Whether you're an avid cyclist looking to beat your PB, you enjoy a leisurely countryside ride now and then, or just use your bike as daily transport, having the best bike brakes is crucial to staying safe both on and off-road. Whether you own a road bike or mountain bike, you should check worn-down brake pads and shoes as often as once a month if you cycle regularly.
We've ranked the ten best bike brakes online, so you can ensure you're getting the right option for your bike. There are options for hydraulic brakes, disc and V-brake systems, and plenty that come with all the parts needed, such as cables and levers. So whether you own a mountain bike, road bike, or racer, there's something for you below with options from top brands like Shimano, Clarks, and BTWIN available on Amazon, Halfords, and Decathlon.
Quick List - Top Bike Brakes
Shimano
Quality Disk Brake Pads From One of the Worlds Best Cycling Brands
Clarks
A Triple Contour Design With Water and Dirt Dissipation Grooves, Perfect for Wet Weather and off Road Biking
BTWIN
A Cable-Activated Disk Brake Set That Also Comes With an Additional V-Brake
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Table of Contents
Depending on the kind of bike you have, you'll likely have one of two types of brakes: disc brakes or V-brakes (also known as caliper brakes). Most road and racing bikes have V-brakes, or calipers, which squeeze a pair of rubber-like pads against the wheel. These are the most common type as they're easy to fit and bring you to a nice gradual stop. Even bikes with disc brakes on the rear often have a V-brake on the front wheel.
While you may come across mountain bikes with V-brakes, most will have a disc brake on the rear wheel as it offers much more stopping power than V-brakes or calipers. The pads on these brakes squeeze against a disc fixed to the wheel rather than the wheel itself and will stop it from turning almost instantly, making it a great option for traversing steep inclines and uneven ground.
Bike brake pads are mostly universal, meaning that while some may be optimized for specific models, you'll be able to fix them on your bicycle if they're the same type as your brake mount. However, a V-brake shoe will not work with a disc brake and vice versa.
When picking up bike brakes online, you'll need to know whether you're buying a complete set to replace the pads, mount, cables, and levers or simply the pads/shoes themselves. Whether they're disc or V-brakes, most people will only need to replace their brake pads as they wear down with use over time.
If you've maybe picked up a second-hand bike or have left yours in the shed a little too long, replacing an old brake set with a shiny new one is well worth the investment. Whether you're looking for V-brakes or disc brakes, there are sets that contain all the levers, cables, and other bits and bobs you need to fix to your bike frame.
Whether you're opting for just pads or a full set, you'll want to ensure the quantity is correct for the number of brakes you're looking to swap. For our rankings, we've listed the number of brakes you can replace with the included product - so a pair of pads will be for one brake.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Clarks V-Brake Set | ![]() | A Complete V-Brake Set Made From a Lightweight Alloy | |
2 | Shimano Disc Brake Pads & Spring Steel Backed Resin | ![]() | Quality Disk Brake Pads From One of the Worlds Best Cycling Brands | |
3 | Clarks Elite MTB/Hybrid Brake Pads | ![]() | A Triple Contour Design With Water and Dirt Dissipation Grooves, Perfect for Wet Weather and off Road Biking | |
4 | BTWIN Cable Activated Disc Brake Kit | ![]() | A Cable-Activated Disk Brake Set That Also Comes With an Additional V-Brake | |
5 | Clarks Front & Rear Hydraulic Brakes + 160mm Rotors | ![]() | A Set of Both Front and Back Rear Brakes to Refresh Older Frames | |
6 | CZ Bike Brakes | ![]() | A Budget Option That’s Great for Casual Cyclists Using Children’s Bikes | |
7 | Clarks Shimano Deore and Tektro Auriga Organic Pads| VX811C | ![]() | These Recreational Disc Brake Pads Represent Great Value for Money | |
8 | Shimano Brake Shoe Set M70T4 | ![]() | A Quality Pair of Brake Shoes for More Serious Cyclists | |
9 | Zonon Bicycle Disc Brake Pads | ![]() | A Bumper Pack of Bargain Disc Brakes Great for Families | |
10 | Shimano Brake Shoe Set R55C3|BR-6700G | ![]() | A Premium Pair of Brake Shoes for Ultergra Calipers |
Coming complete with levers, front and rear calipers and a full set of cables, the Clarks V-Brake Set is an affordable way to upgrade your bike's brakes. Made from a lightweight alloy construction, these are compatible with most mountain and road bikes.
Everything you need is included in the box, meaning you won't need any specialist bike tools, and it's easy to fit. If you're looking to replace or improve your whole set-up, this V-Brake Set from Clarks is the best way to go!
Shimano is a name familiar to most cyclists as they're the world's leading manufacturer of cycling parts and components, founded in 1921. You can be confident that these disc brake pads are of the highest quality.
These resin pads are steel-backed, meaning they're completely weatherproof and have incredible stopping power. If you have disc breaks, it's well worth investing in these long-lasting and reliable brake pads from one of the best brands in the world.
The Elite MTB/Hybrid Brake Pads from Clarks feature a triple contour design that allows for more effective braking in wet and muddy conditions - a common problem here in the UK! If you've noticed your current brakes aren't ideal in the rain, switching to these pads could legitimately be a lifesaver.
The water and dirt dissipation grooves make these V-brake pads great for both off-road conditions and those who cycle all year round as their primary form of transportation. For those on the smaller 50 mm pads, swapping to these 72 mm brakes will make a big difference to your stopping power.
Whether your bike came with V-brakes and you're looking for more stopping power at the back, or you're thinking of adding another disc brake to the front wheel, this Cable Activated Disc Brake Kit is a great way to go. It also comes with a two-year warranty for some added peace of mind.
The box has everything you need to fit a disc brake, plus it also comes with a V-brake with pads, meaning you can replace both brakes with new options simultaneously. It also comes with adapters to make swapping everything over as simple as possible.
This set of Front & Rear Hydraulic Brakes is the perfect option for breathing some life into an old mountain bike that you want to take off-road but may not feel safe doing so. Customers have reported these will comfortably fit on bikes that are almost twenty years old!
Clarks have been creating bicycle parts for over sixty years, and their design and test teams are still based in the UK today. They manufacture over one million brake systems every year, making them one of the world's leading brands.
Narrowly missing out on our top five is this bargain set of two brake pads from CZ. These are perfect if you're looking for something cheap and cheerful to replace some worn-down shoes. Simply unscrew your old ones and screw these in!
For casual use or for children's bikes, these are a great option when working on a budget. The quality isn't quite up to the standard of a quality shoe, but that's not to say they're bad by any stretch. If you're a casual cyclist, you won't be able to tell the difference at all.
The Shimano Deore and Tektro Auriga Pads are made from an organic compound that's suitable for recreational and leisurely use. It delivers the reliable performance you'd expect from Clarks and is effective in all weather conditions.
If you're after some disk brake pads for casual use, these really fit the bill, but we're not sure they'd be suitable for more rigorous off-road action. That said, they represent great value for money, so they are well worth testing whether you're popping to the shops or hitting the trail.
If you're serious about cycling and find yourself racking up the miles on the road, picking up this Brake Shoe Set from Shimano is a great idea. Whether you have a V-brake or disc brake on your back wheel, this makes for a quality option on the front wheel.
While it has low noise and low rim wear, it is one of the more expensive options on our list, which may mean it's a little more of an investment for casual cyclists than necessary. If you're looking for a universal fit with great braking force, though, these are well worth considering.
These Bicycle Disc Brake Pads from Zonon are an excellent pickup for any family who has a couple of children with mountain bikes. Whether you need to replace an old set of brakes or simply want them in a drawer somewhere just in case, these are an absolute steal for the price.
Unfortunately, the quality isn't the best, and many customers say they're not the longest-lasting brakes in the world. However, if you're only going on the occasional ride, these are a solid pickup for you and your kids.
Propping up our rankings is this Brake Shoe Set from Shimano, which is actually a fantastic pair of pads if you're after something to fit an Ultegra caliper. These offer fantastic stopping power if you're after a quality carbon block.
The obvious downside is that they're optimised for Shimano Ultegra calipers, and we wouldn't recommend trying to fit them to anything else. They're also one of the more expensive options, but on the right bike, they're well worth investing in.
Written and researched by David Sexton
No. 1: Clarks |V-Brake Set
No. 2: Shimano|Disc Brake Pads & Spring Steel Backed Resin
No. 3: Clarks|Elite MTB/Hybrid Brake Pads
No. 4: BTWIN|Cable Activated Disc Brake Kit
No. 5: Clarks|Front & Rear Hydraulic Brakes + 160mm Rotors
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