Review - Shimano BR-6403 brake pads

I needed to replace some brake pads pretty quickly and so for simplicity I got a pair of these pads from Evans.  That was a few hundred miles ago and I've had a good chance to try them out in mostly dry conditions and fitted to the rear brake calliper.

These appear to be Shimano's standard, no nonsense, catch all service replacement set.  They fit to the callipers by means of an allen key bolt and are compatible with Shimano 105, Ultegra, RX100 and Tiagra brakes.  As the pattern seems conventional it is likely they'll fit many other callipers brakes.

Fitting them is a cinch.  You just need a 4mm allen key once you've removed the previous pads.  There is no toe-in feature so you simply align the pad next to the rim and tighten.  Easy as that.  There's no mistaking which pad to fit to which side as the guide fin points downward.

These are disposable pads as the actual pad material is not removable or replaceable on its own.

In use I like the fact the height of the pad wasn't too big, so it fits the [Mavic Open Sport] rim easily with at least 1mm spare above and below.  There is no toe-in facility.  This means that the pad is parallel to the rim and no facility for juggling washers so that the leading edge of the brake pad contacts the rim first.  In doing this the pad gets pulled in and this increases the braking power slightly.

In use they're okay, acceptable, a bit mediocre and unspectacular.  Like the original pads, they are adequate in both wet and dry conditions (as normal wet rims take a little longer to slow down).  They're also quiet, as you can rightly expect.

The RRP cost is £10.99 which, I suppose is probably okay.  Whilst it maybe possible to scour the internet and get it cheaper, that is the price I paid at Evans.

Would I buy these again?

Well yes, if I needed to, just as I did this last time.  At 10.99 or less it's almost worth keeping a pair in stock.   I will research and seek out something a bit better for the next set that needs replacing: given that they last me a few thousand miles, spending a little more is justified in order to improve the braking performance.

Related ramble:

Routine brake pad check