When I changed my tires last month I inspected the brake pads and they looked ok. However, when I brake I hear the rear ones kind of rubbing/grinding. If it was a car you'd replace them immediately but I'm not sure if that is a good enough indicator to replace them on a bike.

So my question is how many miles should I expect to get on the OEM pads before replacing them? Secondly, what's the best type to get (i.e. metal, organic, ceramic, etc.)? If I replace them with higher quality brake pads will I be able to stop quicker?

 

I'm still on the OEM pads front and back with about 7.5K miles.

You may have a little grit in there. I've had that happen before and it usually goes away. If not, pull the wheel, clean the rotor, and inspect and clean the pads with a scotch bright pad to scuff off any grit.

I hear that mud riding destroys pads. I also hear good things about Galfer Green ones, but I also think pad type depends on the type of riding you do so one size doesn't fit all. Certain pads may stop you better, but may also wear out the rotor quicker. Rotors are expensive.

 

i have over 11,000 miles on my oem brake pads....i have a fresh set waiting if something happens....i do lot of stop and go sf city riding....freeway emergency braking, so i do some heavy braking often....most people i ask tell me anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 miles depending on weight, size, etc....

 

well..from road biking and mountain biking...riding in rain or any wet conditions will wear out the brake pads extremely fast...i'm sure the same applies to cars and motorcycles....

 

I'm very happy with these DP brakes. The pads on the rear (pro-mx) bedded in very fast but the front pads (standard DP) took around 500km before I could say they we're biting better than stock pads! Will get the pro-mx on the front next time, should be even better!!

 

Generically speaking sintered metal pads have always worked best for me on bikes.