160mm rotors for 250lbs?

I'd wager at your weight you'd be happier with at least a 185 up front, and if you're riding any seriously long descents, you could justify a 203.

Depending on your braking technique, a 160 in the rear ought to remain OK, but if you use it a lot to check your speed, a 185 would handle the heat better.

I don't think you'll be happy with a 160mm up front. I'm a svelte 230, and I always run a 203 on the front, and a 160 on the rear. For mostly XC type stuff, a 185 would be fine, but if you're gonna do any AM/DH type stuff, you'll find the 160 up front quickly overheats, and starts to fade away.

You will stop....eventualy.
I am 230 and run 203 F and R on my All Mtn 29er. More XC style riding.
I would save your shekels, keep your juicy 5s (one of the more powerful brakes on the market) and just get bigger rotors.

D3DO said:

You will stop....eventualy.
I am 230 and run 203 F and R on my All Mtn 29er. More XC style riding.
I would save your shekels, keep your juicy 5s (one of the more powerful brakes on the market) and just get bigger rotors.

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+1

Same for me, at 235 I run the same.

160s have never worked for me.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I've never disliked the Juicys, and the 185s have worked well stopping my fat self. It's nothing urgent, but at some point I would like something with a different lever feel.

I'm 300lbs and just got my bike back from 1 month post purch check up. They said my 185 rear rotor had a blue tint (read it got so hot it tempered some). If it's hilly rocky terrain where you are I wouldn't make the rear rotor smaller. At 250lbs the few grams weight difference to you won't be discernible.

I have been running an avid code5 on the rear with a 160mm rotor and a juicy5 front with a 185mm. The code was strong enough with a 6in rotor to feel like a juicy with a 7in. There are very few brakes that I care to run with a 6in rotor at my 240lb weight. For the most part I prefer 7in or 8in rotors unless I am really counting grams.

FWIW the juicy 5 brakes are right up there for power. Main thing you get by upgrading is more knobs and screws to twist. While that can be helpful it is far from necessary. If you are on a budget just keep the fives and give them a bleed and fresh pads

Hot brakes! Thanks for the input. I'll definitely stick with 185s or 180s.

if you ever think about upgrading, they got at pricepoint the hayes stroker ace that come with 8" rotors and its 4 pot brake, for just 240.00 all together front and back....thats some good stopping power on the cheap...and they look chichi

I am 235 and run 203mm front and 185 mm rear on my xc bike.I wouldn't like running a 160 on the front.I would imagine they would get pretty hot.I get mine to change colour,they go a nice bluey black colour.
I have 203 front and rear on my FR bike