Cheaper brake pads – are there any good ones?

I run Hope M4’s and X2’s and love them – always run genuine pads after some bad experiences with cheaper versions.

I am, however, somewhat skint through trying to save for an N+1, so was thinking (as this weather is destroying pads like there is no tomorrow) about trying some cheaper pads again.

There is quite a lot of choice on Ebay and the like now! Has anyone got recommendations?

A2Z have always worked well for me, never heard anyone complain about them either. Not as cheap as some, but maybe there’s a reason for that?

Über bike race matrix pads

Tho really – genuine hope still last longer

I have nothing bad to say about the Superstar Kevlar pads. They seem to last very well in peak grit and stopping power is as good as any other I’ve used. I never look further than them when I need some more.

4 for £25

I’m just put some discobrakes.com pads in my hopes. No noticeable difference on first few rides. I usually use hope pads. I’ll just have to wait and see if they last as long…

Disco brakes , never had a problem in years of use .

Superstar, no issues, I had a brand new Avid pad lose the lining off the backing once, cost 21 euro’s in morzine…

A2Z were always my favourite and now Uber race matrix fan too.

Alligator pads are great for the money too.

Disco brakes for me too.

I put a new, but bedded in set on the soul at the start of the puffer, and they’re still going – Sintered from Uberbike. They seem much quieter than my usual superstar sintered too.

Ive used Superstar Kevlar and Sintered, Discobrakes Sintered, and OEM organic. No problems at all with any of the cheaper ones, but standard organic seem to dissolve in about 2 minutes.

I’ve been using the superstar kevlars in assorted formulas for a couple of years, they can be noisy in the cold (but then I have some sort of Bad Touch for brakes and noise) but otherwise bang on.

Disco sintered are alright, wee bit lower powered than superstar sintered and I lose chunks of pad material off one, but basically OK. My uberbike racematrixes shit the bed as soon as they got any hard use and ended up in the bin, but iirc were fine for a few rides in the uk. The Nukeproof blacks I used were good though, I could get those again.

TBH though Hope do have great pads, no way would I pay for Formula or Shimano OEM but Hope ones maybe.

Same here really, im not paying 30 quid for shimano ones again , if they guarentted to last me all winter I would but last set lasted one month max

ill be buying some uber sintered I think and reckon 4 pairs of them will long outlast the shimanos that lasted one month at 35quid

just not worth it in winter, get cheapo ones

ive used the uberbike matrix ones today, feel pretty consistently powerful even in the super wet trails, but I have a feeling they will last far less time wise than even the one month expensive genuine shimano…..but I expect they will be great biting pads in spring through to autumn wuthout major wear

this wet winter is just killing pads regardlessof brand

Superstar here too. Only had one split and come away from the backing in about six years (I’ve seen plenty of ‘proper’ brand pads do that to other people).

I have just bought some Clarks pads to satisfy my curiosity, though.

dannyh – Member

(I’ve seen plenty of ‘proper’ brand pads do that to other people).

Yeah, I’ve had Shimano do it, and some proper expensive carbon lorraine motorbike pads, and you see most other brands do it at some point. Just that when it’s a cheap pad everyone goes “LOL cheap crap”, whereas when it’s an expensive pad everyone goes “weird”

I ran superstar organic on my M4 without issue. Will nice them a go on my Formula RO when I need some more..

I’m using discobrake semi-sintered in my X2’s and they seem fine (I weigh 15 1/2 stone 180f/140r)for the mono M4’s on my DH bike I tend to scour the web for shimano m755 sintered pads and usually pick them up for about £6 a set ,to me they seem to work better than Hope pads.

RWD Pads[/url] are worth a look.

I alternate between disco brakes and superstar. They’ve been good for the last few years.

Not had any issues with Superstar sintered and kevlar over the last couple of years.

I bought these at £3.55 a pair.
It’s another one of those components, like chains or BB bearings, where I keep thinking I ought to make a note of when I fit them to see if more expensive ones last longer and are worth the money.
I didn’t though, so all I can say is that I don’t think I’ve been changing pads more frequently, so I’ll buy them again.

Thanks folks, for the feedback.

I’m going to go with a pack of Disco Kevlar ones.

I’ve used Superstar sintered and the constant squealing drove me to distraction. Since then I’ve tried disco brakes – good stopping power and no squealing.

Disco brakes from now on!