Joined
·
27 Posts
Can someone tell me which one would be best for my bike? (or what the difference is) I have a Santa Cruz Superlight.
185mm vs. 203mm BB7's?
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
The bigger the rotor, generally the more stopping power you can have. Also, bigger rotors do a better job of resisting over heating. If you ride a lot of DH, you wan bigger rotors. If you ride a lot of XC you want smaller rotors.
The coefficient of friction of some brake pads can double from when they are cold to when they are warm which means you get twice as much stopping power. If you use rotors that are too large for the intended purpose the braking system can actually run too cool resulting in weak braking. You need to select components so they are used in their optimun operating range.
Obviously weight of rider will have a large impact on how powerful the brakes nee to be too.
You need to make sure that your fork was designed to be used with larger rotors before putting larger rotors on it. Some forks cannot handle the additional stresses imposed by larger rotors.
The coefficient of friction of some brake pads can double from when they are cold to when they are warm which means you get twice as much stopping power. If you use rotors that are too large for the intended purpose the braking system can actually run too cool resulting in weak braking. You need to select components so they are used in their optimun operating range.
Obviously weight of rider will have a large impact on how powerful the brakes nee to be too.
You need to make sure that your fork was designed to be used with larger rotors before putting larger rotors on it. Some forks cannot handle the additional stresses imposed by larger rotors.
Joined
·
12,390 Posts
You'd probably be fine with 160's front and back, but you might like the 185 up front (don't bother with the rear). I think the 203 is overkill for a Superlight.
Joined
·
27 Posts
Wow, thanks......
Yeah, I ended up finding some 160's but decided to go with 185's because I am a pretty big dude. 220- 230 lbs. My fork is a Fox Vanilla, do you think that will be a problem?
Yeah, I ended up finding some 160's but decided to go with 185's because I am a pretty big dude. 220- 230 lbs. My fork is a Fox Vanilla, do you think that will be a problem?
Joined
·
12,390 Posts
I think you'll be fine. Current Fox manual sez you can go to a 203 if you want. What's a big guy like you doing on a Superlight? I remember when they first came out they had weight limits, not recommended over 185 if I remember right. I bought a Heckler instead that year.
Joined
·
27 Posts
Yeah, I thought the limit was 225 although I'm not sure. When I bought the bike I was 200-210, but I have been lifting a bunch and I tore my achilles tendon twice in the last year, so I am a bit out of shape. Not too much fat though. just a big ass I guess. 
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
