[kidwoo]

... were you actually doing that?

Oh yeah. Every single pair of shimanos I've had (5 sets) over the last 5 years eventually leaks around the pistons. They work great for about a year and then they start seeping. Riding them every day or every few days kind of keeps it at bay but if any of them sit for longer than about a week, they get fluid on the pads. Every single fucking pair. Let it go long enough without a bleed once they start doing that and then you also have air in the system that eventually gives you the wonderful engagement free lever to the bar effect. It's awesome. They've warrantied every pair I've sent in but I'm tired of it.

It's not uncommon. Not at all.

 

[HAB]

Oh yeah. Every single pair of shimanos I've had (5 sets) over the last 5 years eventually leaks around the pistons. They work great for about a year and then they start seeping. Riding them every day or every few days kind of keeps it at bay but if any of them sit for longer than about a week, they get fluid on the pads. Every single fucking pair. Let it go long enough without a bleed once they start doing that and then you also have air in the system that eventually gives you the wonderful engagement free lever to the bar effect. It's awesome. They've warrantied every pair I've sent in but I'm tired of it.

It's not uncommon. Not at all.

Maybe the ones on the Megatrail are getting there then. I was riding way more pre-DST cancelation/shit weather arriving, which maybe kept it at bay.

*fires up google, looks for a deal on Formulas*

 

[Happymtb.fr]

@Udi Out of curiosity do you combine the finned pads with Ice tech rotors now? it didn't looked so on the picture you posted previously.

 

[Lelandjt]

^While I love the weight of Formula rotors I'm sure the Ice-Techs have more surface area and they feel like there's more bite, both cold and at the bottom of a run. Only one of my bikes still has Formulas, the others have been switched to Ice-Techs.

 

[Udi]

@Udi Still digging them?

I got some of those mineral oil brakes formula is making and they're good. The pads feel like not metal though.

I'm going to buy a second pair for my dh bike but want different pads.

I know you wanted the heatsink of the shimanos but were you glazing these?

https://www.bike-components.de/en/Formula/Brake-Pads-for-Oval-TheOne-Mega-RX-R1-R1R-T1-C1-p18398/

Yeah still happy with them. The non-metal pads have a black or silver backing (steel and alloy backing respectively) and they work quite well - problem is the non-metal pads wear quite fast. If that's not an issue (trailbike or light local DH) they are a nice factory option. I liked them on the DH bike too, but they vanish fast when hitting the lifts. The higher wear rate keeps glazing at bay.

The sintered pads (copper color backing) definitely glaze after a while, I'm not crazy about them. The Shimano road sintered pad is slightly smaller but I think in the long run there is more bite since peak temps are kept down by the heatsinks. I'd give them (Shimano) a go once and see if they work for you, over the genuine sintered item.

@Udi Out of curiosity do you combine the finned pads with Ice tech rotors now? it didn't looked so on the picture you posted previously.

I mix and match - I do like Formula for the weight but I agree with @Lelandjt you can get more bite from rotors with more surface area. The ice tech rotor would dissipate heat better too. Downside is they get a bit messy when they wear too deep (near or on the alloy core) and do strange things, but if you replace them as needed it's fine.

 

[kidwoo]

You have a problem with those organic ones in the wet?

I remember shimano resin pads being pretty horrible.

 

[HAB]

You have a problem with those organic ones in the wet?

I remember shimano resin pads being pretty horrible.

The non-finned resin pads that came with my XTR race brakes were fucking useless.

 

[6thElement]

@Udi any more thoughts on the L04C in RO's? Vague memory of reading that you had problems with them being slightly too small so they rocked within the caliper.

Used my spare Formula sintered yesterday and checking prices they're ~$34 per pair for new Formula, otherwise I might try Truckerco for $12/pair unless the Shimano are very worthwhile.

 

[HAB]

I don't recommend it. They are slightly shorter front to back, and I had issues with them getting cocked at an angle when I let off the brakes and making a ton of noise/rubbing. Back on Formula pads and all is well.

 

[Udi]

I didn't have those problems but HAB used them more than me so go with what he said (I switched to a bigger caliper soon after trying).

In my experience all (non-heatsink) sintered pads glaze and lose bite (permanently) under proper DH use long before they fully wear out, especially in this tiny size. I think the genuine Formula sintered pads are probably a bit better than Truckerco, but I liked the Truckerco semi-sintered pads aside from fast wear. One of each per caliper (sintered and semi) worked well for me in Formulas with the caveat that the semis wear faster and you have to replace them more often.

Guys like buckoW on here were buying the cheapest sintered pads available (for Formula) and just disposing them when they dropped in bite - this works too. Depends if it's a problem in your riding or not.

 

[HAB]

The Shimano pads definitely work in a pinch, I just wouldn't recommend that they be anybody's plan A. Since I have them sitting around, I'll probably try to make a little clip on sheet metal shim to take up the room some time this winter when the weather sucks and I'm bored, but until then I CBF. I'll just run proper Formula pads.

 

[kidwoo]

The movement on the shimano pads seems to prevent them from bedding in/matching the rotor angle as well too. I could never get quite the solid bite feel as with the OG formulas. That shouldn't happen because clamped is clamped but I wonder if there's some rotational movement in there too.

But yeah, I won't be buying another set. Happy with the formulas.

 

[HAB]

Anybody tried the EBC pads? It's a little hard to tell what their different compounds actually are, but they're cheapish from Jenson.

 

[troy]

Anybody tried the EBC pads? It's a little hard to tell what their different compounds actually are, but they're cheapish from Jenson.

EBC pads are very nice. Gold ones are sintered and has some nice bite and last long. Red ones are super powerfu, but they do last a couple of runs (seriously), not sure about the green ones as I do not use organic pads on my brakes.

 

[6thElement]

Ordered a couple of pair of the Truckerco from ebay, will be a while until I actually use them though as they're for spares.