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disc brakes?!?!?

459 views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  OGRipper 
#1 ·
hello, im a somewhat inexperienced(sp) rider and i was wonedering if its worth it to uprgrade to disc. i do dj, skatpark, dh, and some small drops. i probably could only afford back breaks. do discs have alot of problems? and what type is cheap and good? should i just wait about a year and get a new bike that comes with discs? thanks in advance
 
#2 ·
depends on what kind of bike you have...but probably the best value for money disc brake would be the Hayes HFX-9s...dont know how much they would be in the US...

and depending on how much money ur counting on saving for a new bike that would aslo depend...
 
#3 ·
It would probably be a good upgrade, but IMO if you have vbrakes setup properly then you shouldn't have any problems with them especially with mostly riding dj/skatepark. If you go discs the cheapest route is mechanicals, and the cheapest that way would be the Hayes HMX which retail at probably $50-80USD depending on where you find them. The better mechanicals would be Avid Mechs, but those are slightly more costly with the 6" versions costing about $70 at the cheapest unless you go ebay. Then as far as hydraulic brakes go, they definitely have a better feeling than mechanicals in my opinion but at a higher price. The HFX-9s are the cheapest at about $110 a piece new at most online places. I personally have had good experiences with the Hayes low-end hydraulic brakes like that, but a lot of other people have had complaints about them, so be sure to read some reviews before purchasing to make up your own opinion. Hopefully that helped.



(For others on this board, see I can make a helpful post ;) )
 
#4 ·
thanks guys , that helped a lot. with hayes mechs would i really stop that much faster than with v brakes? is it easy to bend the rotors? 8 or 6 in. rotors? money is a big isue especially since im to young to get a job and live to far out in the country to mow peoples lawns and stuff like that.sorry about all the questions.
 
#6 ·
BJ- said:
yeh and make mine look like sh*t u lil post whore...so have u got laid yet...coz with a gold V10 u should have been egtting laid at leats once a week with that beast...:D
I gotta be useful one time or another on this board, lol. Nope, haven't gotten any action from my blingbling machine yet. I just built a big jump with a 4 1/2ft lip and a 18ft gap (big to me atleast) so maybe I'll find some chicks to take up there and watch my mad skills, hahaha. :p
 
#7 ·
hydraulic thoughts

Hydraulic disc brakes are definitely the way to go, but only if you do a fair amount of DHing or other riding where braking is important. Every step in the v-brake>mechanical disc>6" hydraulic>8" hydraulic progression is a big improvement in braking performance, but there is also a $ side to this improved performance. If you're potentially getting another bike in the near future, I'd probably wait and put the money towards that instead.

Mech disc are ok. When set up properly, they are comparable to hydraulic disc, but they don't seem to stay set up properly. If you enjoy constantly adjusting your gear, mechanical disc brakes would be 'fun'. Hydraulic are basically 'set and forget'.

By the way if you only can only afford to upgrade 1 wheel, do the front not the back.
 
#8 ·
more thoughts

Discs have a lot of advantages but it will be costly to upgrade, especially if your hubs are not disc compatible, in which case you'll need a new wheelset (or at least hubs) as well as the new brakes. For dj and skatepark I'm not sure you need to do it given the cost, I know a lot of guys that actually prefer the feel of v-brakes for precise stuff like skatepark, trials, etc. But you mention dh too, where discs are definitely an advantage - they are more powerful and more consistent, plus you can ride with dings in your rims without troubles. (You mention drops too but I don't think brakes really matter for drops.) Hmmmm....I guess I'd say that if you need to get new wheels, or if you can only get a disc for one end, don't bother upgrading your current rig but instead start saving for a second bike, one that comes with discs front and rear and maybe good suspension for dh.
 
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