Best Brakes for £100-£150

hairy_boy
hairy_boy Posts: 345
edited May 2011 in MTB buying advice
Right,

Had my Giant Terrago bike for 3 years or so now and generally very happy with the bike after upgrading to Tora forks around 18 months ago.

The next area to upgrade is the brakes - the Giant Root MPH have been ok, the front is fine but the back has always been a bit spongey and generally not very confidence inspiring. I have bled it a couple of times and things get a little better for a while but never really sorted. So, thinking its time for an upgrade.

My riding is fairly tame, local bridalways and cycle paths with the odd trip to Dalby/Sherwood Pines thrown in. Nothng too extreme.

So, need advice from you guys on decent hydraulic brakes fitting the following criteria:
1. Budget around £100-£150 max for the pair (and rotors if I need new rotors).
2. Low Maintenance.
3. Cheap and easy bleeding kit/process.

My frame is a small frame so I assume any brake kits I buy will need the hoses shortening/bleeding from new so I need to consider that in the budget also - happy to do myself but would need a bleed/nipple kit I guess.

Comments

  • Herbie The Dog
    Herbie The Dog Posts: 343
    Check out the offers Merlin has on some Hayes Strokers...around £135 I think.
  • matt@theforce
    matt@theforce Posts: 647
    I was in a similar situation a few months ago but I only had about £100 to spend. I bought a pair of Shimano Deores for less than £100 and they suit my kind of riding.

    The Deores come with Organic pads and 160mm rotors and while they may not suit the Dalby part of your riding you will have plenty of money left over to buy some Superstar Sintered pads and bigger rotors if needed :D

    I find the modulation is really good and even living where there a lots of hills and towing my son on his tag-a-long they work really well although I have felt the need to upgrade the front rotor to a 180mm as a precation.

    They came with everything to set them up/bleed them (except for some cutters) and the instructions are nice a clear to follow.

    Matthew
  • hairy_boy
    hairy_boy Posts: 345
    Herbie The Dog wrote:
    Check out the offers Merlin has on some Hayes Strokers...around £135 I think.

    Thanks Herbie, I can see Hayes Stroker Ryde's for £99.95, are these the ones Herbie ?
    http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop ... r_1140.htm

    I would need to shorten the hoses, are they easy enough to bleed ? Would these be better than the Deores Matt is recommending ?

    Would my current discs (originals supplied with the giant mph roots) work with the deore brakes ? I can see some sites selling deore brakes without rotors.
  • matt@theforce
    matt@theforce Posts: 647
    I have the next Hayes model up on my Cube, I have the Stroker Trails 203/180mm with sintered pads.

    They both have their good/bad points. I personally wont buy another set of Hayes but will buy another set of Shimano's.

    The Deores also have the lever reach adjustment as do the Rydes
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,673
    http://store.formula-brake.com/items/offerta-3
    about 120 squid. plus shipping.

    or for a bit more the K24s better than anything mentioned on here as yet.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • reevie25
    reevie25 Posts: 254
    Merlin cycles are doing pairs of SLX brakes for £150, they seem to get good reviews, check them out.
    Scott Aspect 45
    Giant Reign 3
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  • jedi_master
    jedi_master Posts: 888
    Hairy Boy wrote:
    Thanks Herbie, I can see Hayes Stroker Ryde's for £99.95, are these the ones Herbie ?http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/MTB++Parts/Brakes/Disc+Brakes/Hayes+Disc+Brakes/Hayes+Stroker+Ryde+Disc+Brake+Set+-+Front++Rear_1140.htm

    I would need to shorten the hoses, are they easy enough to bleed ? Would these be better than the Deores Matt is recommending ?

    My brother has the Deore M595, he had the Rydes before and has said the M595 are better. He has said the Rydes are good for the money but he would take the M595 over the Rydes, more power and better modulation.

    I didn't find the Rydes hard to bleed but the Deores were easier and a lot less fuss to bleed.
  • fivelittlefish
    fivelittlefish Posts: 233
    Great link for the Formula sets Nick!

    Looking at the "The Mega" sets they have on there - what is PM6, or at least how different is that from a normal PM?
    "it rubs the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again"
  • hairy_boy
    hairy_boy Posts: 345
    nicklouse wrote:
    http://store.formula-brake.com/items/offerta-3
    about 120 squid. plus shipping.

    or for a bit more the K24s better than anything mentioned on here as yet.

    linky-dinky not working for me all day - says "there is something wrong and they are aware of it". This is in IE and Firefox.

    Will take a look later/tomorrow - thanks for the advice guys.

    Are the formula's easy to bleed and if buying a kit do you generally get the nipples/bleed kit to shorten the hoses when fitting ?

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