How long are pads supposed to last

I know this is going to be entirely dependant on conditions, types of riding and how often but I seem to be replacing the brake pads on the mtb about every 3 months – which I’m sure didn’t use to be anywhere near as often. Usually ride about twice a week, and Strava says last ones lasted 700kms.

Is this normalish or am I way too brake heavy – tempted to just bulk buy cheapos of ebay rather than the genuine shimano ones ive been getting. These might wear even quicker but will still work out cheaper i’m hoping

I can’t wear pads out no matter how hard I try!

what brakes? what pads? what’s your terrain like? how…erm…big are you? are you bedding in the pads?

IME pads should last a good while, I’d be happy with changing every 6 months or so, others will insist that pads should last for thousands of miles, but it does depend on terrain (how steep and ground conditions; clay, sandy, etc etc).

I’ve gone through pads in a single ride at Afan when it’s wet, the same brakes and pads can also last a whole summer riding there. It really does depend on so many different factors that it’s hard to put figures on it.

shimano deores, I’m very small, often muddy sloppy conditions – especially now,

I am riding pretty steep stuff, people would probably call them enduro trails these days. I think I’d be happy with 6 months, 3/4 seems a so little.

Anyone have any experience with the cheap ebay pads?

I run uberbike or Noah and Theo, work perfectly well

I’ve never used genuine pads, although I do use ones from a known UK company rather than eBay randoms. Superstar, (though they seem to be running their stock out) Disco Brakes or Uberbike. Got 4 pairs of Uber SRAM Guide pads delivered just yesterday for less that 25 notes. Never had any quality or performance issues.

Don’t know, only done 4000km for far. Still plenty left

Hope brakes with hope sintered pads and thousands of miles of life here

We’re in the Peak District which is quite hard on components. In winter I might be changing her pads every 6-8 weeks, mine might go to 12-14 weeks

I’m a fan of uber components race matrix, pack of 4 is £20 odd.

I have found Shimano wear out pretty quickly.

Whole family is on Uberbike, usually a race matrix or Kevlar, but I’ve just put two Sintered in as they were out of stock.

I think we get 6-12 months out of a set, so heading for 1000km, and that’s local trails. The only time we’ve less out of them is in the Alps.

I reckon a lot depends where you live eg the Peaks and Thetford have this fine silt soil which acts like grinding paste and eats brakes / drive chains much harder than say the Lakes or the Dales.

 I’m very small, often muddy sloppy conditions – especially now

One of the best ways of getting more life out of pads is bedding them in. Which involves getting them very hot. simply put, find a hill, roll down it, grabbing a handful of brake aiming to stop as sharply as you can. this needs at least 10-15 hard stops to work properly. I wonder if the ground conditions and your light weight are contributing?

One of the best ways of getting more life out of pads is bedding them in. 

Uh oh… *grabs popcorn*

As already suggested, terrain and soil type have a massive impact on pad life – and other components.. The clay soils in the Pentlands are claggy but not abrasive. The granite soils in the Cairngorms drain better but wear out pads etc faster. I’ve noticed that particularly with jockey wheels.

Uh oh… *grabs popcorn*

It’s a v dull film, I wouldn’t get to excited if I were you.

shimano deores, I’m very small, often muddy sloppy conditions – especially now,

I am riding pretty steep stuff, people would probably call them enduro trails these days. I think I’d be happy with 6 months, 3/4 seems a so little.

Anyone have any experience with the cheap ebay pads?

My guess is your using the Shimano organic pads.

I’ve found on the rear especially they can wear pretty quickly. You tried the sintered yet?

Cheers everyone.

– I’ll take a look at Uberbike

– I ussually give it a bit of effort in bedding in but just up and down the road outside the house.

– Yeah its the shimano organic pads – tempted to try sintered. The disc’s do say resin only but im sure its fine…

Seems like 4 months isnt craaazy but if i can stretch it a bit longer with different pads that would be a good shout

Ahh…. I’m my experience organic pads can wear really quickly.
we never had an issue running sintered pads on a bike that had resin only disks..

The disc’s do say resin only but im sure its fine…

Depends on your definition of fine 😉

About 500-700km, at a very rough estimate.

I only use resin pads as all my brakes are 4 pot and they have loads of power with any pads, and I don’t like the feel or noise of sintered so much.

Usually buy cheap ones, e.g. Clarks off eBay under £5/pair

Last organic brakes pads i tried in the peak/wharncliffe mud lasted one ride with bedding in.
Sintered are far better for that sort of riding imo.

My guess is your using the Shimano organic pads.

I’ve found on the rear especially they can wear pretty quickly. You tried the sintered yet?

This.

Genuine Shimano resin pads don’t last all that long.

But they are good at stopping!

Buy in bulk via aliexpress….

Or change to some sintered pads, but check your discs as some are resin pad only.

Go sintered, I’ve worn through a set of organic pads in one wet and gritty ride.

Tena pads last all night.

I did hear somewhere about the idea of running organic front and sintered rear, the logic being you’re more likely to drag/scrub speed with the rear and so the harder wearing pad goes there, while the front is used more sparingly(?) But you also require a bit more bite from it so organic at the front makes sense…

Asked about it on here, no concensus so just went for organic F&R last time. But different front/rear brake pads might not be the craziest idea…

I like kevlar pads, they’re a good balance of performance and lifespan mostly- though I gather some places with hard grit destroy them faster than I’ve ever had them die. They can be noisy, though.

Fashion seems to have moved away from bedding in but I still think it’s a no-brained for most pads, I’ve gone through pads in a single descent (at kinlochleven, official home of pad destroyness) because I didn’t get a chance to bed them in at all, while the replacements still had life after doing 2 more days of the same trails because I burned them in properly.

I’ve started buying direct from China, via AliExpress. The set I bought took a week to arrive and cost £4.61 for four sets of organic XTs. Haven’t a clue how long they’ll last, but having been on sintered for so long it’s nice to have brakes that don’t squeal.

Four sets for under a fiver!!

Yeah organic pads won’t last long in the UK in winter, autumn, spring…. erm summer sometimes.

I’ve used Sintered, Semi-metalic and Kevlar on ‘resin only’ discs, they’re fine but will wear quicker (the discs).

I only got a few months out of set of Hope organic when I took a brand new bike straight out into filthy wet muddy conditions. The replacement set of identical Hope organic pads were bedded in properly (getting them nice and hot in the dry) and have been on there almost two years!

The local soil really affects pad life – if it’s sandy or gritty it destroys them far faster.

Is it only me that gets a decent lifespan out of organic brake pads then? Even when I ride the mythical bike-destroying gritstone of the Peak.

Only time I ever killed brake pads in a day was with Formula’s The One brakes, which were powerful brakes with quite small pads – and they would just melt away like ice in the sun when riding in the Alps.

AlasdairMc
Full Member

I’ve started buying direct from China, via AliExpress. The set I bought took a week to arrive and cost £4.61 for four sets of organic XTs. Haven’t a clue how long they’ll last, but having been on sintered for so long it’s nice to have brakes that don’t squeal.

I still kind of can’t recommend it, but, I did 2 weeks in the alps ending with the megavalanche on a couple of sets of aliexpress pads that I bought for a laugh. They’re really good.

I have the original Shimano resin pads on my Nutrail, that’s done 1,100 km and the pads are probably 50% worn.

I’m getting a similar life expectancy with Shimano sintered on the Occam and Pact.

I recently came across some discussion about how with larger rotors the pads tend to get chewed up a bit slower, might be worth looking into if that’s an option. I can see how it might seem to make sense. The larger rotor radius means less force from pads required to get same maximum braking torque.

Though judging from my experience with my MT7’s I will say I definitely notice that it requires the braking system to warm up a bit before I start getting the full power of them. Which will only be exacerbated with larger rotors I imagine.

I recently came across some discussion about how with larger rotors the pads tend to get chewed up a bit slower, might be worth looking into if that’s an option. I can see how it might seem to make sense. The larger rotor radius means less force from pads required to get same maximum braking torque.

But, the rotor is travelling faster. I think it would be a swings and roundabouts thing. However, if you are descending in the Alps, a larger rotor will dissipate heat better. I would expect that to make a difference for fast descenders. Probably not make any difference to me.