Brake pads – current flavour of choice?

A gritty day at Surrey hills has killed my brake pads (actually Gotmama was riding my bike so it’s his fault, the bloody brake dragging mincer) so time for new ones.

Was pleased enough with the sintered pads that came with my Hope E4s, especially as they didn’t scream like Banshees in the wet but a bit more power wouldn’t go amiss. I saw Fibrax pads got a really good review in one of the mags (MBR?), anyone tried them?

I’ve been using Superstar Kevlar pads for ages now, literally ages – I fitted a set with their massively over-sized cooling fins for Les Arcs in July, I finally wore them out on a wet horrible day at BPW last month.

They do seem to live up to their ‘organic soft, metallic wear rate’ promise.

Bought some Blue A2Z pads last week before a trip to BPW as my old Superstars were a bit worn and I was warned that BPW eats pads.
Did Afan on the Saturday in the wet and a full day at BPW in the rain/hail/wet.
I’m a bit of a brake dragger but was very pleasantly surprised to find i’d lost less than 1/4 (prob even less, they look almost new)of the pads after the weekend when several riding buddies ate whole sets of pads at BPW. I’ve never seen so many pads with zero friction material left!!

Always been happy with discobrakes kevlar pads. Good price, don’t usually squeal and stop me well. Kevlar can wear quicker than sintered in winter slop though, but spring is on way.

Just to make it more complicated!

Uberbike pads are definitely worth trying.

I think quite a few people on here use them.

I want to try out their XL pads this time round (25% thicker pad material than standard pads.)

Just fitted Uberbike Race Matrix to our Capras, really powerful in all conditions, can’t comment on life yet but I’d buy more.

I used to run ssc Kevlar pads which worked really well. However, my discs wore faster than I’ve ever seen before and in a concaved way. I remember talking to a guy who’d had similar issues and Hope had identified it as being related to Kevlar pads. I stick with hope organic or sintered now depending on conditions.

Uberbike Kevlar in my hardtail’s Formula brakes and standard non-finned Shimano in my XT’s. OK so completely different brakes but the kevlar ones seem to work best for me in dry dusty trails.

I’ve got through a set of superstar red ones in about 250km of gritty wet riding, they’re also proper noisey.

Fitted Fibrax now to see how they go, I hoping for good things as they’ve done a season in my cross bike.

Anyone tried Gorilla pads? Seems as cheap as Superstar but Superstar don’t have my pad in stock…

Superstar haven’t had formula pads in stock for almost a year, great business model.

currently using Uberbike race, they seem fine. Didn’t like the kevlar ones on front but ok on the back

I’m needing Sram Guide pads…have gone with sintered Gorilla and hope they will be fine.
Got original Sram organic pads just now and they work well but don’t last so looking for a bit longer life and hopefully a just as good braking experience.

Always used Hope’s sintered pads, plenty of power and little or no squeal in the wet.

Always preferred proper Shimano metal pads but if not try the disco metal ones. Solid feel, last for ages, cheap as chips. Have tried their kevlar ones which are a bit less grabby.

Gorilla are fine. I bought some to replace the pads on my sram Rival road bike and so far have lasted twice as long as the cheese like originals. I also bought some SLXs for the mtb but they haven’t been on long enough to comment on longevity

Always superstar kevlars but they’ve been out of stock lately. So I got some clarks sintered off ebay, they cost basically nothing and seem to work as well as anything else.

Only ones I’ve really been unhappy with, were disco and uberbike. Disco broke up a lot- though that was years ago, maybe they’re better now. And my uberbike race matrixes were great for a few rides then both went awful in the alps, I think they just couldn’t deal with the heat. Swapped to superstars which gave me no trouble.

For the SRAM users – any verdict on which pads are least squeely in wet?

My commuter is getting embarrassing now, almost crashed the other day as I was so reluctant to use the brakes due to the noise they make in the wet!

Contemplated fitting smaller rotors to help generate a bit more heat but I can’t ‘downsize’ the callipers as they’re direct mounted to frame already…

My Rivals make strange grurrking noises in the dry never mind the wet, the Gorilla pads are an improvement over the originals though.

Using the Uberbike Race Matrix in all of our bikes. Use them all year round and have never had a problem with them both in the UK and in the Alps

Gorilla are fine.

Nice one, thanks.

Has anyone used RWD pads?
I got some free at Ard Rock in August and just fitted them – not ridden them yet.

I’m about to try the RWD ones from ard rock fw, we shall see…

Clarks organics are wicked, and 4.99 a pair @ CRC…

I just wondered is the Uberbike XL requires any mod to the braking system to accomodate the extra thickness ? As in drain some fluid or something. I am not mechanically gifted.

nickfrog – Member
I just wondered is the Uberbike XL requires any mod to the braking system to accomodate the extra thickness ? As in drain some fluid or something. I am not mechanically gifted

No, back metal plate is thinner to allow extra pad material. 🙂

I have gone back to swisstop pads as they seem to last way longer than any other I have tried. And they don’t squeal.

Funny you should say that, a very experienced rider responded to me recommending Swissstop Blue Vbrake pads by saying their disc pads last just a few hours.

*Shrug*

No complaints with Uberbike sintered pads – used on the full bouncer (X0 set) for a long time, and more recently on the CX (SRAM red/rival/road set).