Organic or metallic bike brake pads: which to fit in winter and when to change them

In summer you hardly think about your pads. Then November comes, the road is wet, the trail is mud and suddenly you notice the lever travels further, the brake squeals or takes a while to bite. It's not you: winter is the toughest season for disc brakes. Here's how to choose, how to tell when they're worn and when you'd better drop by the workshop.

Organic or metallic bike brake pads: what really changes

Disc pads have a metal backing plate and, bonded to it, the material that rubs against the rotor. That material is what changes.

Organic (resin)

Fibres and resin. They bite quickly and smoothly, they're quiet and they're kind to the rotor. Their weak point: with water, sand and mud they wear out much sooner, and on long descents they heat up and can lose power. They're the stock option on many mid-range road, city and mountain bikes.

Metallic (sintered)

Metal particles pressed at high temperature. They handle heat and wear better, especially with mud and rain, and brake more consistently on long descents. In exchange, they're noisier, especially in the wet, take a little longer to bite when cold and wear the rotor a bit more.

Semi-metallic

Some brands offer in-between blends. They aim for the bite of an organic pad with a bit more durability. If you ride somewhere with mild winters, they can be a good middle ground.

Which to fit this winter depending on how you ride

• Road or city, little rain: organic pads are enough. Check them more often when it rains.
• Mountain, gravel or cyclocross with mud: metallic pads usually last quite a bit longer and brake the same at the end of the ride as at the start.
• Long descents or a lot of weight (e-bike, panniers, tandem): metallic, for how they handle heat.
• Northern Spain, rain almost every week: metallic or semi-metallic, and a spare set at home.

Before you buy, check your rotor. Some rotors only accept organic pads and have it engraved (for example, «Resin pad only»). If you fit metallic pads to a rotor like that, you'll wear it out very fast. Also check your caliper model: each brake has its own pad shape, and the reference is in the manufacturer's manual or on the box of the ones you have.

How to tell if your pads are worn

With the wheel off, look at the caliper from above with a torch. You'll see the two pads on either side of the rotor slot.

• Thickness: if the material has almost gone and you mostly see the metal plate, change them. The exact minimum thickness is in your brake's manual.
• Lever: if it comes closer and closer to the handlebar or you have to squeeze harder to brake the same.
• Noise: a constant metallic scraping is usually metal on metal. Stop as soon as you can: you're scoring the rotor.
• Uneven wear: one pad more worn than the other points to a piston that isn't coming out properly. That's a job for the workshop.

In winter, check every few rides, not only when they make noise. One long muddy ride can eat through a set of organic pads in very little time.

And if you have rim brakes?

Brake blocks have grooves: when they disappear, it's time to change them. In the wet, clean the sand off them and clean the rim too, because embedded sand wears the rim. There are blocks with a wet-weather compound that brake better in the rain.

Bedding in: the step almost everyone skips

New pads don't brake at full power until they've left a thin layer of their material on the rotor. To bed them in:

1. Find a flat street with no traffic.
2. Build up moderate speed and brake firmly down to walking pace, without locking the wheel.
3. Repeat a good number of times with each brake, without coming to a complete stop.
4. Let them cool before descending a climb.

And never touch the rotor or the pads with your fingers, or let them near chain lube or cleaning spray. If they get contaminated with oil, they squeal and don't brake: the pads are replaced and the rotor is cleaned with isopropyl alcohol.

Are cheap ones a gamble?

Not necessarily. What matters is that they're the right compound, the exact shape for your caliper and from a manufacturer that clearly states which brakes they're for. Be wary of pads with no brand or reference, that don't say whether they're organic or metallic, or with a poorly finished backing plate. And don't buy used pads: you don't know whether they've touched oil.

When to take it to the workshop

Changing pads is simple if you have the tools, but some things are better left to a mechanic: a spongy lever (the brake may need bleeding), pistons that don't retract, a bent or stepped rotor, or if you don't know which pad your brake takes. bicis.net has 1,695 workshops in its directory for Spain and Andorra (data as of 29 October 2026). In the provinces where it rains most, and in the two with the most workshops:

Source: Ciclismo en cifras, shops and workshops from OpenStreetMap and businesses registered on bicis.net; one that is both a shop and a workshop counts in both columns. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Find yours in the bicis.net directory of shops and workshops; for example, this shop and workshop in Seville. And while you're on safety, also go over how often to replace your helmet.

Frequently asked questions

Which bike brake pads are better, organic or metallic?

It depends on how you ride. Organic pads brake smoothly and quietly, and work well in the dry. Metallic pads last longer in rain and mud and handle the heat of long descents better.

Can I fit metallic pads to any rotor?

No. Some rotors only accept organic pads and have it engraved. If you fit metallic pads to them, you'll wear out the rotor very fast.

How often should you change bike brake pads?

There's no fixed interval: it depends on the terrain, the rain and your weight. Check them every few rides in winter and change them when the material reaches the minimum set in your brake's manual.

Why do my disc brakes squeal in the rain?

Water and sand change the friction, especially with metallic pads. If they also squeal in the dry, they may be contaminated with oil or poorly bedded in: clean them or change them.

Do new pads need bedding in?

Yes. A set of firm stops on the flat, without locking up, leaves a layer of material on the rotor and the brake bites at full power from the first descent.