Organic, Sintered and Other Brake Pad Types

You've pulled out the old pads and the shop wall offers three kinds. Which is which? The words on the packet mean something, and makers do describe them.

The names

SRAM sorts its compounds into two types, sintered and organic.¹ Park Tool's chart uses three: organic, semi-metallic and metallic.² The groupings differ, but the idea is the same. The pad is a compound bonded to a metal plate. Only the compound's recipe changes.

Organic pads

SRAM says organic pads are a blend of organic materials and resin, sometimes called resin pads.¹ It says they can provide a more consistent initial bite, produce less noise and need less time to bed in.¹

The trade-off is wear. SRAM says they tend to wear faster than sintered pads, especially when wet.¹

Wikipedia's general article on brake pads covers more than bicycles. It says non-metallic pads are gentle on rotors. They also produce a fair amount of dust and have a short service life.³

Sintered (metallic) pads

SRAM says sintered pads are sometimes referred to as metallic, and have small metal fibres in the compound.¹ It says they suit heavy or extreme duty, where resistance to higher temperatures is needed, and that they excel in wet and muddy conditions.¹

There are trade-offs. Sintered pads need a more thorough bedding-in and tend to be louder. They may also lack the initial grab of organic pads.¹

Wikipedia's general article on pads says semi-metallic ones are harder than non-metallic ones. They're more fade-resistant and longer lasting, but wear the rotor more.³

A side-by-side summary

These are one maker's descriptions of its own pads. Other makers may describe theirs differently.

How to tell what you have

SRAM says backing plate colour differs by compound. Sintered pads have a copper plate, while organic pads are black, grey or bare aluminium.¹ That's SRAM's code for its own pads. Don't assume another brand uses the same colours.

Changing from one type to another

Read this before you buy. SRAM says that if you switch pad compounds, you will need to replace your rotors.¹ It also says a new compound on a used rotor can create noise and reduce brake performance.¹ It suggests replacing old pads with the same compound.¹

Park Tool lists changing pad material for performance reasons as one reason to replace pads.² Whatever the reason, check your own maker's guidance, as the rule may vary.

For the rotor side, see rotor wear. For the break-in step on new pads, see bedding in.