Whether you think about them all the time or never at all – mountain bike brakes are what keep you alive on those gnarly descents. And while the whole braking system matters, I’m not going to talk about rotor sizes, 2-piston vs. 4-piston, or lever angle; I’m talking about the humble brake pad. I had long considered brake pad choice a foregone decision – resin (organic) pads are king and metal pads (sintered) are for Huffy!