Hydraulic & mech disc brakes??

[Redaunt]

Hello, I am a beginner mountain biker and having a lot of fun. I bought a Cannondale Trail 29er about 6 weeks ago. So far, I really love the bike. It has hydraulic disc brakes. Had a rear tire flat on a group ride. When changing the tire, we couldn’t get the rotor back into the brake. Now, there were several people involved and I didn’t see anyone press the brake lever but maybe they did. Anyway, after prying the brake pads apart with credit cards and a pocket knife, it looks like part of the brake pad has come off. So, I’m wondering if I can replace the rear brake with a MECHANICAL one, and leave the front hydraulic for now? Later I can upgrade the front one, just don’t want to spend serious $$$$ right now as I just spent $$$$ buying the bike. So, can you have a mech brake on one wheel and hydraulic on the other????

[slipfinger]

Ya for sure it would be an easy swap, but a swap you should reconsider. Yes mechanical brakes are less daunting when it comes to maintaining them over hydraulic, but the performance you gain from hydraulic brakes is well worth it. I personally have not heard about to many people that want to switch mechanical for hydraulic brakes, its usually the other way around. If you are worried about the pads compressing again in the future, just carry one of the little pad spacer things that come with the brakes in your pack. If you don’t have one I’m sure your LBS would have them laying around as they come with all new brakes.

[Redaunt]

So if I wanted to upgrade my stock hydraulic disc brakes, what would be a good starting point? I’d be willing to spend up to $75 or so for each brake. Thanks for any advice!

[slipfinger]

"Redaunt" wrote

So if I wanted to upgrade my stock hydraulic disc brakes, what would be a good starting point? I’d be willing to spend up to $75 or so for each brake. Thanks for any advice!

What brakes do you currently have?

Do you have a preference, Avid or Shimano, I know there are others but they really don’t offer descent lower priced brakes?

Are we still talking about purchasing new mechanical brakes or are you talking about upgrading your hydraulics with better hydraulics?

If you are looking to upgrade your current brakes to newer hydraulics, you are still looking at lower level hydraulics at that price range. If you move up to around $100 per brake you can get yourself a set of Shimano XT’swhich are an amazing brake for the price. You get a little bit of a break on the price if you’re in the states and shipping is free. Not to sure if rotors are included in that price so have a close read. You can always have a look at the lower level Shimano Deore M615 or the mid level Shimano SLX M675. You really can’t go wrong with any of these models. But again, what brakes do you currently have? The above options may not be an upgrade to what you currently have.

If you are looking at mechanical brakes have a look at the Avid BB7 Avid BB7 I’ve heard and read that they are worth the extra $$ over the lower end BB5’s.

[Redaunt]

Upgrade the existing hydraulic disc brake with another hydraulic disc brake. What’s on there now is Cannondale Helix 6 hydraulic disc, 180/160mm

I just hope these hydraulic brakes are not going to be problematic. So far, I am not impressed as it seems WAY too difficult to change a tire (it shouldn’t be that difficult, right)? I am willing to replace the rear brake now and the front later. I have no preference on brand name.

[slipfinger]

"Redaunt" wrote

Upgrade the existing hydraulic disc brake with another hydraulic disc brake. What’s on there now is Cannondale Helix 6 hydraulic disc, 180/160mm

I just hope these hydraulic brakes are not going to be problematic. So far, I am not impressed as it seems WAY too difficult to change a tire (it shouldn’t be that difficult, right)? I am willing to replace the rear brake now and the front later. I have no preference on brand name.

Hydraulic brakes and changing the tire…. In the end it does not matter which make or model of hydraulic brake you have, if the rotor is out and the lever is pulled even a bit it will cause the pistons to push out leaving you with the issue you experienced. As I mentioned you can always carry a pad spreader in your kit and as soon as you remove the wheel you insert the spreader between the pads and problem solved. If you have no issues with your brakes other then this, I would go this route and save the cash. If you are looking to upgrade the brakes in general you can’t go wrong with any of the brakes I mentioned above. If you can manage it I’d go with the XT’s with fins, you’ll be more then impressed with the power and modulation. Shimano brakes are general more maintenance friendly then Avid that’s why I recommended Shimano.

[gar29]

I’m guessing it was just an accident that the lever got pushed. I wouldn’t stress on it too much, personally. If you are worried, the spreaders that were mentioned before are a good option. Also, some multitools have a pad spreader for just such an emergency. I have the Lezyne V10 which comes with one.

If you do decide to switch, Shimano SLX or XT are good options. I wouldn’t go to mechanicals, the above comment is spot on about the loss in performance.

[blundar]

Here is an article that I just recently wrote on this subject at "TheMountainBikeLife.com":
[url:2kb490f7]http://www.themountainbikelife.com/2014/06/the-frugal-mountain-biker-part-6-brake.html[/url:2kb490f7]
Most of the time, the best thing to do is a basic service on your existing brake system, and then upgrade brake pads to semi-metallic. This is usually a huge upgrade for most bikes that usually fixes most problems…

In your case I would of just:
1. Remove the pads
2. Use a multi-tool flathead screw driver to spread the cylinders
3. Reinstall the pads

[slipfinger]

"Redaunt" wrote

Upgrade the existing hydraulic disc brake with another hydraulic disc brake. What’s on there now is Cannondale Helix 6 hydraulic disc, 180/160mm

I just hope these hydraulic brakes are not going to be problematic. So far, I am not impressed as it seems WAY too difficult to change a tire (it shouldn’t be that difficult, right)? I am willing to replace the rear brake now and the front later. I have no preference on brand name.

Did you end up making a decision?

[velo99]

As I don my asbestos underwear I have a comment directed at the noobs like myself.
Some components are tricky to maintain and repair on the higher end bikes. That’s is why some noobs get in over their heads when they buy a top level bike right off the bat. There is a rather steep learning curve for both riding as well as bike maintenance and operation. Some LBS will work with you and show you the ropes. Some will simply give you a price and retain their knowledge.
Hydraulic brakes operate essentially the same as the brakes on your car. If you don’t understand how they work you wont understand how any hydraulic brake works. There are certain procedures that have to be followed. Caliper (de)compression is one of them. I have seen many riders complain about their hydros. I for one don’t need the hassle as of yet. Eventually I will purchase a bike with hydros and will be forced into either liking them or hating them. Until then I will live in blissful ignorance of hydros and enjoy each pull of the brake lever on my mechs.

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