Shimano disc pads with cooling fins – better than without?

How much difference do they REALLY make?
Need some new ones but steep at £20 a pair…currently have Shimano F03C Metal.
They’ve lasted ages and always worked brilliantly without issues so may be worth the extra anyway…thoughts?

Morning bump

Bugger all unless your a serial brake dragger or doing huge long descents on tiny rotors

i found they do make a difference.
less squeal, or later squeal anyway. no difference on shorter bits of braking, but during longer decents they seem to me to continue to work better for longer, ie not heating up as much
but pricey yeh
have you looked at uberbike ones wiht seperate fins and replaceable pads?

In a non-scientific test (I was riding my old bike from the top of Dartmoor to almost the bottom) without fins and tiny rotors the brakes started getting a bit stinky after some heavy braking.

Never had that on my new bike with decent rotors and finned pads.

Progress innit.

Adequate brakes don’t need it or benefit from it so the question’s only, are your brakes up to the job or do they need a helping hand.

I have been using the finned sintered shimano’s for the last 4 years and they are well worth the money, no stupid honking, consistent braking and decent wear rate.

Uber equivalents are rubbish by comparison

Having just completed the trans cambrian on my Cross bike, I shall be buying some finned pads.

After coming down the Glaslyn decent on day three (1.5mile, -15% average peaking at -40% all onslate bed), my brakes were smoking.

AFAIK the fins are separate to the pads, so can I keep the fins and just pop new Shimano non-fin pads into them ie are the pads themselves EXACTLY the same profile?

AFAIK the fins are separate to the pads, so can I keep the fins and just pop new Shimano non-fin pads into them ie are the pads themselves EXACTLY the same profile?

All the ones I’ve bough have the fins attached to the metal backing of the pad.

I have seen the other type though, and I guess you can buy the inserts on their own.

I have never noticed a difference between finned/not in terms of performance, the finned ones do seem to last longer before they start to make the Shimano shriek though.

rascal – Member
AFAIK the fins are separate to the pads, so can I keep the fins and just pop new Shimano non-fin pads into them ie are the pads themselves EXACTLY the same profile?

Just the shitty aftermarket attempts, you either end up with less braking material or less backing plate, both of which are less than optimum.

I find they work well when they got hot, funnily enough. So riding around in the local woods, 90 second descents, in the mud, not really worth it. Even most trail centres dont tend to make trails so youd have constant heavy braking on the descents. Natural stuff where you need to brake heavilly and constantly on descents? yeah its more likley to be worth it.

Correct me if I am wrong, but Shimano are the only company that brakes take a finned pad?

I dont see any SRAM, Hope or Magura finned pads available?