Mountain Biking - Want Some Better Brakes

I really want some better brakes. Should I buy bigger brake pads? Can I install disk brakes on a Diamondback coil 04? I hear disc brakes are extremely fragile and delicate. Someone told me that if a twig gets stuck in disc brakes then the will bend, Is this true? Will discs fit on my diamondback? and if they do, what type of brakes do you guys recomend? If discs don't fit then what kind of calipers/pads should I get? Lets just say I have 200 dollars? Maybe 300.

Disc, i'm almost certain they'd fit. Avid Mechs are good. No twig will break disc brakes. Whoever told you that has no clue. Yeah can get a set for about $200 I think. Of avids that is. Why still of riding do you do?

Hold on, my fork doesn't have the little notch to mount the discs will they still work? Sry for double posting.

Nope. What bike are you riding?

Supergo.com has a really good deal on Hayes Hydraulics...like $150

Although you do need a fork with mounting points. I don't know what fork you have but maybe you could swap the lowers from another fork with mounts on? A lot of forks are made in disc and non-disc versions. You can use an adapter for the rear brake.

I really want some better brakes. Should I buy bigger brake pads? Can I install disk brakes on a Diamondback coil 04? I hear disc brakes are extremely fragile and delicate. Someone told me that if a twig gets stuck in disc brakes then the will bend, Is this true? Will discs fit on my diamondback? and if they do, what type of brakes do you guys recomend? If discs don't fit then what kind of calipers/pads should I get? Lets just say I have 200 dollars? Maybe 300.

Wow who told you discs are delicate? There is a reason dhillers and freerides use them exclusively...I have had this happen and the twig gets cut quite welll into tinder (good survival technique if you are stuck without a axe)

If you fork has a mount and your frame has a mount you will be fine. But I don't have the energy to research the bike for you. The website will have the type of fork. Post that and we can tell you more :)

Remember Mael he's the guy with the 10 pound DB Coil so his discs may be that fragile. :lol:

I just can't see a disc break being weak, flexible, and fragile unless it has the name "Tektro" stamped on it... :p

tektro?

Tektro is a low-end brake manufacturer that most of those $400 disc brake bikes you'll see will have on them. Avoid them like the plague. You could have just googled it and found it more quickly than your lame one-word post ;)

dude go to bed or something you're being a horses rear again :) yeEEEEEE! bike comes tomorrow

I have Tektro's on my BMX bike. Lemme tell you, they DO NOT work. Maybe i'm being unfair. I'm compairing them to my hayes Mags. LOL

HAhaha. My gf has tekro v's and they are outstanding for stopping power. They are definately considered low end but I can stop on a time and do trials moves with them including nose hops...they are way better than the hays mechs I used to have and for power on a flat section would be equal with my hayes. No real modulation though, stop or go :)

The Hardrock Comp Disc has Tektros on it. My LBS had one and I was riding it around the parking lot before I had them order my Pro Disc... I wasn't that impressed with them; they didn't really stop that much better than my old Avid V-brakes I had on my old bike.

How much money do you have?

please do not say $11.......

hahahhahaa.......i think he has $13 now :D

Well, $11 would buy some pretty nice brake pads!

It would buy A hayes disc brake pad.

He said in his post "let's just say I had 200, maybe 300" which I would figure means "let's pretend I actually have money and a mountain bike and would actually every buy anything for a mountain bike that I own".

I have 27 now, just saving though.

I have 27 now, just saving though.Couple more bucks and you can afford this.



http://www.icedoutgear.com/media/Pimp%20Gobleet.jpg

Ccouple more bucks and you can afford this.



http://www.icedoutgear.com/media/Pimp%20Gobleet.jpg


:mad: HOW DARE YOU SNEAK INTO MY HOUSE AND TAKE PICTURES OF MY FINE CHINA!

it feels like your humilating me, stop guys its not cool.

For $300 you can get some Hayes hydrolic discs. But, earlier on you mentioned that your fork did not have disc tabs? If your fork isn't disc compatible your going to have to get a new fork and then possibly wheels(or atleast disc compatible hubs) and then you can get the disc brakes.

You can get a decent fork for $300, if I remember correctly your going to XC racing? Personally I recommend Fox and Marzocchi forks. However the Fox forks aren't going to be ~$300 unless you buy used(which is fine, just make sure the fork is in good condition) So I would recommend you look for a '03 model marzocchi fork on clearance. Or if you can't find a marzocchi you like I would recommend manitou and then Rock Shox. Of course I have only used a RS Judy TT and am comparing it to the Manitou Black Platinum so it's not a fair comparison, oh well.

speaking of manitou cue Raiyn's "manipoo" comment riiiight about......now......

I am kinda looking for some brake pads, since I can't get discs I need better pads. Can Someone Help? I've got a really good lbs and I think they'd have them. Should I get like some better calipers? Cables? Levers? These promax are like gone with having the bike a month and 2 weeks crappy promaxes, also are there any pads that I won't have to clean the rims because that black grime builds up and I hate it, I had to scrub my rims like every two days to keep them clean. Please help.

Salmon colored Kool stops.

for those of us who have jobs, and money toburn on parts, my POS tecktro brake pads are sooo crap, whats better? i was riding in the wetness after some rain on the weekend and i couldnt stop for my life...

pads for v's or discs?

I don't know about discs, I still have stock pads on mine, haven't been on the mtb very much recently.

For v's I used to have Kool stops and they worked great. Even on my crappy, scratched up rims with burs of metal the size of a toothpick sticking out.

ah, yes... i remember the good ol' days and the familiar sound of my tektros grinding sand into my rim, such a safe, secure sound that surely told me i would not stop unless i jumped off the bike... :p

V's...see the bike i ride, not compatible with discs...

They are V brakes, all I am hearing is Kool Stop, how much are these, I need V brake pads and I need long ones. Should I get new calipers? Like the metal things that hold the pads? Should I get new cables? Should I get new levers?

do Not Get New Calipers.

do Not Get New Levers

Just get salmon Colored kool Stop Pads!!!!!!!

In order to find these excellent KOOL STOP, SALMON colored pads simply do the following:

go to www.google.com

search "salmon colored kool stop pads"

Click some links.

That should get you to a site where you can order some pads. Should run you about $11 pair.

lol...why not just go to like price point or something and look under brakes...

If your fork does not have tabs, then it's doubtfull your frame will either. If that's the case you could upgrade to a good set of linear pull brakes (Vee's).

Believe it or not, a set of DEORE's will work just as well as XT's or XTR's AND will be lighter.

Most of all the Avid linear pull's work really well.

I prefer Avid levers to Shimano's. I like the ability to adjust the lever position at the turn of a dial vs. moving spacers around.

Brake pads will improve performance considerably. I like Kool Stops and WTB dual compound pads. Each about $15 to $20 a set.

The best and easiest way to clean your rim surface is to buy a bunch of those green pot scrubbing pads (Scotch Brite Pads- me thinks). Put one between your brake pad and the rim and then go for a quick ride (couple hundred yards), then take it out and put it on the other side. It'll polish the rim surface in minutes.

Thanks for the info guys, I'll get the salmon colored kool stops cause I have the money too.

Mtnbike - glad to see oyu're getting the Koolstops, they're very good pads. If you ever want better brakes, I can recommend Avid Arch Rivals, I got them OEM discounted for about £30 per end. They are superb, quiet and powerful and they seem to work great with my Shimano XT combo levers :).

Shimano released their LX hydro disc brakes for about 74$, would those be a better buy then the avid mechs at 69$? It seems like it would be a better since they are hydro. Well since you still need to purchase the levers i guess not that much :( never mind. Sorry. :D

the Avid BB5's don't look too bad and I can vouch that the BB7's are outstanding in even wet sloppy rain. :)

and I can vouche for the hayes hydraulics...great brakes...they come to a screeching hault in the rain even with me on the bike.

Except for the self-adjustment feature, where you have to put a spacer between the pads when the wheels are off so you don't accidentally lock them up. Are all hydraulic disc brakes like that? My Hayes hydraulics are awesome except for that little annoyance.

i have a coil 55 made by diamondback and it came ith disc brakes...are there several "coil" models from db?

go with the kool stops......if i was you i would save like 200 bucks and get on ebay...buy new forks and find some disc brakes

XTR's,best brakes i've ever had,mtb or road.