Ok Im tryin to decide between Hydrolic and Mechanical... and which system is the best??? I just dont know if I wanna fool around with hydro's cause you have to worry about leaks and air bubbles and crap plus they seem alittle overkill for a bike IMO, but what are the pro's and con's of both types??? My local dealer said some Pro riders are goin mechanical because he "said" there no adjustable? but Im new on the subject and wanted some more opinions...

Later
Jake

hydraulic is best

advantages:
more consistant
more force at the piston
better modulation


disadvantages

some systems suffer from pump up

only cable discs worthy of being called brakes are Shimano Deore cable and Avid Mechs.
they're heavy
suffer from cable stretch (especially at the rear brake)

TimB has excellently covered all the aspects of discs,

I would like to add, that hydro-discs once setup properly, they almost never require any servicing... just splash water and mud on them for ages and they ll keep asking for more.

Ok Cool, so why do they put a front and a rear system? are the calipers different or just the length of Hydrolic line that comes with them? my Avids on my old bike looked the same front and rear the rear just had a little adapter but I have to have that for the front too and my new NRS... are these brakes a total waste of money or are they ok to start with? and whats the best place to buy brakes???

https://www.pricepoint.com/detail/123...isc-Brakes.htm

The calipers are the same, it's just the hydraulic line is cut to a specific length and then the system is pre-bled from the factory. Usually all you do is bolt them on and adjust to keep from rubbing.

Unless of course you want to ride Euro (or MX) style and want the front lever to be on the right.

Then again, many manuf. are designing their levers to work on either side.

L8R

On XT 2003 and Grimeca System8 the front and rear calipers are NOT the same, however on most disc brakes (hayes,hopes) they are indeed the same.

Did NOT know that. Thanks!

L8R

Also one small note, i recently discovered that the only way to run a 7" rotor (180mm) on an XT is to use a rear caliper on the front, that way you dont need any adapters.

I own a bike with mechanical, and a bike with hydraulic brakes. My Blur has Hayes hydraulics, and my SISS has Avid mechanicals. Both brakes are excellent and do a superior job of stopping my bike relative to V-brakes. However, having said that, I'm changing the Avids to Hope hydraulics for one reason only - mechanical cables get dirty and that sticks up the brakes. The hydraulics are always smooth and consistent regardless of conditions.

BTW, the Avid mechanicals are lighter than most hydraulics - so don't think just because it's mechanical, it's heavy - that's not the case. They are also a great choice if you don't mind lubing/changing cables.

Good luck with your choice!

My '04 Haro Extreme X2 has a Hayes HFX-9 8" hydraulic disc brake on the front, and a Hayes MX1 HD 8" mechanical disc brake on the rear. I have both complete sets, hydraulic & mechanical, but when one is in need of repair I simply install the other to continue riding... To be honest, I cannot really tell any difference between the two. One huge advantage for the MX1's is the fact that if the brake line is snagged or cut, you still have brakes. This isn't the case if something similar happens to the hydraulic's... I was flying DH on one of my bikes recently, and the hydraulic line just happened to wear a hole in it where it joins a cable stay. Needless to say, I had to use my front brake all the way back to my vehicle...

If I had to choose one over the other, I'd choose MX1 (mechanical). Simply because unless the cable breaks, you can still use them.... Period.

https://www.pricepoint.com/detail/130...es-MX-1-DH.htm

@ $140 a pair, you can't go wrong. I for one, can attest to the brakes ability to work and work well. Avid's may be better, but I'd have to see it to believe it. These will stop my bike as good as my HFX-9's do, no kidding....

The cable issue is solved by using either full housing, or better yet with Gore Ride-on Cables using their liner system.

I've dealt with both the MX-1's and the Avid's and I can tell the difference IMHO the Avid's are a marginally superior brake.
An observation:
A wise MTB'er will carry an extra brake cable with them to prevent onebrakitis.

No cable will last like a hydro line. It's not uncommon for 4-5+ year old hydro brakes to still be using the original lines and feel perfect. I have rideon gear cables and they have just got to the point where they need replacing after about a year and a half. My hydro brakes feel the same as they did when they where fitted.

Often the front and rear calpers are the same but will require a smaller diameter disk on the rear than the front.

I used full housings, and given the muck I ride through, they just don't last. I considered going with a more sealed system, but then decided to just go with full hydraulics. The Avid with one of the more sealed cable systems would also be a good call though! Good point!

Is anyone using such a system?

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If your "onebrakitis" comment was directed @ me, then I must correct you misunderstanding. My brakes are hydraulics, soooooo the extra brake line wouldn't do me a hellova lotta good, would it? Maybe I should carry a bleed kit, pint of DTE Lite oil, and that extra line you mentioned in order to stay "wise".

PS. before everyone dismisses all other mechanical brakes, except the Avid's, may I point out that the '04 Hayes MX1's & MX2's have all ball bearing components too. They cost less because they're not paying out enormous advertising $$$ like Avid is. Don't get me wrong, Avid makes great brakes, but so do other companies.... Just a thought to ponder.

Juicy 7's are hydro brakes.

No offence. But the hayes mechs almost got me killed. I will never recommend them. they had varrying degrees of power and no consistency.

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Were they 2004's? They are totally different than previous models. I like mine equally as well as my HFX-9's, honest.... The stopping power is right there too, although I do have to pull back on the lever with two fingers instead of one.

ok...I gotta admit it was the 2002 and 2003's I tried.

My cousin has the 04's and so far (1st month) they have buttload of locking power...no modulation, but the things stop

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Just like myself, Things get Better with Age ... Just kiddin! (not about the brakes though)

how are the Hayes HFX Mag disc brakes? I was going to get avid mechs but with all the talk of hydros being alot better than cable discs I figure taht I might as well get hydros now and be happy, vs getting mechs now and then getting hydros later.

the HFX mag's: https://www.pricepoint.com/detail/113...-All-Black.htm

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I have both the '04 Hayes HFX-9 DH 8" and a set of '04 Hayes MX-1's DH 8" disc brakes. At present, I am using the hydro on front & the mechanical on rear. I am having the hydro rear repaired since I spilt brake fluid on the shoes while changing it. I'm letting the LBS do it this time for $25. Anyway, both sets are VERY good IMO. I'd be happy with either set, and the MX-1's were about 1/2 price of the hydraulics. The MX-1's work excellent, but they are practically brand new still.... Will they get worse as far as stopping later on? Only time will tell. I haven't owned them long enuf yet.

Thanks! From the reviews this brake seems like it's pretty good.

BTW what does modulation mean? I think it has something to do with the lever pull but im not sure.

There is no equal

I would get the hope brakes...

but there too expensive

Thanks for all the replies guys but Im not looking to spend 500 bucks on brakes... Im not that advanced yet... are the brakes I listed above a total waste of money?

Later
Jake