Originally Posted by
Tessek461
I've been putting a mountain bike together ... I've been told that my frame will support a front wheel that is disc brake compatible,
Your frame doesn't care either way about how you intend to brake your front wheel, that's determined by your fork. ANd the fork you linked to can indeed take a disc brake.
Originally Posted by
Tessek461
Have you read the spec?
it says:"•
No braking surface or disc rotor mount"
Seems a bit odd, but that'd make it impossible to brake in any way.
On top of that it says:"•
20mm thru-axle compatible" And it doesn't say what kind of axle it comes with. You need a wheel, or the bits to this one, to make it fit in a fork with the regular 9 mm setup.
Originally Posted by
Tessek461
Compatible - yes. Suitable - not really.
First of all it'll look a bit funny running a 32-spoke, round stock front wheel and a 20-spoke bladed rear wheel.
Next is that Mavic use proprietary spokes.
Should you pop one, by snagging a branch or something, expect some hassle to have it replaced.
Next is that is if you discover that you like biking, and decide to go for a newer bike further on, that bike is likely to be disc compatible front and rear - and you won't be able to use your old wheels on it.
Try finding a wheel with disc-ready hubs but with brake rims and you'll have the best of both worlds. Rim brake now, and a compatible spare wheel should you ever get another MTB.
Originally Posted by
Tessek461
... I've been told the only way that both wheels could have disc brakes is if I installed an adapter on the rear--something I'd rather not deal with.
They're not that bad actually.
Originally Posted by
Tessek461
2) What size disc rotor should I get for my front wheel.
I'd go for a 160 mm one. Means you can run the caliper straight on to the fork, w/o needing an adaptor at all. Bigger rotor basically means more braking at equal finger force, or the same braking at less finger force. And for hard riding, better heat dissipation.
Originally Posted by
Tessek461
3) Why is there such a range in the price of disc brake rotors? I've seen anywhere from $20 to $150. What may be gained by purchasing a higher end one?
Usually a more expensive rotor is lighter, on account of having more material taken out of it. Then there's a theory that various patterns of cutouts do a better job of being self cleaning from dirt and dust that might otherwise foul your rotors.
Then there's bling value of course.