Mountain Biking - talk me out of BB7's?o

ok, i'm about to pull the trigger on some 160mm bb7's for my 07 specialized hardrock sport. i got a set of the stock HR sport Disk wheels for free, and i'm itching to get some disk brakes. i am just doing urban/ stairs/ street stuff right now, but this summer i will be doing mostly XC with some slight downhill sections.
1) i have heard bad things about mixing disks and quick releases, what's up here? i may want to go 185 on the front eventually, will this cause problems?
2) do i really need the disk on the back? right now i'm looking at just putting a disk on the front and leaving the back alone, since i never use it and when i do, it will lock the back wheel easily. maybe just "in case?"
3) any other negatives about the BB7's in general? do i NEED to replace the stock roundagon rotors? i have read that they fade/ overheat quickly?

thanks.

I don't know where you are looking but Jenson has 09 bb7s for 46 bucks with any rotor size so you can mix and match.

i can get 160's or 185's from my LBS for $69 installed, even switching my casette from my current wheel to my new one, so i am going that route. but that is an awesome price, too.

From what I've heard you can't go wrong with the bb7's. I have the bb5's on my 08 Hardrock comp and love them (except for the fact that you can only adjust one pad without tools). To answer your questions:
1) Disc brakes work great with quick release wheels. Just line the rotor up right when you put the wheel back on.
2) I rarely lock up the back wheel and don't think that will be a problem at all. Besides, it'll look weird with only one disc. =)
3) I've never had fade issues with the stock rotors.

To be fair I've never gone on a XC ride > 25 miles and I don't do serious DH.

I don't know where you are looking but Jenson has 09 bb7s for 46 bucks with any rotor size so you can mix and match.

I got a pair of 185s with this deal and haven't looked back.


Only two possible minor problems:
can be difficult to adjust the first time
they squeal loudly after getting wet (in the rain for a while) when coming to a complete stop, not so much otherwise - may change with different pads or a little more wear on my current set


Stopping power is good, they're easy to install and adjust, they are durable (already crashed into my rear one and the outboard adjustment knob is only scratched), and they even come with a Torx T25 bit tool if you don't want to buy your own to install the rotors. At about $100 shipped for a set from jenson, you can't go wrong.

I really don't think you should get the BB7's. There are starving children in Africa. How was that? (secretly I think you should get them, they are a nice upgrade from V's)

Dont worry about fade with mechs. The only time I've ever gotten fade was after a long (5-6 mile) jeep/fire road decent with long straights (lots of speed) with tight turns (obviously you have to slow way down). And what I perceived to be pad fade may have just been my hands getting tired (this was with my old crappy shimano Mechs). And all the brakes I've had, or people who I've ridden with had squeal in the wet (at least disk brakes)

why get bb7's for 69 each when you can get juicy 5's (http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/13770-115_AVDJ55-3-Parts-158-Brakes/Disc/Avid-Juicy-5-Disc-Brake---160-203mm-2008.htm)for a few bucks more?

why get bb7's for 69 each when you can get juicy 5's (http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/13770-115_AVDJ55-3-Parts-158-Brakes/Disc/Avid-Juicy-5-Disc-Brake---160-203mm-2008.htm)for a few bucks more?

Dont make him do the exact same thing I did.

i don't want hydraulic brakes. that's why i wouldn't get juicy 5's for just a few bucks more. it's a hardrock sport, i don't think i'll be doing anything THAT epic.

I've yet to get hydraulics, been using BBDBs (Avid's original mechanical ball bearing disc brake) and BB7s for many years now (9 or so). They setup exactly how you want if you take the time to do it right on initial install and experiment a bit with lever adjustments and pad positioning. What brake levers are you going to use? It's nice to have a lever with adjustable leverage for additional tuning options. I'd also recommend a full housing run rather than an interrupted housing run. I have a 185 front/160 rear set up on one bike with quick releases, no problems (but be sure the quick release functions well, a good ol' Shimano internal cam type is my favorite). Fade isn't a problem for me, and I've done some very lengthy downhills with them.

Pull the trigger, you'll be happy with BB7s

Quick releases and disc brakes are only an issue with large 203mm rotors. With 160mm or 185mm rotors QRs are just fine.

Sorry, I didn't talk you out of it... :D

thanks guys. i didn't want my wheels flying off the first time i pulled my brake levers. :D
i have the stock shimano brake/ shifter things for now.
i will definitely be getting full run cables, as the rear setup that came on this bike seems ridonkulus... and the shifters, too. why is the cable exposed all the way down the FRONT side of the downtube?!
can anyone recommend an awesome brake cable, or should i just grab what the LBS has (and i have no idea on the brand or if there is a brand for those)?

The super-premium cables are stainless steel with a teflon coating, a bit of a price premium, but they seem to be good ones. I personally have had no problem with standard stainless cables.... galvinized go down hill fast in bad weather or left outside, but stainless is available for only a little more and is well worth it. Got my last set of stainless cables for $3 or so each, buying a few at a time to defray the shipping price. A good LBS will probably stock them all the same though. I don't think brand matters nearly as much as material, but Jagwire is a good high-end cable brand.

the bike has jagwire 5.0's on it right now, should i try to get longer versions of these?

the bike has jagwire 5.0's on it right now, should i try to get longer versions of these?

My latest build uses the Jagwire Ripcords, very nice, they're a compressionless Kevlar reinforced design. I also use standard generic brake housing on another bike and that works very well too. Don't bother with Full Metal Jackets in any case IMHO, but the Flak Jackets are nice. Just depends on how much you want to spend...

so my bb7 came in (i decided to go front only for now). it's a BB7 Road caliper, though. will this cause problems? comparing the two, the only difference seems to be the travel on the caliper arm. i am mainly worried about the road caliper not being suitable to grime/ mud/ etc.
i generally prefer a short travel on my brake levers, so is this a blessing in disguise, or am i setting myself up for an epic youtube crash?

My 2 cents while I am on here. buy them you will love them. Best brakes I have used yet on any of my own personal bikes. And have not had a problem with them yet.

i already have a bb7 for the front of my hardrock sport, but it is the BB7 Road caliper.
will this cause problems? see post 17.

i already have a bb7 for the front of my hardrock sport, but it is the BB7 Road caliper.
will this cause problems? see post 17.

You need to get an MTB caliper. There may be some way to modify your road BB7 to work with an MTB lever, but I doubt it, or, if so, it's probably pretty ghetto. Your lever will be super spongy or super tight, I can't remember which. Either scenario though is less than ideal.
Good luck.

I used a BB7 on the front (3900 doesn't have tabs on the back =/)
and love it.
never had a single problem with it yet.

it will work with the MTB lever, but the caliper was designed with less travel in mind than the MTB one.
thanks for the replies.

Your LBS gave you the road version of the BB7s instead on the MTB version? Make them fix their mistake. Why should you, their customer, be forced to buy something that you dont want and didnt order?

calm down, it was an honest mistake.
i'm going to call him on monday and see what he'll do.
it's not like he switched the road caliper into a non-road box or anything...