Shimano "center lock" hubs/rotors with Avid BB7 calipers?
 

I have a newly-built set of wheels, one of which has a Shimano dynamo hub, the other an XT-M765 hub. Both hubs have Shimano's "center lock" system. With this wheel-set I am officially hitched to Shimano's blasted proprietary system. Love the wheels. The system, not so much...

I was really hoping to use the Avid BB7 Mechanical brakes, and had assumed that Shimano "center lock" rotors would work fine with them. Now, however, I am not so sure. They should line up fine, but I am worried that the width of the Shimano rotors are different than the Avids/Hayes. Or maybe there are other compatibility issues that makes this idea of marrying Shimano to Avid a show-stopper (?).

So,

1) Do Shimano "center lock" rotors work with Avid BB7 calipers?

2) If not, what are my options? According to the Harris Cyclery website the Problem Solvers adaptor "does not fit XTR or XT wheelsets due to clearance issues with hub flange". Will the DT Swiss adaptor work? Or (best option) are there a pair of 160mm "center lock" rotors out there that will definitely work with my Avid calipers?

Thanks in advance,
Rob

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...ock+To+Is.aspx

This is just one example of a solution to your problem. This piece adapts the centerloc hub to a standard rotor.

I have mixed Shimano centre lock rotors with Avid calipers with no issues. The BB7 will work on any rotor thanks to having both inner and outer pad adjustment.

I've read that some people have had issues mixing Shimano rotors and Avid calipers. If I remember correctly, the problem is that the Shimano rotors have a narrower brake track, so the Avid pads overlap the edges, which apparently can cause problems like uneven pad wear and reduced braking power.


As for Centerloc-to-6-bolt adapters, DT Swiss and Shimano themselves also make them, though they're a lot more expensive. They attach in a different way than the Problem Solvers one, though I don't know which way works better (I just got a DT Swiss for a new front wheel I'm planning to build on an LX 585 hub, so I guess I'll find out).

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...To+6-Bolt.aspx

Yeah, this is exactly what I've read so far, so I am a bit leery now of assuming that I won't have any problems. Since I've also read that the Problem Solvers adaptor has issues with XT hubs, I think I might have to go with the DT Swiss or Shimano adaptors. Annoying, but there it is.

Check your brake adapters. It should say something like, 160 mm R. Or something to that affect. For some reason Avid thought it'd be a great idea to make a dumb proprietary rotor (sound familiar) and they added an extra 5mm to all their rotor sizes. 165... As long as you don't have an adapter that only accepts these weird Avid sized rotors your Shimano centerlock's will work fine.

I've used Avid disk brakes with Shimano Centerlock's loads of times and it works just as it should: perfectly.

p.s. After checking the Avid website, I don't think that they use the goofy sizes anymore.

Much cheaper than DT Swiss, and IMHO a better design than the Problem Solvers adapter: http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/158...ck-Adapter.htm