[fujirider1]

I have been using my stock Promax discs for the time that i have owned my bike. I think it's time for a set of serious brakes. I know that i want to stick with discs to keep the mud out, and i'm not sure if i want Hydraulic discs. Does anyone know the advantages? I want a set of brakes with which i can seriously get the back wheel up when i pull on the brake really hard. My current stock discs, can't even skid the rear tire :nono: . So i was wondering if anyone could recommend a nice set of brakes hydraulic or not, that i can do some serious stopping with. Price range is around $100-$300.

Thanks

 

[XSL_WiLL]

100 dollars will buy you some POS Hayes HFX-9s. 200 will get you a set of used Hayes HFX Mags. Pretty decent. 300 will get you Juicy 7s or Saints. Amazing brakes.

Read the FAQ section for the advantages.

 

[fujirider1]

Thanks for the recommendations...

Those are all hyrdraulic right?

 

[dogonfr]

Hayes HFX-Mag's are awsome :thumbsup::thumbsup:

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/14...c/Hayes-HFX-Mag-Disc-Brake---Hydraulic-V6.htm

 

[crashomatic]

stopping power?

magura gustav
heavy, huge, and amazing. the caliper is the size of your fist and could be used on a sport bike. floating calipers etc.. there is nothing else like them.

 

[XSL_WiLL]

Gustavs will certainly stop you. But as mentioned they are heavy, and the always drag to a certain degree no matter what.

 

[Call_me_Clyde]

Avid mechanicals

Another option is "old faithful" A set of BB 7's will cost you less than $200 and they have an outstanding reputation. This would be the choice to go with if you decide to stay with cable actuated brakes. They just work.

Bob

 

[M1_joel]

Gustavs will certainly stop you. But as mentioned they are heavy, and the always drag to a certain degree no matter what.

What said is technically true about the drag but my wheels spin for along, long time. You just gotta keep the floating rod and o-ring clean. Well, i mean, you dont HAVE TO. im sure many people dont touch their gustavs for years but im a need freek and i keep all my moving parts spotless. As a result, i don't have any negative drag. I love the floating design.

joel

 

[Mike T.]

it's time for a set of serious brakes.

If stopping power is your #1 priority then don't mess around - get Magura Gustav.

 

[fujirider1]

So i've checked, and my discs currently are 6". The calipers on to clamp the discs, bolt into a place on the frame that is welded to the frame. So unless there is a way to put larger brake discs onto this bike, maybe some kind of conversion, then it looks like i'm going to have to stick with 6" discs.

 

[fujirider1]

After doing some research, i found out that the Magura Gustavs are 7.5". But the Hayes HFX Mags are 6".

 

[XSL_WiLL]

If your frame has enough clearance, you can run 203mm rotors by swapping the adapter. Hayes calipers are all post mount calipers bolted to an IS adapter. Avid and Shimano also use post mount calipers.

 

[fujirider1]

So I don't think I want a pair of Hayes HFX Carbons, because I heard that the carbon handle snaps easy. Anyways. I'm leaning towards the Juicy 7's, and the Hayes HFX 9's. Quick question, what and how, does the Hydraulic lever actually help? I've heard it's better stopping power then the Mechanical levers, but how? I looked into the Magura Gustavs but can't really find them anywhere. Also the Shimano Hopes, any good? They seemed kind of cheap compared to the others I was looking for, they have a mechanical brake's price. So basically i'm leaning towards the Juicy 7's and Gustavs.

 

[fujirider1]

WIth myself being more of an XC kind of biker (I ride my bike everywhere)(yes everywhere). Would any of these be a bit out of place in the environments I take my bike. I heard the Gustavs are more a downhill racer's brake.

 

[Bombardier]

Magura LouiseFR, and even the Julies, have amazing stopping power..... Not to mention they are light, and use mineral oil instead of that corrosive DOT crap.

When all else fails, and God hasn't miracled you to a stop, the Gustavs WILL make you cease all forward motion (at least the bike's).... But you pay the price of the extra weight.
I have Gustav's on my SC Nomad, which is built on the heavy side anyways, but they are worth every penny.... I just prefer overkill for my brakes.
However, I would not have gone wrong had I chosen the LouiseFR for my aggressive all-mountain riding.
For aggressive XC, they'd work very nicely as well....
But for value and stopping power in a hydraulic brake system, combined on an average XC/AM bike, the Julies are hard to beat.

The Magura Marta line is more for XC/raceXC/endurance bikes, and I haven't tested those... So I can't say much about them.

My wife has new Avid Juicy Carbon brakes on her Fisher, and I must say, they are some super nice brakes as well.....

 

[Astroguy]

Another option is "old faithful" A set of BB 7's will cost you less than $200 and they have an outstanding reputation. This would be the choice to go with if you decide to stay with cable actuated brakes. They just work.

Bob

I don't have much experience with hydros, but I do run Avid BB7's. I wasn't too impressed with them when I first got my bike...until I switched to full length cable runs. Wow, did it make a difference. Lever action was *nearly* as smooth as my buddies Juicy 7's. Plus with the complete ease of adjustment and ease of maintenance with these brakes, they are definitely something to consider. Very easy to dial in to get no pad rubbing on the rotor. If you're concerned with weight, they are a bit heavier by 100-200g or so than hydros depending on which hydro's you would choose. If you do decide to go with the BB7's, absolutely do full length housing cable runs....completely transforms the brake. Heck, it might be something that's worth your time to try before you swap out what you have on now.

 

[gunfodder]

So I don't think I want a pair of Hayes HFX Carbons, because I heard that the carbon handle snaps easy. Anyways. I'm leaning towards the Juicy 7's, and the Hayes HFX 9's. Quick question, what and how, does the Hydraulic lever actually help? I've heard it's better stopping power then the Mechanical levers, but how? I looked into the Magura Gustavs but can't really find them anywhere. Also the Shimano Hopes, any good? They seemed kind of cheap compared to the others I was looking for, they have a mechanical brake's price. So basically i'm leaning towards the Juicy 7's and Gustavs.

I have the HFX 9's; they work OK, but they also have a number of design issues. The Juicy 7's have more features and seem to get better reviews. There is one major problem with the 2005 model year, but this can be solved with some spacers as described in several other threads.

Hope makes disc brakes, and so does Shimano. Hopes are kinda spendy so I don't think you're talking about them. Shimano sells their calipers and rotors for about the same price as the BB7, but you have to buy the levers seperately. And don't forget the price of hoses. And make sure not to get the wrong rotor type - center lock or IS 6 bolt. Once you add everything up they cost about the same as other hydraulic brake systems. Formula does the same thing with their Oro brakes.

 

[cougar9000]

for xc racing, check out the juicy sevens, or the magura marta's. (a little known fact is that the magura marta sl is actually lighter than a set cantilever brakes, all that carbon does the trick)

juicy 7s have supreme stopping power, and if you are leaning toward those, go ahead and get em. best purchase you'll ever make.

 

[XSL_WiLL]

9s have no modulation and flimsy master cylinders. The Mags are better.

J7s are cool.

Shimano XT and up calipers are unibody calipers, and are signifcantly better than their 2-piece calipers.

Hopes are spendy, and never really worked super great for me.

With hydraulic, you get a smoother and easier lever pull, more power, less fade, more even pad wear, etc, etc, etc. Read the FAQ for advantages.

 

[massmang]

I will 3rd the BB7s... you can pick them up for $68 that's $136 for both front and rear. you can have them on your doorstep for under $150

I weight 220lbs, and if I grab the front brake hard the back tire definatly picks up. these are the 160mm roters. If you weigh under 200, and are not doing a lot of downhill then you really don't need more than 160mm

read the reviews 4.63 rating out of possible 5 after 640 reviews. http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/disc_brake_system/