimano pads in Shimano brakes, just fitted some resin Nukeproof pads and they're just as good.
Been dead happy with Galfer lately
I always use OEM and they always work and you don't get any of quality control issues or variable pad thickness that mean you can't spin the wheel around or the lever comes back to the bar... or uneven wear or pads that detach from backing plates, or noise, or contamination.
False economy.
EBC have been the best I've used in ages. Spenny though.
I find Shimano last longer than the aftermarket ones, but as the aftermarket (Uberbike) are cheaper and easier to get hold of I run the Race Matrix. I've noticed they're louder than the OE ones in my XTR M9100 brakes, but they stop just as well.
Swissstop are better than OEM in my experience
i've been happy with my Gorilla pads on Cura4's..
noah and theo ceramic on all brakes. hope E4 & shimano
I'm always a bit twitchy about recommending these, but, I use the cheapest pads on aliexpress, Bikein ceramics. They cost £1.50 a pair inc postage. I don't use them because they're so cheap- I bought them out of curiosity and just kept using them as they're good. Used them for the mega and a week's uplifts in france, used them for tweed valley steepness and pentlands slopness, they just work really well and coincidentally cost nothing.
I'd almost guarantee that some of the other pads that get recommended in this thread will be the exact same pad
I like Disco pads.
Swissstop are better than OEM in my experience
+1
Reassuringly expensive!
Swissstop are better than OEM in my experience
+1
Reassuringly expensive!
Another+1,..Swiss Stop DiscRS are by some distance better than anything I've used, currently running them on 2bikes with Codes and G2,s.
As a serial brake dragging mincer I've used many including Galfer Pro(green, and other), Trickstuff power plus,Uberbike Race matrix, Gorilla Brakes as well as many OEM pads etc etc. Swiss stop are superb.
The extra bite, lack of noise, durability in all conditions is worth every penny as far as I'm concerned.
EBC Red for bite, Alligator sintered for longevity.
Galfer's for me too.
I belive they make the pads for Hope (at least the pads that came with my E4's and V4's say Galfer on the back)
I notice that Hope have now adopted the same compound/colour convention as Galfer too
Whearas the only time I've ever had an issue of pads too thick were Avid...
We've used Uberbike for years now, across 5 mountain bikes and 4 road bikes, from Enduro beast to road pottering, on Magura, Shimano, Hope and Giant fitment.
I've had a couple of sets recently that wore quickly, and one set that objected to repeated laps of Swiss national DH track... But great otherwise.
I always use OEM and they always work and you don’t get any of quality control issues or variable pad thickness that mean you can’t spin the wheel around or the lever comes back to the bar… or uneven wear or pads that detach from backing plates, or noise, or contamination.
False economy
Trickstuff power pads are great, but I haven’t used them in other makers brakes.
Galfer green or Rahox here
Kingstop sintereds from Aliexpress in all my brakes.
Why pay more?
I’ve pretty much always used cheap pads from Superstar or Widget, but I ended up with 2 pairs of Galfer pads when I was in the Alps and they were much better.
My bro has switched to Trickstuff pads over the past few years and rates them much better than the SRAM and Shimano pads hems used in the past.
What does OEM mean for brake pads?
I notice that Hope have now adopted the same compound/colour convention as Galfer too
This is not a coincidence. Hope pads are made for them by Galfer.
I'm pretty sure a while back they were made by EBC.
EBC here too - since I used some in the wet and they didn't squeal.
They ain't spendy though - https://www.merlincycles.com/search?w=EBC
What does OEM mean for brake pads?
original equipment manufacturer - the company that makes the parts for another company with their name on it.
I’m always a bit twitchy about these, but, I use the cheapest pads on aliexpress
Same. But semi metallic. Never had an issue… and all pads I’ve bought measure 4mm.