Originally Posted by
jimc101
Resin pads, for most/all the application your mention they should be fine, the area you would probably see more difference if upgrading the hardware is in the lever, as the higher end lever have more adjustment, however they may have shorter (2 finger) lever which may not be so beneficial (the MT-200 has 3 finger levers). The higher end calipers can take finned pads, which are probably an overkill for most urban usage
I ride a lot in wet/rain, and I go up and down big hills. Those two factors might point towards something more durable than resin pads. Finned pads seem cool, but probably overkill; OTOH, if I wind up with calipers that can fit finned pads, why not?
The reason the UR300 will specific it has resin pads will be related to the rotor, lower end Shimano rotor are normally resin pad compatible only, you need to go to a higher spec like SLX and up/aftermarket to take advantage of alternate material pads (Sintered/Metal or Kevlar), not sure where you have got ceramic from, the only ceramic parts in Shimano disc brakes are normally the pistons on higher end models.
The bike that's getting some time on-road will need to have the resin-only rotors upgraded. The bike that needs a lot more work has no-name rotors, so it might be worth $10-20 to upgrade to some cheap branded rotors.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm thinking that any cheap, compatible rotor, from a recognised/reputable brand should be fine, right?
Ceramic brake pads are available from 3rd parties, and (with compatible rotors) should provide at least as much durability as metallic/sintered pads, with better modulation, less noise, and better thermal insulation between the braking-surface and the pistons.
For using different pads, metal pads can squeal more than resin pads (and cost more), but can have a longer life/less wear, depends of what your priorities are to what to use,
Maybe stick with the resin pads till used then try an alternat till you find what combination works for you?
On the new bike that's built up enough to be getting some use, it came with resin-only rotors and resin pads. I'll probably wait until they wear out, then replace the pads with ceramic, and upgrade the rotors to be compatible. That one has the post-mount BR-MT200 calipers, which should be fine with ceramic pads(?).
And… My assumption is wrong:
"Only compatible with resin pad" -
https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/produ.../BR-MT200.html
OK, Looks like I'll need the XT, SLX, or XTR calipers, to be compatible with stepping up from resin pads. And… It looks like they require different cables, and (thus?) different levers. Ugh… Not going to be a cheap upgrade.
The question then is whether there's any cost advantage to using post-mount calipers on the flat-mount frame, and if such cost advantage may be worth it. As I'm writing this and learning more about what's needed, I'm suspecting that it will make the most sense to use calipers that fit "out of the box".
But, it looks like there will be non-trivial costs in upgrading from resin pads, as this will require an entirely new braking system, from levers to rotors, and the cost difference between "entry level" MT200 and everything else is significant.
Are there any brand options that I should consider, outside of the Shimano ecosystem?