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Having had a couple of peak district evening rides, a FOD dayride and 4 days in/around Les Arcs on the stock guide rear sets and pretty happy with the performance. I'd like something similar, save for the £15+ /pair they want for them
- I bunged a set of semi-metallic Gorilla pads in at Les saises (a mellower bike park) and all it did was glaze over with no power
- I bunged a set of semi-metallic Uber-bike pads at Les Arcs and wore them down in the day. Power and modulation wasn't a patch on the sram/avid originals
- My previous experience of Superstar semi-metallic is of lesser performance than uber-bike, especially in the wet
Whats out there as good (or nearly) as sram/avid original (not sintered) pads but without the price tag?
I'm not a fan of sintered pads down to their rotor eating tendencies
I suppose this is where shimano wins, with resin shimano (unfinned) pads sourcable for £6+
Im using the Nukeproof Guide pads with out any issues
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nukeproof-avid-sram-x0-trail-guide-disc-brake-pads/rp-prod129759
I am using sintered but i'm sure other compounds will be good too and they are much cheaper than the genuine pads.
– I bunged a set of semi-metallic Uber-bike pads at Les Arcs and wore them down in the day. Power and modulation wasn’t a patch on the sram/avid originals
What are you doing to your pads!?
The second best to SRAM originals I've had are the Semi-metallic Uberbike pads. Managed to get 3 days in Verbier on a rear set which is around 15,000m of descent. So pretty good really.
The best setup for me is the Race Matrix compound on the front, and Semi-metallic on the rear.
Are you bedding in your pads, or just riding them?
Superstar lack power for me, in all compounds, and the metallic ones make a lot of noise.
What was I doing? Steep stuff
Admitedly no I didn't bed in the uberbikes or Gorillas. I was on 'olidays ..
I have previously got good wear rates from uberbike and had become my 'standard' choice. I must've been getting away with it in the UK
The Uk riding probably acted as a bedding period for the avid/srams I'm guessing
I use Uberbike ones in my Guides hat have centreline discs. Tried sintered and race matrix and both seem ok. The race matrix have thinner backing plates and meatier pads so maybe they’ll last you longer?
Another option could be to look at the Bird website - they’ve hooked up with a brake pad producer to come up with what they thrill are better aftermarket pads for Guides. I’ve not tried them yet.
Uber bike race matrix - £8 what’s not to like?
Sinttered are also good. They will make a lot of noise though in the same way motorcycle ones do - designed to.
Make sure you get them bloody hot on bedding in through.
In my experience, nothing touches OE, so yes they might be expensive, but they last. Every time I've tried something like Uberbike or some other brand they last a fraction of the time, with performance that's not great, and howl like a banshee.
That said, I know Bird have got Fibrax to make them some OE spec pads for Guides, which might be worth a try.
My previous experience of Superstar semi-metallic is of lesser performance than uber-bike, especially in the wet
Superstar Kevlar were far better, but Superstar have dropped brake pads now aside from the remaining stock they're clearing. Guide etc are long gone.
SRAM/Avid OE are sintered
Because they had no sintered in stock I also made the mistake of buying Uber semi-metalic for a DH trip thinking they would be similar to sintered, They turned out to be utterly rubbish.
Their sintered are ok. As are the race matrix version.
The Sram pads that came in both my sets of Guides are definitely organise rather than sintered. Didn’t last long at all for me. Sram sintered are good, but really expensive. Uberbike sintered have seemed justbas good and I haven’t chewed through them at all yet.
Race Matrix have always been good for use. MIDMONTH20 is still good till midnight for 20% off
All my Guide brakes have come with organic. Can't say I find them any different to third party ones myself aside from 4 times the price.
Sintered I don't get on with at all. Way too noisy in the slightest hint of moisture and don't have the bite/modulation feel of organic. But as I say, I prefer Kevlar. Harder wearing but more like organic. On Race Matrix at the moment though. Not sure yet. They seem okay, though maybe wear a bit faster.
Admitedly no I didn’t bed in the uberbikes or Gorillas. I was on ‘olidays ..
Definitely the problem, when riding in the Alps it absolutely hammers pads and brakes. If you don't bed them in, then they'll last one ride, feel horrible and squeal like a pig.
Uberbike Semis work brilliantly in the Tweed Valley, so mud, dust, and everything in between on steep ground where you're generally trying to stay off the brakes.
In my experience, nothing touches OE, so yes they might be expensive, but they last. Every time I’ve tried something like Uberbike or some other brand they last a fraction of the time, with performance that’s not great, and howl like a banshee.
This every time here too. I've tried Superstar, Uber, Goodridge, 35 Bikes and they've all been poor compared to the OE pads - Uber race matrix pads squealed like pigs, the 35 Bikes ones I tried seemed a lot thinner than OE ones and lacked bite. I've got some RWD pads in Demo's Guides that I got free at 'Ard Rock last year and they seem pretty damn good but they're not stocked in many places and cost almost the same as OE pads.
missus used nukeproof in alps last week. worked well.
Nukeproof are the only alternative to Sram ones I've tried and rated. Recently gone back to Sram as I can afford the £4 and they're a little better. I usually run a NP on the back, sintered, and assorted Sram compounds on the front.
Uber and superstar are not very good, and i've tried every compound.
Uber Race Matrix. No Issues
When I've tried reading up on uberbike race matrii ? before, I've come across quite polarised reviews, either you love them or really hate them?
I find race matrix pads consistent, powerful and quiet - but they can wear quick. I went through a new set in one (very wet) enduro. Still my pad of choice due to the benefits, others may have different priorities.