Are 105 Hydro Brakes Disappointing?

For those rotors you need resin pads.... if you want mixed pads or different pads to Resin then get some other rotors.... When customers come with similar issues, I pop them on Prime rotors from Wiggle and semi metallic pads.. never had any complaints... and...always Shimano disc brakes.... as for Sram... they have other issues...lol

As other comments, my first thought is why do you have the ceramic pads? 

You dont say which version of 105 you are running.

I ran both the mk 1 105 and Ultegra  (RS505 and RS685) and if anything the 105 spec ones were better.   Things have moved slightly with the 7000/8000 ranges but IMO dont really change again until GRX and 12speed 105 and Ultregra which are a quantum leap forward in braking from the hoods.

My GRX's have started squealing but I think thats the aftermarket pads.

I've moved to 105 7000 groupset on a bike to replace a stolen one which had Ultegra, and I do feel braking doesn't feel as sharp as the old one. However I had the icetech rotors on those as well where these just come with the standard multi holed ones. I've not felt like I won't stop, just doesn't seem as sharp early on in the pull as the old ones. 

Which Ribble bike do you have, BTW?

WILLDB wrote:

... they still feel like cane operated single piston brakes

That's just it, you need to give these a damn good thrashing daily to teach them a lesson. Nanny always did for me, and it never did me any harm though it did make me late for work today.

(apologies to the late great Humphrey Littleton for theft of joke).

I've run Ultegra road (140mm rotor) for about 5 years (6800 series IIRC), and GRX (160 rotor) for a year or so (GRX 600 changers, GRX400 calipers). They are all similar. The Ultegra lacks a bit of a feel which I believe they've resolved by adopting the GRX Wave design (whatever that is).

I've generally run Shimano resin pads, but in the lockdown shortages I've got some V-Tech (Who?) ceramic off Amazon and they are fine. I prefer the bite of the GRX which are an updated design, and the grips are better than the Ultegra, but aside from that all good. Done some serious gravel with the GRX set-up and they were fine, not sure what matey who cooked his brakes and turned the rotor purple was using on the same ride. Used to ride the Ultegra through winter with no issues aside from the unavoidable squealing of wet rotors after doing some miles between stops, but they'd soon clean up during a stop.

Not used recent SRAM ones, but back in the day, used to replace low end SRAM MTB hydraulic with low end Shimano because the design was so poor, a number of customers complaining of brakes rubbing or even locking up when heating up. No idea what their roadie offerings are like aside from a mate who runs SRAM Red has been driven bonkers by his.

My winter bike has 105 hydraulic disc and performance-wise they're indistinguishable from the bikes I have running Ultegra - i.e. very good. I'm a heavier rider (88kg) and there's a lot of hill descents locally; I have had no cause for complaint regarding performance.

I use resin pads, better for more instant response, they're quieter in my opinion too. They possibly wear out quicker than sintered/metallic, but then they wear more than the disc, and they're cheaper than discs.

I would possibly question the ceramic pads, only for the fact that I have no real world experience of them on a bicycle, however when ceramic brakes are used in high performance automotive applications, they are known for having reduced "bite" performance until they are warmed up, and then better performance when up to temperature. Also, have you checked the pads for glazing or contamination perhaps?

I'm very happy with mine (though I've not used any other disc brakes to compare them with).  Over 10,000km done, a bit of squealing in the wet sometimes, but no maintenance other that one new set of pads.

My 105 hydraulic brakes have been pure bliss. No squeal, no maintenance in three years beyond replacement pads. They do exactly what I expect and were a revelation after my previous bike's cantilevers. Can't fault them. Shimano resin pads.

Sorry if it sounds obvious but are you sure ceramic pads are suitable for the rotors? All my Shimano rotors have "resin pads only" on them.