[techmtb]

Pick up a used Yeti 575 2010 as I'm new to MTB riding. Bike currently has BR-M775 (Deore XT) and i'm looking to improve stopping power. I feel it could be way better. Currently 160mm rotors front and back. I took it in to a local bike shop for a brake bleed but didn't get much improvement. Maybe the mechanic wasn't savvy enough and wanted my business (the vibe i got).

Should i upgrade my brake kit if so what recommendations are out there? Should i maybe get new pads and upgrade to bigger rotors? If so, what size in front and rear?

Any advice would be great! Recently got my suspension rebuilt by Advanced Dynamics and I'm really enjoying the bike and definitely don't want to part it away yet.

 

[Guest]

Try 180mm rotors and fresh metal pads. You can always pick up a fresh set a brakes fairly cheap...depending on what you buy.

 

[fmendes]

The most efficient way to get more braking power is to increase rotor size. But (this is very important) make sure your fork will accept the rotor size you want.

Replacing pads is a good idea too. Just keep in mind that, while they seat, braking power will actually reduce. When everything is settled you will see improved braking.

 

[Forest Rider]

Are you going to do the brake swap yourself?

Probably just upgrade to 180 front rotor and set of SLX brakes, or XT.

Unless you are switching brands of brakes, then you can spend a bunch more and get pretty phenomenal brakes.

 

[kevin_sbay]

Are you going to do the brake swap yourself?

Probably just upgrade to 180 front rotor and set of SLX brakes, or XT.

Unless you are switching brands of brakes, then you can spend a bunch more and get pretty phenomenal brakes.

I just upgraded my f and r brakes to SLX. Absolutely love them -- true one finger braking for cheap, especially considering the zillion times we use our brakes.

I also upgraded my r rotor to 180, now matching the original 180 in front. I know difft schools on thought on matching rotor sizes, but that's my preference, given how often I drag my r brake on long descents.

 

[ocnLogan]

Brake bleeding doesn't really "improve" braking performance in the way that you think it does. Bleeding just removes air bubbles. And, unless you have a LOT of air bubbles in the system, the main difference after a bleed is "spongey feel" beforehand, and "firm, direct feel" afterwards.

The suggestion to get bigger rotors is good. Just do the research to make sure your fork can fit a larger size. Nowadays almost all forks fit a 200mm front rotor, but I'm not sure about a 2010 fork. If you can, I'd go at least 200mm front, 180mm rear.

Also, not sure what fmendes is mentioning, but typically, when you swap pads, the power actually improves after "bedding in". Basically this means do some test runs with the pads. Go up to a decent pace, then give it a good medium pressure brake pressure until close to stopping, and do that 10-20 times.

If you're looking to buy all new brakes, I found THIS article really useful.

In that article, it talks about how important bedding in the brakes is to the brake performance.

4. Bedding in is everything

Bedding in your brake pads makes a huge difference to their performance. Initial repeated decelerations leaves a residue of pad material on the disc, permitting maximum friction and performance. On the dyno the brakes were bedded in with 20 cycles of 1 second pulls from 15 km/h, then 20 cycles of 2 second pulls from 15 km/h, repeated twice. During this process we saw the braking torque increase around 60% from the first pull to the last pull.​

I recently grabbed a pair of TRP Quadiems from WorldWideCyclery for $205. They're currently listed at $237, but they have coupons/discounts pretty regularly.

They are functionally identical to the Quadiem G-specs in the link above, which usually sell for $400 per set.

Other good options, are Shimano SLX/XT, or the new Shimano MT520. The SLX sell for $75-90ish per side (front/rear), while the MT520's tend to go for ~$95-100. I went with the TRP because they are effectively high end brakes, for middle of the road brake price, and I've been really satisfied with them.

Good luck, and welcome to the party . I only started biking last year, and I'm loving it.

 

[Steamthief]

I have a Yeti 575 w/160 rotors and just bought a set of Quadiems (WWC, same price as ocnLogan) to replace the Hayes Nines that came with the bike. I'm going to install the front brake today, but I'm not going on the dirt until I replace the fourteen-year-old sealant-weeping tires.


I'll report my initial thoughts when I get a little time in.

 

[Lochnes]

I really like my new hope e4 brakes but they do not have any more stopping power then slx brakes but cost like 4 times as much. get 180mm rotors or 200mm front (cheap ones, not the super duper $100 a set brakes, but look at superstarcomponents.com or rzcbikecomponents ) new brake pads (organic), brake/break them in as said above.
the xt brakes you have currently have bu themselves good stopping power, it is just that some newer brakes heva a better feel.
ow 1 thing: since you also had to bleed, it could be that one of your calipers is cracked and leaks a bit of oil. messes up your stopping power. known shimano problem. take out the wheel and the pads and inspect closely the white thingy sticking out.
if so, get new slx brakes. best braking power for the buck. all others are just bling/nicer/maintenance freeer but will not make you stop much faster

 

[techmtb]

Hello all,

Thanks for the great advice! I went ahead and purchased a set of SRAM RSC. It was a deal I couldn't pass on, especially on a budget. The entire kit was new with new pads and rotors. I installed them and went on a ride and huge difference. Huge improved stopping power.