Best budget brakes - easiest to maintain

rubez

apreading wrote:

Bear in mind that some brakes come the wrong way round for the UK - we have right hand front/left hand rear. I think the ones linked are the other way around, so would need swapping. Some brakes (Elixir for example) can be mounted either way up, so it may be less of an issue.

If you dont want to shorten hoses then you wont want to swap levers round either - so make sure you buy the right ones.

Are the Shimano ones ok for UK?

I still want back brake left hand. Would be freaky other way around... would probably result in a diving header over the handle bars indead of a skid.

apreading

If you look on the first link: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shim ... prod114936 they are the wrong way around - it says 'pair left hand/front right hand rear'.

If you went for these: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shim ... prod108802 you could take your pick. The total is £16 more but they are probably better brakes too.

rubez

Right so I need the Deore M615's
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-deore-m615-disc-brake/rp-prod108802

Although the options are doing my skull in. It is repeating itself... :roll:

So, I need:

Front - Right Hand Lever - With Olives
Rear - Left Hand Lever - With Olives

The olives are so I can shorten the hose?

jairaj

You need and insert and olive to shorten your hose.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-universal-olive-and-insert/rp-prod1801

But Shimano brakes usually come with spare ones free in the box as most of the time people need to shorten the standard length hoses.

***edit sorry just clicked on your link. Yup go for the option with the olives as thats what you need to shorten the hose.

rubez

So, do the inserts come with the brakes?

apreading

I *think* (never having had Shimano brakes) that the brakes come all set up with insert and olive in place. The option with the olives here presumably means with 'spare olive' as they are single use based on a quick bit of googling I just did. So the question seems to be whether you want an extra spare part or not, for the same money, so seems like the answer must be 'yes!' - if you need to shorten the hose then you will need it, if not then stick it in a drawer so that you can rack your brains desperately trying to remember where you put it some time in the future and failing...

jairaj

Its not clear but I would think that the "with olive" option contains an insert too as just the olive on its own is not enough.

You could order the olive and insert separately and return them if the brakes already come with everything you need. Free delivery and returns with CRC so you don't loose anything.

ej2320

My SLX brakes came with a Olive and barb pre fitted and the brakes can be used straight from the box, there was also a spare Olive and barb with each brake (so 2 spare in total)

So you have everything you need to shorten the hoses in the box (With SLX at least anyway)

Giraffoto

ej2320 wrote:

My SLX brakes came with a Olive and barb pre fitted and the brakes can be used straight from the box, there was also a spare Olive and barb with each brake (so 2 spare in total)

So you have everything you need to shorten the hoses in the box (With SLX at least anyway)

Same with the Deores I bought a year or so ago. Shortening the hoses is easy, the trickiest part is cutting the stuff - it's tough! Use the special Shimano bleeding funnel and you won't even get any oil on your bike. But one brake at a time is enough to concentrate on, and I'd consider it worth an extra couple of quid to get the brakes the right way round. (Right front, left rear)

taffygriffiths

i would put money on you having to shorten your hoses...

a pair of slx on an XL nukeproof mega am with 160mm forks had to have a reasonable amount off the rear and a few inches off the front....

cooldad

Based on the questions asked, I would suggest professional help.

chrisw333

do the brakes come with those funky little yellow things to grip the cable with a vice / pliers whilst you tap the barb in after cutting?

jairaj

Yep usually Shimano brakes come with spare olive, barb and yellow clamp thingy. But CRC often sell OEM parts without telling you. I guess thats what the with and without olive options on the previous link was.

chrisw333

looks pretty easy to shorten them to me then.

apreading

This might be a useful video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDq44SCMygI

Doesnt look too bad, but I would be anxious myself first time - sure I would be happy once I had done it once or twice though. I would probably give it a shot if the hoses were too long as it would cost me the same to get the LBS to fix it after I screwed up as it would to get them to do the job in the first place, and who knows if I get it right I wouldnt need to go see them!

rubez

Professional help... it's hardly rebuilding an engine.

Worst case scenerio, I need to bleed the brakes. Need to learn sometime. I'm sure the professionals had to ask questions first time around - as would anyone unfamiliar with the procedure.

In the video there doesn't seem to be any oil leaked, so if I'm careful, it should be fine... hopefully!

Pretty confident I will manage in the end. Would rather try, even for the fun of it, rather than wheeling it off to a bike shop without even making an attempt at it.

jairaj

It really is as easy as the video makes it out to be.

When I first tried, I had reasonable common sense but little actual experience with DIY or bike maintenance and managed to do it first time with no dramas and in about 10 mins a brake.

rubez

Excellent. Will give it a bash when I get the parts.

Got my new wheels to put on, and the cassette to change over first.

chrisw333

Rubez

This may sound obvious to you, but am aware you are still on a learning curve, so just in case I will mention it. Be very careful with the rotors - they are easily contaminated so make sure you keep any chain oil, WD 40 etc. well away from them. Anything like that will immediately contaminate your pads and make the brakes pretty useless. Can't overstate how important this is, as getting them clean again afterwards is a pain.

rubez

Sound, cheers. Wasn't aware of that actually.

Will watch out for it.

chrisw333

even grubby fingers can screw them up. Just don't touch them at all if you can avoid it. No need to clean in general use either, other than just washing the mud off.