Trace Velo disk brake pad test

thelarkbox

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Aug 23, 2023
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Most if not all hydraulic upgrades i have looked at seem to have calipers suitable only for resin pads? At what price point does the pad type become optional??
 

Nealh

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Aug 7, 2014
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I prefer resin/organic as the bite is better though they wear quicker and are less squeaky . A new pair of resin lasted me about 30 miles on the S/Downs due to the abrasive chalk/mud mix which makes for a nice grinding paste.

However callipers are pretty well suitable to any pad compound, what is critical is the brake rotor as many are only rated for resin pads and will usually be marked as so.
 
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thelarkbox

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 23, 2023
1,203
365
oxon
I prefer resin/organic as the bite is better though they wear quicker and are less squeaky . A new pair of resin lasted me about 30 miles on the S/Downs due to the abrasive chalk/mud mix which makes for a nice grinding paste.

However callipers are pretty well suitable to any pad compound, what is critical is the brake rotor as many are only rated for resin pads and will usually be marked as so.
Ahh the rotor not the calipers, that makes sense cheers,
 

matthewslack

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Nov 26, 2021
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Ahh the rotor not the calipers, that makes sense cheers,
...but even that is not as clear cut as it sounds. My rotors are marked resin only, but as far as I can see, are solid stainless steel, not some fancy sandwich, so I don't really see the problem with using harsher pads.

Unless I'm missing something, it just means the rotor will wear out faster, but so what? A rotor costs about twice a set of pads for cheap MT200 brakes, and the same as the pads for my new M6120s, so what's the point in fussing about wear rate?
 

Nealh

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Aug 7, 2014
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Yes mine are all resin marked , I use resin or sintered . The latter squeal more in the rain initially until the road crap burns off , sometimes if they suffer winter contamination I remove them and rub them together with washing up liquid. Rinse then lightly sand the sfc's, decontaminate callipers an rotors with a good wiping of isoproponol.
I also find cheap china aliexpress pads (pre brexit price) work as well as dearer branded ones.
 
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