CurtisRider Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 My shitty halfords brake caliper burst the other day (theres not enough metal round the seal) and my tektro thing at the back keeps dicking about so i just want to buy a new pair of brakes! I am unsure as to what is good these days, ideally have a 180mm rotor upfront and 160mm out back. My budget is £100 or thereabouts, i rather not spend too much more but i shall if its really worth it. I am riding xc, i rarely find a descent in east anglia that will justify super pimpy vented rotors and all that jazz. I like the look of the clarks skeletal brakes which seem to get good reviews+are within my budget! Any help would be greatly appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Anybody? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialsmax04 Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Personally, I'd go for a shimano. You can get a set of deore's for that sort of Price. They way not be as powerfull as some Of the others around, but there about as complicated as a magura, and parts are easy to find. My mate has the old deore brakes which are good, but the new ones (servo wave lever) are much better (i have the slx version), and I believe they won the last MBUK brake test for value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali C Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 steer cear of the clarks brakes, they are pretty poor quaility, of 10 sets I tried to set up, 7 of them had sticky pistons and wouldnt come lose again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haydon_peter Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 +1 for Shimano I have had XT M775's on my XC bike for 3 years and have recently changed from Hope Mono M4's to Shimano SLX on my DH bike. This year Shimano have updated the SLX brakes so if you look around you should be able to pick up some of the old style M665 brakes for a good price. I got my pair for £120 in the CRC Sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Cheers for your help guys, just bought a pair of Shimano SLX brakes Bikes slowly getting to decent working condition again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialsmax04 Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Ive got those like I said. So easy to bleed/ swap pads and maintain ect. Good choice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Decided to go for 180mm rotors all round, figured that a little 160mm out back probably isnt enough for me these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialsmax04 Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Real men use 203mm Front + Rear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddyboy123 Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 If your changing the size of your disks remember that you might need adapters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 I doubt my brake mounts could handle the power of a 203 and yeah eddyboy, the slx brakes come with the suitable adaptors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted June 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 So they arrived and i fitted them. Are they supposed to have a late bite point and feel spongey as hell feel? Mine just feel terrible, the lever reach adjustment also doesnt go out far enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialsmax04 Posted June 24, 2011 Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Woah! Sounds like you may need a bleed there?! Where did you get them from? I know some places build them up out of kits (shimano brakes are the only ones that come like this) and perhaps they went bled properly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted June 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Yeah it seems so eurgh i HATE bleeding brakes! Always seems to go wrong, its the only part of building a bike that i struggle with for some stupid reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialsmax04 Posted June 24, 2011 Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Try and keep everything clean. And take your time. I can sympathise with you on brakes there horrid. With the shimanos, wack some mineral oil in a syringe, and push it through from the bottom. Then bleed from the top down after tapping the hose/ caliper/ lever. I had to put a longer hose on my front one, and bleeding was pretty easy but I probably over did-it (took a good 30mins) to ensure it was air free. As for lever travel, once bled correctly and at maximum adjustment there is probably less than 5mm lever travel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted June 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 I just watched a video on it, seems i have the right technique but not enough patience! Unfortunately i dont have a syringe with a large enough capacity, and there arent any local addicts round here that i know of Need to quit moaning and just do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialsmax04 Posted June 24, 2011 Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Local farming supplies shop would do (Mole Valley Farmers / Scats). I use a 60ml one fine. If your serious about cleanliness, invest in some Isopropanol alcohol (for cleaning excess fluid ect), best stuff ever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted June 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Stupid thing is, i have a farm, we used to have loads of syringes for the pigs! Is 60ml really enough? i had been looking at 100ml just for overkill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialsmax04 Posted June 24, 2011 Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 60ml is fine, you can always close the valve and re-fill it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomm Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 The servo-wave brakes do have a bit more squidge than others, but I wouldn't say they feel at all bad. Shimano brakes come with really long hoses F+R (so you could run a RH rear lever and vice versa) and shops either sell them like that (and you have to cut them down) or they cut them and bleed them. I know what you mean about bleeding brakes. It seems so simple and yet it never works out that well. I quite like bleeding Avid brakes, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted June 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 I bled the brakes the traditional way in the end as the syringe pipe kept popping off. Rear went really well, nice and solid feel now and bite point is excellent!. Front didnt go so well, the brake kept getting air in after i nipped the nipple bolt by hand, which the rear was ok with, turns out the threads were stripped Bought a helicoil kit seeing as slx calipers dont seem to be available from CRC curently (way more expensive elsewhere) and also seeing as i dont have much to lose now that its worthless Should do the trick, theres just about enough meat there i think :)Otherwise i shall order a different shimano caliper. Bit pissed now about it all, wasnt really expecting all this hassle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialsmax04 Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 Geeeeeze!! Did you get them seccond hand? Bit gay it's stripped if they where new!! I would send it back. I feel bad now for suggesting them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted June 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 They were secondhand but described as being like new. For all the hassle i may as well of gone for a new set No worries on the suggestion part, its just one of those things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted June 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 Well the helicoil worked...then started leaking, so i have now ordered a brand new caliper for £50, as CRC dont have any shimano ones in stock and wont do for ages:( (they were £30). Eurgh, thats another £50 gone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted July 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 New caliper fitted and a set of fresh pads all round (shimano resin back, superstar resin front), rotors cleaned and the brakes feel great! Little bit of squidge, but its very minimal and i like it as it keeps the levers comfy. Brakes havent even bedded in yet and they have awesome power, scared to find out what they will be like when properly bedded. Been a retarded and expensive route secondhand, but at least i now have brakes that work. Now to find a larger frame... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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