Mountain Biking - BB7 or Deore Hydros?

Im thinking BB7 but what do you think

I just threw some BB7s on the Cinelli I built up today, but then again Shimano hydraulics have never done anything for me.

got them on two bikes very easy to setup and work great. may want to true the discs before your finished though.

I think thats the way im leaning, 203/185 F/R

Haha, that's what I wanted to do, since I was focused on not spending any extra money this build and didn't have any other rotors laying around. However as luck would have it I misplaced some adapters and am running the 203 in the back. It looks funny as hell.

higher end shimano hyrdos are fine (although personally i prefer avid juicys) but I believe it was the deore ones that had problems last year, many of them had some problem i'm not exactly sure what it was but they where like overfilled and then they leaked out the caliper when you squeezed the brakes, which contaminated the pads. This made them sqeek horribly, it took forever to fix the problem, and on some of them it just couldn't be fixed, shimano ran out of brakes becuase so many people needed replacements. Now many of the bikes that had the cheepo hyros last year have either bb7s or juicy 3s.

I think that was the deores, just did a google image search, feel free to correct me if it was actually a lower model (do they even make a lower hydro?)

So yeah i'd get the bb7s, or if you want hydros spring for lx or juicy 3s

How about the Hayes 9's as an option? Jenson has them for slightly more than the BB7's. I have considered them for my bike. Guys at the LBS say they are excellent once dialed in. The small adjustment screw is apparently a little tricky.

How about the Hayes 9's as an option? Jenson has them for slightly more than the BB7's. I have considered them for my bike. Guys at the LBS say they are excellent once dialed in. The small adjustment screw is apparently a little tricky.

Which/what adjustment screw might that be?

They showed me, it is an allen key and is kind of up inside the housing behind the lever. It adjusts the reach. Hard to describe without a visual.

Not a biggie with the proper Allen wrench.

It didn't scare me too much either. Still leaning toward the Hayes 9's.

Not a biggie with the proper Allen wrench.

True, I got pretty good at it after having to readjust it 10+ times per ride.

I hear the newer models have addressed that issue though.

You can get J5s for around 80$ on ebay and cambria bike.

True, I got pretty good at it after having to readjust it 10+ times per ride.

I hear the newer models have addressed that issue though.


I was reading in another post that some people have addressed the loosening screw by wrapping it with some white teflon tape, or some loctite - but the loctite is messy.

I have two bikes, one runs bb's the other runs deore hydros.

If i had to choose between the two brakes for a xc or am bike I'd take the deore hydros. They've got better modulation than my bb's (perhaps because the deores are 2 piston vs the 1 on the bb's) and feel smoother than cable pull brakes ever could not to mention that they're self centering. I just feel more connected to my deores which for me translates into more confidence in the trails. I've had none of the leak issues that the others have mentioned and I've logged close to 3000 clicks on those brakes over the past year.

The bb's are good. They are super easy to dial in and have a ton of stopping power, probably a bit more than my shimanos (may be due to the sintered pads in my deores). They don't feel like budget brakes, and are a good choice but they won't feel as nice as hydros. Period.

Btw, unless you're running downhill or some serious brake burner trails there's no point to 203 rotors, they don't improve brake power, just heat dissipation. 185mm = less chance of warping = quieter brakes. I had a slightly warped 8 inch rotor on a previous bike and it annoyed the hell out of me.

Im a pretty big guy, I might go 185f/r maybe 203 up front we will see

I think thats the way im leaning, 203/185 F/R

If you are going 203 on the front- Get a Bolt through front axle. The strain of that size disc on a QR front fork could cause problems.

I've used some low end Shimano hydros on a friend's Cannondale F4. I have no clue about maintenance or longevity, but from the couple hours that I rode it, the power was plentiful and the lever feel was pretty decent as well.

If you are going 203 on the front- Get a Bolt through front axle. The strain of that size disc on a QR front fork could cause problems.

Thats the plan.

i ride both on my mtb. bb7 in back and the hydro up front. the deore is a last generation, probably 06/07 and it works as well as the bb7 but there is less adjustment, which i think is a negative. the brake squeals a teeny but but i got it for 80 bucks attached to a xt dual control lever so its a good buy for me. id say theyre about equal.

I've used some low end Shimano hydros on a friend's Cannondale F4. I have no clue about maintenance or longevity, but from the couple hours that I rode it, the power was plentiful and the lever feel was pretty decent as well.

I know it's late for this thread but I wanted to chime in. I've own and used Three sets of Deore Hydros on different bikes and for the money they are a great buy. I never had any issues with any of them. I'm still using one set of take offs that I bought in 05.

I know it's late for this thread but I wanted to chime in. I've own and used Three sets of Deore Hydros on different bikes and for the money they are a great buy. I never had any issues with any of them. I'm still using one set of take offs that I bought in 05.

Dang dude...how many bikes U got that I don't know about?

roadie.tass.epic.?

The Tass is running a set of 05 takeoff deores, That I originally used on a K2 zed. They are heavy but work great

Oh...what's on the XTC?

SD7's It a weight weenie bike. I have a set of XTR v's but they were heavier than the SD's by 100 grams. Nevermind, Ed You wouldn't understand! He He
Hey I gotta catch up with you this weekend.
Sorry Yellowjeep, Didn't mean to Highjack your thread, but you were done right?

Definitely Avids. We've had nothing but trouble from Shimanos. The adjustment is a PITA, and they tend to fade once heated up. I've ridden 5 or 6 bikes that had them, and I haven't been impressed at all. Avids, on the other hand, always impress me with their modulation, easy adjustment, and lack of serious issues.

^^I love this guy! What adjustment on the shimano hydros are we talking about?
How much fade do you experience?

How much fade do you experience?

I thought just about all brakes fade when heated up...the trick was to design them to stay cool.:thumb:

BB7s are going to depend a lot on setup. Probably more then the deores. I run em with Speed dial levers and agwire housing, and they work really well, but I am turning knobs every few rides. My roomate has the previous generation BB7s on his XC bike with cannondale levers and they suck in comparison.

The deores are pretty solid. My preference is mechanical unless you're spending enough money to get XTs, J7s, etc, but that's all it is: preference.

*Cough*

J5s

^^I love this guy! What adjustment on the shimano hydros are we talking about?
How much fade do you experience?

I'm talking about the little shims you stick between the caliper and the mount. Every set we've installed required all of the shims Shimano provided to stop the rubbing. After riding the bike in the parking lot for a bit and slamming on the brakes, the drag is on the other side. Then we remove the shims. I have absolutely no idea why this is.

The only experience I have with fade/mushy lever is with my service manager's bike. After riding for an hour or so, the levers get mushy and the brakes become pretty much worthless. Let the bike sit for a bit and it's fine.

I've heard the same from customers too, though.

The Service Manager mentioned took off his Shimanos and chucked them in the trash. He's riding Avid Elixirs now.

Maybe a bleed is in order.

minor thread jack, as you guys talk builds. I'm working on re-doing my Avalanche fm college (circa 93...)

are there any adapters I can use for my wheelset to put on discs? Or do I just need to buy wheels if I am that set on discs.... Was hoping to do an entry-level xterra race next year. thanks. Happy holidays!

edit: since not obvious in my post....wheelset is Araya issue from 93-ish too....

You will probably need the DM-UNI (http://www.a2zcomponents.com/OLD-web/Adapter/adap01.htm) for your frame and a new set of wheels with disc specific hubs. You can get some el'cheapo disc hubs on DS-2 rims at Jensonusa.com for $89. Does your fork have disc tabs? If not, you'll be replacing that too. Just get a Surly rigid fork with disc tabs. They're cheap and great quality.

You will probably need the DM-UNI (http://www.a2zcomponents.com/OLD-web/Adapter/adap01.htm) for your frame and a new set of wheels with disc specific hubs. You can get some el'cheapo disc hubs on DS-2 rims at Jensonusa.com for $89. Does your fork have disc tabs? If not, you'll be replacing that too. Just get a Surly rigid fork with disc tabs. They're cheap and great quality.


thanks....the avalanche frame was all rusted froze (seat tube -- did every trick in the book). buddy gave me a nice raleigh frame with disk tabs (and cantis.) I gotta buy a fork....so am going back and forth between upgrading to disks too... Everything's possible, just a matter of budgets. I was worried that noone had come up with something so I could use the old wheels....(which are still in good shape). Cantis it is, I guess.

Nah...even if they did make some sort of contraption that attached to the spokes...you'd prob. do alot of damage to them.

I'm talking about the little shims you stick between the caliper and the mount. Every set we've installed required all of the shims Shimano provided to stop the rubbing. After riding the bike in the parking lot for a bit and slamming on the brakes, the drag is on the other side. Then we remove the shims. I have absolutely no idea why this is.

The only experience I have with fade/mushy lever is with my service manager's bike. After riding for an hour or so, the levers get mushy and the brakes become pretty much worthless. Let the bike sit for a bit and it's fine.

I've heard the same from customers too, though.

The Service Manager mentioned took off his Shimanos and chucked them in the trash. He's riding Avid Elixirs now.

Wow, I've used three sets on four different bikes in the past, and never had alignment issues. As for fade, I've never experienced the fade that you speak of either. Maybe the newer Deores aren't all that.

Are there big downhills in Indiana to heat the brakes up?