Recommend me some disk brakes

[NeilM]

As a confirmed pre-97 mtb'er I know next to nothing about mtb disk brakes. I have some Avid BB7's on my 91 Cats Wiskas, and they work well, certainly better than any canti or V brake I have ever used anyway.

My next build is a 2001 DeKerf Implant; most of the running gear is sorted, in my head, if not in the workshop, but when it comes to brakes I am currently undecided.

I ride xc / trails and I don't need massive braking power as the Implant is a hardtail, and is going to be built up as a reasonably light bike.

I don't mind if I use mechanical or hydraulic, so what are you using? Or what would you recommend.

 

[suburbanreuben]

Get Yo-Eddy's Martas.
I have Martas on my Implant, running 180/160 discs and they're plenty strong enough. I do have 205/180 discs to swap if you're a power hungry megalomaniac.

 

[benjy]

ive got cheap shimano hydrolics 160 rear 180 front an there spot on, been told there only around 80 notes for the full set but not looked myself

 

[Tazio]

I use Avid Juicy 3 hydraulic brakes with a 160 disc at either end. More than enough to stop my 11st for light XC work. I think some people have brakes that are way over the top for what they need.

 

[NeilM]

I've looked at Yo Eddy's Martas, and am considering them at the moment. I am detailing the Implant in red, but wonder if they will be a bit OTT.

Benjy, I think all the Shimano range has a good reputation, I have looked at the XT range.

Tazio, I'm a big SRAM / Avid fan, and although all the Avid brakes get great reviews they seem to take a fair bit of stick on other forums for being difficult to bleed and spongy in feel. Could you give me a bit more info about yours.

 

[superstu]

For a start personally i'd go for hydraulic and not mechanical discs.

Then you have a massive choice.

IMHO you can't beat the new shimano range although I have read a review of the avid trails which scored v highly. A lot of anti avid rhetoric on other forms but I never had much problem with my juicys.

There was a thread asking the same question the other day on here. General consensus was shimano, surprising number of magura fans and a lot of love for hope. Hope certainly look a bit blinger if that's important!

Shimano deore are cheap as chips (around £80 both ends), should be able to get XT for less than £150 and should be everything you need, easy to bleed and pick up spares if needed. But pretty much fit and forget except the odd pad change.

 

[suburbanreuben]

OTT in what way?
Pricewise? Yes you could just about find a set of XTs for that sort of money, which by all accounts work well. I briefly had some previous generation XTRs which were fairly powerful but on/off with rubbish modulation.
The Martas have superb modulation, really delicate and precise, with all the power you'll ever need. The discs are slightly thicker than most other makes, so even 160/140 aren't going to fade, unless you're half way down an alp.
Bleeding is the easiest you'll find. You can even shorten hoses with no need to bleed. Like Shimano, they use mineral oil, not paint stripper!
They are a sleek, no nonsense design. There aren't many cracks and crevises for mud to fill, and the levers are very comfy.
They're light - within an ounce of being the lightest disc brakes available.
Magura offered a 5 year guarantee when new which showed their confidence in their product. They know what they're doing; has anyone ever had a bad word to say about their rim brakes? I'm not sure whether spares are still available though.
Pretty colours!
Made in Germany...

Bad points? Can't think of a single one!

 

[JeRkY]

Personally I find avid brakes horrible. Spongy feel and hideous maintenance top the woe list. I have had XT discs before and found them better than the avids. But best of all are the maguras. I first had some old magura julie years back, heavy and industrial (but all breaks were then) but the stopping power was great and they had the same fit and forget nature of the magura rim brakes. I now effectively exclusively run Marta SL's on my disc bikes. light, nicely manufactured, fit and forget when compared to the awful avids and hayes, the stopping power is excellent and the modulation is the best I've had on a disk brake. Also bleeding when you need to (after routing hoses through the frame) is simple.

For reference I have owned and used the following
Avid: jucy 3, 5, and 7's
Hayes HFX 9
Magura Julie, Marta, Marta SL

 

[NeilM]

OTT in terms of colours, I'm building an mtb, not a blingship. :mrgreen:

Red levers, headset, seatclamp, calipers, and skewers, all getting a touch close to a bling thing... innit.

Bought my first Maguras in 1994, apart from a lack of pad choice / availability at the time, they did the job well.... in fact I can't remember why I took them off.

EDIT: So is it best to run Magura brakes with Magura specific disks?

Don't shoot me here, remember I know nothing about mtb disk brakes.

 

[superstu]

Ive had avid, clarks skeletal, hayes and shimano. So no opinion on magura but shimano best of those i have used. I think the older ones lack modulation but the newer ones certainly don't. They do look a bit industrial though (esp models under xt)