Upgrading from cable to hydraulic brakes

Beebs · May 2007

Hi folks, bit new to this mountain biking lark, but am having a ball at the minute, anyways - been looking at upgrading my cable discs to hydraulic. Got Tektro cable brakes at the moment (came on the bike), but being a larger gentleman, need a little more stopping power.

Haven't decided on what make of hydros to go for just yet, but since the gear shifters are mounted on the brake levers I assume I need to get new shifters as well? If so, is that all I need to replace? Anything else I need to consider?

Cheers.

Unknown · May 2007

Should just be a case of taking off the current shifter/lever pods (after fighting the grips off) and putting on the new stuff.

You'll need to get shifters that are compatable with your mechs Sram with Sram or Shimano with Shimano (unless you get the Shimano-compatable Sram shifters...). The re-aligning gears and such, but follow the manual and it's a doddle.

I'm a fan of Shimano hydros, I think the Deores can be bought for œ45 per end at the moment, then it's just incremental price increasing as you go up the range.

Budget for the full job?

<center>~ Blood, Bunny, Larkhall ~
Blackspire Chris King Dark Cycles DTSwiss Easton Fox Gusset Hope Identiti Marzocchi Mavic Nokian Orange RaceFace Shimano Specialized Sram Thomson Velox </center>

Beebs · May 2007

Cheers mate. Budget is undecided at the minute until I find out what our bonus is going to be like!! But I reckon around œ300 for front and back brakes is what I've got in my head, looking at maybe œ400 all told.

Unknown · May 2007

Thats a massive budget! What bike is it for and what spec? Can the money be better spent elsewhere. Deores are so good for the money.

<center>GT Zaskar LE
GT Ruckus
Me!
MYSPACE<hr noshade size="1">Park Tools - help and instructions for all general bike fixes
Sheldon Brown - info about anything and everything</center>

Unknown · May 2007

yeah sonic will build yer a bike for œ400.Its what you know and who you know nudge nudge

Charge Duster Ti

When the going gets tough,The tough get going
www.flickr.com/photos/theninj

Unknown · May 2007

I could build two for that ;-)

<center>GT Zaskar LE
GT Ruckus
Me!
MYSPACE<hr noshade size="1">Park Tools - help and instructions for all general bike fixes
Sheldon Brown - info about anything and everything</center>

Unknown · May 2007

LMAO,im not even going to ask yer sonic?

Charge Duster Ti

When the going gets tough,The tough get going
www.flickr.com/photos/theninj

Beebs · May 2007

Budget is good 'cos I can se me replacing everything on the bike over time and I only intend to do it once. I was looking at Avid juicy 7's which accounts for nearly œ300 and an extra ton for shifters and the like.

Got a Saracen Mantra 1, which is ok for the basics and at the time I didn't know any better and didn't know if I was going to like Mountain Biking, but I'm over 17 stone (but coming down) at the minute so you see so I take some stopping!!

The cable brakes on it at the minute are struggling when I've got some speed up. Got some mates who've got hydraulics and swear by them, so same as I do with the car - when it comes to upgrading components it's always brakes first for me.

I know the budget is disproportionate to the value of the bike, but I can genuinely see me changing bits and pieces so eventually I'll end up with one decent Mountain bike for me and a re-constructed but worn Mantra 1 for offloading later.[;)]

Unknown · May 2007

Ah, cool, got a better idea of your thinking. Many brakes have their fans, finding the best one for you maybe a case of taking a plunge! A brake like Hayes is firm and snappy, Hope and Shimano are better modulated. Avid has many fans, esp the 7 with its contact adjuster, but don't discount formula.

<center>GT Zaskar LE
GT Ruckus
Me!
MYSPACE<hr noshade size="1">Park Tools - help and instructions for all general bike fixes
Sheldon Brown - info about anything and everything</center>

Unknown · May 2007

With that money I'd be looking at a pair of Shimano XT discs and going Sram X-7 / X-9 on mechs and shifters.

<center>~ Blood, Bunny, Larkhall ~
Blackspire Chris King Dark Cycles DTSwiss Easton Fox Gusset Hope Identiti Marzocchi Mavic Nokian Orange RaceFace Shimano Specialized Sram Thomson Velox </center>

Unknown · May 2007

For œ400 you could probably do forks, brakes and shifters... Or you could just buy some really nice shifters and brakes, and keep working to your dream bike, like me. I'd look at the new hope M4 Motos, as well as heyes nines. Also juicy 7s. What do you have at the moment wrt rear mech?

I'd look at some flying snake cables when you replace your shifters as well.

My Scott

My Single Speed

Always remember to pick your Uni according to the local trails or you'll be stuck with nowhere to ride for three years!

Beebs · June 2007

Thanks folks, plenty for me to think about there.

Ride Whenever - got Shimano Altus rear mechs at the minute, but was seriously thinking that since I would have to change the shifters, about changing from 7 to 9 speed and swapping the cassette as well. I assume I'd need a new derailleur for this?

Also (I'll sneak another one in while I'm on a roll) can I straight swap a 7 cog cassette for a 9 without changing the wheels or hubs? I know I'll need a new chain, but will that then involve getting a new crank and derailleur for the front? Or can I get away with the one I've got on it at the minute?

You can go a bit OTT if you got carried away couldn't you?? I think I now understand how some people spend a shed load on this!![:0]

Frostywmb · June 2007

Havnt posted in a while but could i suggest complete XT 2007 groupset for œ450 includes full xt groupset and decent hand built wheels http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/acatalog/Groupsets.html , or getting the formula Oro Bianco brakes can be got for œ300 and then XT front & rear mech, XT 9 spd cassete, XT leavers which would cost around œ120.

Frosty

<hr noshade size="1">My bike

Unknown · June 2007

You can't use a 9 speed cassette on a 7 speed freehub body, unless its a 9 with a spacer. And I have a sneaky feeling what you have is a screw on cogset anyway, requireing a whole new wheel. Then you have to pray the rear dropouts measure 135mm, and not 130mm like some older 7spd hubs used to be.

You are going to have to change the whole drivetrain for optimum performance.

<center>GT Zaskar LE
GT Ruckus
Me!
MYSPACE<hr noshade size="1">Park Tools - help and instructions for all general bike fixes
Sheldon Brown - info about anything and everything</center>

Upgrading from cable to hydraulic brakes

Comments

Categories