Big Jim come out of the dark ages!

Ever heard of ceramic pads??? They are usually "lifetime" and far outperform the cheapos in braking ability and pad life. Braking is more than just how soft the pad is. Ever heard of fade from heat? Ceramics are affected way less than the cheapos when things get hot. You don't have to be a racer to get heat either. Any place with steep grades to come down can bring that realization.