Been on Hayes Prime Pro for the last 4 seasons. They have been trouble free, just pad replacements. I never cared for a spongy lever feel and the Prime's had instant bite though a little wooden feeling. I let a friend ride my bike and he said my brakes felt "weak". He couldn't elaborate much more than that. Time to move to a modern brake setup? Thanks.
I recently changed the pads, originals were simply worn. Power has been the same F&R from day one I just don"t have any on trail experience w/ any "modern" offerings. My buddy, that rode my bike, has a few bikes running Hope's, Shimano & Magura all 4 pot's. As mentioned my Primes have always felt a bit wooden & either on / off feeling as well. There are times when I want to scrub off a little speed and not much happens until I grab a little too much brake.If you haven't noted power problems, how bad is it?
I'd push fresh fluid through/bleed 'em, then sand any glaze off the pads, re-bed them, and evaluate what you have vs. what you need.
That'll cost you ~an hour of work, but potentially save you hundreds of $'s.
I say ask your buddy to try each set that he has.I recently changed the pads, originals were simply worn. Power has been the same F&R from day one I just don"t have any on trail experience w/ any "modern" offerings. My buddy, that rode my bike, has a few bikes running Hope's, Shimano & Magura all 4 pot's. As mentioned my Primes have always felt a bit wooden & either on / off feeling as well. There are times when I want to scrub off a little speed and not much happens until I grab a little too much brake.
F:203, R:180. I weigh 205lb and ran 203’s for years but with improved braking technique (finally learning the front does most of the work) I went to 180 rears.Honestly, I would say that if it is good for you, you might not need to change. But you are finding the brakes to feel a little on and off, that is often a sign that you might benefit with a bleed and fresh fluid.
With that said, what size of rotors are using? In the days of the Prime, people will still running 160 mm rotors and 185 was considered "big". Now, 185 is "small".
Yeah, friends are always quick to spend my money. The older a bike gets, the more reluctant I am to throw money at it. But if you're going to keep riding the bike for a while, then maybe some better brakes are in order. Although I don't run them, Shimano XT and XTR are a pretty good value. They run forever with minimal maintenance. I run Hayes Dominion A4's and Magura MT7 Pros on my bikes. I think they're the best, but they're a little more expensive. Whatever you do, get 4-pistons and big rotors.friend ride my bike and he said my brakes felt "weak". He couldn't elaborate much more than that.
I tend to run components for years. Before the Primes I was on Hayes Mags w/ fancy levers. I would probably invest in the Dominions as they have great reviews.Yeah, friends are always quick to spend my money. The older a bike gets, the more reluctant I am to throw money at it. But if you're going to keep riding the bike for a while, then maybe some better brakes are in order. Although I don't run them, Shimano XT and XTR are a pretty good value. They run forever with minimal maintenance. I run Hayes Dominion A4's and Magura MT7 Pros on my bikes. I think they're the best, but they're a little more expensive. Whatever you do, get 4-pistons and big rotors.
