shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Talk about anything.

Moderators: Bearbonesnorm, Taylor, Chew

Asposium
Posts: 1631
Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2016 5:39 pm
Location: Southampton

shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Asposium »

My new shimano disc brakes have pads fitted with fins.
There is a vast difference in price without and without fins
Resin: 5.50Euro without fin, 12.95Euro with fin :o
Metal: 12.90Euro without fin, 21.90Euro with fin :shock:

So, in the real world, are fins necessary?
(I am a tight arse from Yorkshire, so inclined to buy without fin :lol: )
User avatar
Bearbonesnorm
Posts: 23905
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:53 pm
Location: my own little world

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

In theory it's a sound idea but probably only effective / noticeable on long alpine type descents. For general UK type riding, I'd suggest saving your money and buying cake.
May the bridges you burn light your way
User avatar
whitestone
Posts: 7847
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:20 am
Location: Skipton(ish)
Contact:

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by whitestone »

By the time they are caked in mud and muck there won't be much cooling effect. The main advantage I've found is that the fins are easier to grab hold of than the simple mast.

One of the third party brake companies used to do a separate finned back and pads so you only needed to replace the actual pads when they'd worn. Can't remember who it was though.
Better weight than wisdom, a traveller cannot carry
User avatar
danielgroves
Posts: 395
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 9:55 pm
Location: Bath/Bristol, UK
Contact:

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by danielgroves »

whitestone wrote:One of the third party brake companies used to do a separate finned back and pads so you only needed to replace the actual pads when they'd worn. Can't remember who it was though.
That'll be Uberbike. I'm trying their pads now, and I really can't say I've noticed any difference over the normal Shimano ones.

Next time I think I'll just be getting Shimano Resin ones again.
Adventures and Photography Blog: danielgroves.net/adventures-photography
Twitter: @danielsgroves
Instagram: @danielsgroves
Photography on Facebook: facebook.com/danielgrovesphotography
Photography on Instagram: @danielgrovesphotography
User avatar
Zippy
Posts: 3059
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 6:43 pm
Location: Suffolk
Contact:

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Zippy »

Fins, I'll only run them on the road bike which has 140 rotors...
Mtb, depends in what I'm doing. Generally I don't bother, but if it's dry and dusty with some long descents, then I will.
The ice tech rotors do make a noticeable difference tho.
User avatar
Bearbonesnorm
Posts: 23905
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:53 pm
Location: my own little world

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

One of the third party brake companies used to do a separate finned back and pads so you only needed to replace the actual pads when they'd worn.
Uhm, a very inefficient way to aid cooling, sadly.
May the bridges you burn light your way
ScotRoutes
Posts: 8144
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:56 am

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by ScotRoutes »

I have two sets of Shimano XT8000 brakes. One came with finned pads, the other plain. Can't say I've noticed any difference in my usage.
User avatar
GregMay
Posts: 3806
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:57 pm
Location: Calderdale
Contact:

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by GregMay »

Bearbonesnorm wrote:In theory it's a sound idea but probably only effective / noticeable on long alpine type descents. For general UK type riding, I'd suggest saving your money and buying cake.
I use them for 24 hour racing where you're going to be hammering the bike and brakes as much in a day, as you would in a season for some folks. In my experience they tend to hold up better then normal brake pads as they do disipate heat when used with Icetech rotors as well.

Summer XC and 24hr racing, my bike will always have this setup. Winter general riding, left over pads, but save the rotors.
Image
Asposium
Posts: 1631
Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2016 5:39 pm
Location: Southampton

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Asposium »

:-bd
won't bother with the heat sink pads. :grin:

dura ace rotors look interesting.
https://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/shi ... aid:886055
User avatar
Bearbonesnorm
Posts: 23905
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:53 pm
Location: my own little world

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I use them for 24 hour racing where you're going to be hammering the bike and brakes as much in a day, as you would in a season for some folks. In my experience they tend to hold up better then normal brake pads as they do disipate heat when used with Icetech rotors as well.
Interesting Greg. I can see that over the course of a 24h race the brakes will see a lot of use but I wouldn't have thought that at any point they would become hot enough to warrant additional cooling. I wonder if the finned / non-finned pads are a different compound maybe?
May the bridges you burn light your way
User avatar
GregMay
Posts: 3806
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:57 pm
Location: Calderdale
Contact:

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by GregMay »

Possibly a different compound yes. Not certain though. But, I've never killed a set in a single day race, even at Relentless in the rain. Or WEMBO when I was racing... well shall we say.

Also, I rear brake drag as the day goes on. I tend to get reasonably tired/confused in the last few hours and my skills leave me somewhat :) So they do suffer from heat build up while doing that.
Image
User avatar
Single Speed George
Posts: 611
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2015 4:36 pm
Location: Shap

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Single Speed George »

i recon the fins do something even if its only a psycological improvement in stopping power due to spending that much ;)
User avatar
Alpinum
Posts: 2603
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2014 5:38 pm

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Alpinum »

Friends who run Shimano say fins make a difference but don't always run them due to the price. I thought there are third party pads with fins too, maybe cheaper and better?

And all (!) of them have damaged Icetec discs. The inside melted and made a right mess of the disc. Total failure. Brakes are hardly usable after that. Quite like braking on backplate.
When I first heard it I didn't believe it until I witnessed it myself.

When you plan to ride long alpine descents non stop, get big discs (200 front and at least 180 rear) and metal sintered pads.

For UK I'd not bother about fins and big discs unless I was heavy and often ride with loads of gear.
But I change from sintered to organic pads when I come over.
Guess it depends how hilly you world is and where and how you ride it.
Hilla13
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2017 4:10 pm

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Hilla13 »

Had discs on my road bike for 2 1/2 years now, and didn't notice any difference when swapping from pads with fins to regular pads.

I run Shimano BR-R785 brakes with Shimano G02A Resin pads and find the braking response is fantastic nearly all of the time.

For context, I'm around 60kg and live in a fairly hilly location (Shropshire Hills)
User avatar
Zippy
Posts: 3059
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 6:43 pm
Location: Suffolk
Contact:

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Zippy »

Does this discussion require me to do some testing with my thermal imaging camera?
User avatar
GregMay
Posts: 3806
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:57 pm
Location: Calderdale
Contact:

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by GregMay »

Go away with your objective data. Opinions are what we want! Unfounded opinions!
Image
rich.mike
Posts: 127
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2016 5:40 pm

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by rich.mike »

Talked this through with a brakes development engineer who certainly knows his stuff. The long and short of it is that by the time the fins are hot enough to have any effect on convection cooling, the friction compound will be well past the fade point.
User avatar
whitestone
Posts: 7847
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:20 am
Location: Skipton(ish)
Contact:

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by whitestone »

From an earlier post:
The main advantage I've found is that the fins are easier to grab hold of than the simple mast.
Better weight than wisdom, a traveller cannot carry
User avatar
Jurassic
Posts: 1148
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2015 10:46 am
Location: Helensburgh, Scotland.

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Jurassic »

My XT brakes came with finned sintered pads and I use them on Icetech rotors. I was so impressed with this set up I replaced like for like when the time came however the next time new pads were due my inner Yorkshireman got the better of me and I tried some cheapo Brand X non finned (but still sintered) replacements. I didn't notice any difference other than the general positive effect of having new pads and having cleaned up my rotors a bit with some meths. My conclusion has been that the initial impression of having great brakes was more down to the Icetech rotors than the finned pads which conveniently tallies with what Zippy said above. For reference I run 203 front 180 rear (it's on my fatbike which I reasoned would take more stopping, not sure if this is true but they do work really well). :cool:
mat_swan
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2014 8:46 pm
Location: South East

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by mat_swan »

Personally I find in deep in enough puddles the fins add some much needed downforce to boost traction.
Asposium
Posts: 1631
Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2016 5:39 pm
Location: Southampton

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Asposium »

Ordered the Dura Ace Ice Tech rotors and a job lot of "standard" pads from Rose Bikes in Germany.

Even with shipping from Germany the order was significantly cheaper than the UK.

Thanks all.
User avatar
Zippy
Posts: 3059
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 6:43 pm
Location: Suffolk
Contact:

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Zippy »

So I was just test riding my road bike down the street, and whipped out my thermal imaging camera (as you do) after some braking. Yeah - those heatsink fins on the pads really do something!

Image
flir_20171119T141132-montage by Chris Reeves, on Flickr
Asposium
Posts: 1631
Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2016 5:39 pm
Location: Southampton

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Asposium »

You have a thermal imaging camera!!!

And people call me a geek
User avatar
Alpinum
Posts: 2603
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2014 5:38 pm

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Alpinum »

Now I have my own 2017 XT brakes I can chime in with own experience rather than watching friends smoking Shimano pads.

From the disc rotor dilemma thread
Alpinum wrote: 180/160 on my short travel trail bike. It's quite new so I'm just running the OEM Brakes. Killed the original organic Shimano compound on the rear just yesterday. Glazed, squeek, not much performance left. This was on the rear. The rear pad has fins... will change to swissstop pads and larger discs.
Bigger discs on the way. Pads were severly glazed.

The only thing you can do if you love riding very steep and long descends with out a break is bigger discs. Rather do that then invest in 4 piston brakes. They get smoked too with too little discs. I just got a pair 200/180 mm for 20 CHF.
Now go figure how this compares to pads with fins...
In my POV fins are a waste of money. If you have issues with overheating brakes then 1. learn how to brake properly. If you master that and still have issues, get larger rotors and any pad you like will likely do.
User avatar
Mike
Posts: 2989
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:36 am

Re: shimano disc pads with fins .....worthwhile??

Post by Mike »

On a personal note they work for me I won't be buying any other type from now on XT metal fins all the way in my eyes they are worth the money and they last ages!! Great for the wet weather we have. All that water on bb200 didn't effort em at all. I had resin ones on the cairngorm loop in wet weather they lasted 1 day :0?
Post Reply