Good brakes in 2022
- Thread starter norbar
- Start date
Yep, being on a steep slope or moderately steep slope with tight turns, you need to be able to bite down HARD right away. Don't give me a bunch of "modulation" BS.
I was chasing some fast dudes on big Squamish slabs that I don't know well on a bike with TRP DH-R Evos, Galfer Pro pads, and 246 mm rotors both ends a few weeks ago and wasn't having trouble controlling them. YMMV.
Those mega giant rotors are a bit much, but more because keeping them aligned is tricky and my 170lb is borderline not enough to put proper heat into them sometimes.
You'll never know until you try, eh?
I'm back to 223f/203r on most stuff but it was a fun experiment.
As a comfort braking squid I don't mind a little bit of modulation/lack of initial bite/inverse gain spectrum/whatever. Especially if you're trying to wash speed on an uneven cross-camber in the mud or gravel in steep sections.
Granted given the stack of hand and finger x-rays I've got from several fractures my fine brake control skills probably aren't comparable to the RM benchmark. I still struggle with super fine movements after years of physio
I have Hayes Dominion A4 in my eebster and Saint in my dh rig. Both feels enough powerful for what I ride. Shimano has been flawless all the time. Hayes feels a bit lighter maybe because of the couple of extra bearings in the handle.
Shimano is of course easier to source spare parts and with Hayes you might want to buy some spare olives and pads in stock.
If I would have to buy something again I would just buy two sets of Saints and use my time for riding. Would be wise to use same brakesystems in two different bikes.
Shimano is of course easier to source spare parts and with Hayes you might want to buy some spare olives and pads in stock.
If I would have to buy something again I would just buy two sets of Saints and use my time for riding. Would be wise to use same brakesystems in two different bikes.
Hope Tech 4's with 220F/200R are pretty next-level. Good luck getting them though.
I weigh 67 kg
The one piece Hayes olive-pin things are pretty good though, why would you want to stock them? They last like forever. I use them on my Formula R0R and they are really good, no way for brake fluid to get in between the things.
Which Shim spare parts you're talking here? Complete levers or calipers because you won't be able to get real spare parts like pistons or - god forbid - some seals.
The one piece Hayes olive-pin things are pretty good though, why would you want to stock them? They last like forever. I use them on my Formula R0R and they are really good, no way for brake fluid to get in between the things.
It is because your hands are tired from squeezing tho. If you can't do the squeezing motion with your finger then you did too much squeezing motion with your finger.
Also are you heavy? Because even being uber tired, at the end of the day I never had issues with insta locking my brakes and I'm not even that good at biking so I can't go with "bro I have mad finger skills"
I have RM arms as well as hands like a pianist and it's still not an issue. I seriously think marketing BS from idiotic reviews made us buy this modulation shit. I never understood it but for years I just thought I'm a stupid hack before I realized it's BS
Hope's "new" Tech4s with their updated ergonomically massively long ugly tech 4 levers and pretty much the same caliper design they've used for the past decase are showing as "check availability" here which generally means a fairly short wait once ordered. (dependent on spangly colour of choice) personally I think the levers are pretty horrible but if anyone wants a set PM me and I'm sure I can sort you out some.
Saints have yoyo'd in and out of stock for the past 2 years (currently out of stock just now but calipers and xtr levers are available) and A4s have been out of stock for over a year now.
Saints have yoyo'd in and out of stock for the past 2 years (currently out of stock just now but calipers and xtr levers are available) and A4s have been out of stock for over a year now.
Are the Tech4's similar to Tech 2 V2s? I liked those. Not that I'm buying brakes soon. Waiting til Jan at least since my currency needs to go back to normal levels. It's better than in sept but I don't want to overpay when I'm still at least 4 weeks out of riding (yay getting injured after just a few days of riding on a new bikes) and then winter will come anyway so I won't be needing brakes fast.
Well yeah, I'm squeezing the bar with all my fingers, so all my fingers are kinda shitty after awhile. I'm about 81 kgs fwiw, so not a true land walrus (yet). Its just flat fucking stupid to have brakes that lock up instantly if a mosquito runs into the lever - period. Whereas I can see where Hab is coming from with big rotors on his TRPs, so there's more ultimate "gain" but it builds through the stroke.
In the end, most people (including me and my bitch hands) can adjust to basically any brake set up, but I much, much prefer how the TRPs work compared to say my friend's Zees which are very on/off.
Not that it means much, but it seemed like a lot WC riders were using TRPs this past season. Well, except Amaury who doesn't use brakes of course.
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Yes it would be pretty fucking stupid. It's a good thing no brake on the market does that. I think the industry shill reviews who tried to prop up weaker brakes made us think some brakes are on off beause they actually stop your bike.
I literally just gave you a contrasting example between brakes that build gain through the stroke and ones that have it all in the 1st nanometer. I guess they sell different brakes in Poland. Who knew?!
Its also good to know my TRPs don't actually stop my bike. I can just take them off and save weight at least. RM insight delivers again.
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Well it's good I never bought brakes in Poland. Though seriously. I agree with Gary and a few others here. I never understood the whole "my brakes lock instantly" thing. Maybe it depends on what brake you first started riding. My first non v-brake was a Gustav so if I learned not to instalock my wheel on a brake famed for being on off (it wasn't imo) nothing really feels like it's instalock.
I'd argue it's more that you are used to brakes that feel a certain way.
As I said, most people can adjust to how a brake works, and I actually have Saints on my DH bike. They're fine, but if/when they shit the bed I'm getting something like Hab is running.
By that. You seem to be meaning Zee/Saint? (same fucking thing really). Out of the litterally hundreds I've used/worked on over the years. Not one set has ever been so powerful it locks the wheel so quickly it's unmanageable. Granted the front wheel will drop easier from dabbing the rear on a manny but once you're used to the power even that is completely manageable.
If you're honestly struggling with losing grip from brake control it sounds like you might enjoy an Ebike with bosch Abs.
[edit] But from your last post I see you're not.
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Don't fall tor the bullshit that one person "understands" but confuses everyone else. Otherwise we'd all be riding "black diamond" bikes now.
Yeah I will also probably go TRP or Hayes but that's mainly because Saints have this nasty habit of working sometimes
add 15months if he should chose trickstuff (if the zloty finally gains to the euro)It took norbar 4 years to decide on what bike to buy. We better get the popcorn out, choosing brakes is going to be another 1 or 2 year process.
Going from 203mm Purple Hayes to the 2003 or so DH Hope brakes it was easier to control tire slip on wet rocks, pretty much all we have in Cen Cal. but my hand feel isn't great and if not riding loose arm pump builds etc. I have MT7s with 203 they are good. Their upgraded levers do help you adjust the bite point way better if you don't want it halfway in. Usually, I run front pretty far out then back further in. I was 230LBS back then and never experienced brake fade. Though the longest DH trails I was riding where in Santa Barbara. Trying to keep Lancaster and Robertson in viw. It never worked. In fact they used their frame as brakes more than the actual brakes so what do I know.....
I'm really happy with my hope T4V4. Coming off of MT5s. They felt too strong at first (w/ 200mm rotors) but I'm used to it now. Really appreciated on longer descents. Brakes feel a little spongy when parking lot squeezing (likely due to high leverage hose flex), but not noticeable on trail.
As I said, Saints are really on/off (they either work or they don't at all)
You may also want to consider Srqm guides, as they make for excellent concrete aggregate once you get tired of bleeding them all time.
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I can't figure out sram.
In 2007 my Sunday came with Codes. They were, and still are one of my favorite brakes. But the next spring one of the levers was stuck in. In the end I had 4 levers that were stuck.
16 years later and they still can't figure out how to stop fucking up.
Yet, my 1998/2001 Hayes that are in the parts bin still work.
The response of the sram/avid/rs/truvativ guy at the Windham WC was spot on and the same way I felt. I thanked him for being honest and told him that I know what brand won't go on my bikes anymore.
In 2007 my Sunday came with Codes. They were, and still are one of my favorite brakes. But the next spring one of the levers was stuck in. In the end I had 4 levers that were stuck.
16 years later and they still can't figure out how to stop fucking up.
Yet, my 1998/2001 Hayes that are in the parts bin still work.
The response of the sram/avid/rs/truvativ guy at the Windham WC was spot on and the same way I felt. I thanked him for being honest and told him that I know what brand won't go on my bikes anymore.
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Its pretty easy, they are a large enough business and sell enough stuff that passes for good, that when shitty stuff does come up, they don't care and just brush it off. Or they change THAT problem and call it a new revision, ignoring the other known problems.
FWIW, when the Syndicate switched from SRAM/RS to Shimano/Fox, they got the mechanics to hacksaw slots in the braking surface of the pads to reduce initial bite force across uneven terrain, at least until the riders adapted to them. Granted - Peaty and Minaar probably don't have the braking skills the RM crew have got (actually to be fair, they'd probably be less experienced using brakes) but it shows that at least initially there seems to be some other people that have issue with the servo-leverage curve that shimano brakes have. I'm pretty sure they're one of the only non-linear brakes on the market now.
SRAM (or Avid) original Codes were a really nice brake. I think they peaked their design around the time of the chrome lever variant, and got knows what they've decided to do since then.
I did exactly the same for a local repair on a kids bike that had very cheap mechanical calipers. One of the dual moving pad mechanical designs but with mental throw you over the bars leverage
SRAM's Guide & Code RS, and RSC have a swing link on the lever with a similar objective. They're just not quite as powerful as SAINTs
Out of interest. Have you ridden both Saint and code RS(C) with the levers wound right in and the bite point really close to the grip? They're both an entirely different feel from wound out and bite point further away.
Eg. possibly how most Big hand riders like 'em.
Pre SRAM Peaty also came from years on old Hope's (ie. also Shite)
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If it was the swelling master cylinder issue SRAM only finally revised that a few years back. And even then. Not properly. (still using plastic pistons.
I solved it on my old RS with cheap replacement Alu pistons from AliXpress and they're sti going strong years on.
PS. 4 levers sounds overkill. But the Sunday was faster than all other DH bikes right enough.
Wheelies downhill are called coaster wheelies here and rely massively on good rear brake control. Something I just never learned so can only hold coasters for a matter of seconds. While uphill and on the flat I can wheelie for ages. They're kinda effortless in a low enough gear at slow speed.
I also absolutely love mannies and can manage a pretty long distance considering I'm still doing 'em brakeless.
I also absolutely love mannies and can manage a pretty long distance considering I'm still doing 'em brakeless.
I can wheelie pretty much until i get tired brakeless, coaster wheelies I can do occasionally decently but never even gonna try brakeless. My manuals are an embarassment considering how long I've been riding bikes. Useless.
Those Code levers that used to have the master pistons swell up was one of those "how much will MTBers take before we launch a class action" kind of fuck ups. How they were never recalled is beyond me. Not sure about the rest of the world but over here if you left your bike parked in the summer sun and then applied the brake it literally locked on. We used to pour cold water over the lever bodies to get the brake to release/work again.
The problem with saint's isn't lack of modulation is that sometimes they just don't work. At least the new ones 810s were inconsistent but they worked well.As I said, Saints are really on/off (they either work or they don't at all)
You may also want to consider Srqm guides, as they make for excellent concrete aggregate once you get tired of bleeding them all time.
Naah. I'm no dentist. I can't afford them. I will just get TRP or Hayes whatever is available come Jan. Dollar/Euro is going back to normal and since my back is still broken I have at least a month of not needing to think about bike parts.