Cable vs Hydraulic Discs

thefartingcockeral
thefartingcockeral Posts: 394
edited December 2008 in MTB buying advice
Hi all,
From experience do people prefer cable or hydraulic disc brakes.
Mt avid 7's are fecked (despite looking after them), and was considering a set of BB7 as cable discs as I do cross country and road/commuting on my MTB.
Bearing in mind maintanamce and relaibilty and if so what brand would y'all recommend. My LBS (who is a merida dealer) recommended Hope's but then my other LBS (who is a Trek dealer) recommended Shimano. My budget is whatever it costs for a descent relaible safe stopping brake.
Any help would be appreciated.
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Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    i have never owned cable discs but ihave ridden a bike with them and they were ok.

    i have used:
    deore
    xt
    formula oro
    magura juie
    avid 3
    avid 5
    avid 7
    avid ultimate
    hayes sole
    hayes hfx 9
    hygia something or other
    and some cheap promax hydraulics (which were really good!!)

    i prefer hydraulics by a country mile. once set up properly they should run pretty much maintenance free. what is wrong wth your juicys? for me the best are juicy 5 as they feel exactly the same as the more expensive juicys but without the cost.
  • Hi, thanks for the reply. I have disc rub at the front and back and also the back caliper always seems to seize on me on a long ride and not neccesarily downhill.
    I have bleed them several times and re centred them as well and now there always seems to be an issue on a weekly basis..
    Now getting realyy Piss"d.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    hmmm, it sounds like you have already done all of the things i would have suggested:

    make sure both pistons move the same ammount
    make sure the caliper is aligned
    make sure they dont ned bleeding

    might be worth sending them for a service to somewhere before you spend money on cable discs. i hear avid cable discs are good but i doubt they will be better than good hydraulics.
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    Disc rub isn't a hydraulic issue, it's just a disc issue- it can happen with cables too, as can seizing. In my (limited) experience cables have all the hassles of hydraulics and add some extras of their own. I've never met a system I was really happy with as yet, whereas even my very budget Tektro Auriga hydraulics have been fairly low maintenance, and very impressive.

    (bleeding is the part that seems to freak people out, but to be honest it's really simplicity itself, I'd sooner bleed a hydraulic than mess with a cable)
    Uncompromising extremist
  • i have used many v-brakes, Tektro io cable disc and Hayes El camino hydraulics.

    from my (minimal) experience,

    hydros- best stopping power and modulation. when something goes wrong, its more expensive and complicated than the other two.

    Cable disc- have good stopping power compared to v's when wet. if anything goes wrong, maintence is cheap and easy. need to adjust cable tension and position of pads too often in order to maintain max power

    V-brakes- simplest, little maintenance, reliable due to simplicity, very good stopping power when dry, better feel than cable discs, easy to adjust

    personally, i would go with hydraulics.

    please correct me if any of the above is wrong or to add more pros and cons
  • I've only just started using hydro discs but I had a a Avid BB7 on my old bike and the stopping power was awesome. Never had any issues with them what so vere.

    I hope I have less hassle with my Juicy 3's than the guys I ride with have with their Shimano hydro's thats for sure!
    08 Pitch Pro
    14 Kona Unit
    Kona Kula SS
    Trailstar SS
    94 Univega Alpina 5.3
  • I've got v's, cables and hydros, the hydros are so much better and more maintanence free than any of the others.

    I'd go for formula ones, the new R1 looks great, the K24 or the oro are very well regarded and excellent. If you want light with fantastic stopping power, look at the ONE, okay it is a DH brake, but is still very light.

    I personally use hope mono mini's, I've never had any issues with them at all and the stopping is excellent with 180mm/160mm
  • Tailend Charlie
    Tailend Charlie Posts: 35
    edited November 2008
    mtbikerboy wrote:
    i have used many v-brakes, Tektro io cable disc and Hayes El camino hydraulics.

    from my (minimal) experience,

    hydros- best stopping power and modulation. when something goes wrong, its more expensive and complicated than the other two.

    Cable disc- have good stopping power compared to v's when wet. if anything goes wrong, maintence is cheap and easy. need to adjust cable tension and position of pads too often in order to maintain max power

    V-brakes- simplest, little maintenance, reliable due to simplicity, very good stopping power when dry, better feel than cable discs, easy to adjust

    personally, i would go with hydraulics.

    please correct me if any of the above is wrong or to add more pros and cons

    V-brakes eat your wheels. it was what finally drove me to semi-retire my veteran P7. got fed up with the number of rims I needed over a winter. Juicy - 3s on the new bike and I think they are great.
  • dav1
    dav1 Posts: 1,298
    I think hydros are a lot better.

    The problem with many mech discs is that they only have one moving pad which can cause complete faliure of the brake during a long ride (you will have to pull over and get the tools out which isnt ideal)

    The feel and maintance of hydros is also far superior IMO
    Giant TCR advanced 2 (Summer/race)
    Merlin single malt fixie (Commuter/winter/training)
    Trek superfly 7 (Summer XC)
    Giant Yukon singlespeed conversion (winter MTB/Ice/snow)

    Carrera virtuoso - RIP
  • So Hydros are better peoples opinions.
    Just stuck which new ones to get.
    Did like the look of the Formula K18/24 or maybe Maguras like the Louise BAT or something?
  • johnsav
    johnsav Posts: 775
    ive got juicy 5's on one bike - good, no problems

    got deore discs on the other - much better feel but not as much power or modulation.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    i would stil recommend getting your 7s serviced, avids are my fav brakes by far and i reckon a new service would cost less than a whole new set of brakes.

    or do you want somehting new anyway?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    i had the k18s and they were very good but stil not as good a the avids (in my humble opinion of course)
  • I HAVE JUST GOT A NEW SET OF AVID BB7'S AND SPEED DIAL LEVERS FOR MY GIANT XTC XC BIKE, THEY ARE FAR BETTER THAN THE HAYES HFX'S I HAD ON IT IN MY OPINION!

    THEY ARE SOOOOO EASY TO SET UP AND ARE MUCH MORE ADJUSTABLE FOR THE PRICE THAN ANY HYDRAULIC, I GOT TWO 160MM ROTOR AVID BB7'S (2009 MODEL), SHIMANO XT CABLES (OH SO SMOOTH) AND AVID SPEED DIAL 7 LEVERS ALL FOR UNDER £100 FROM CHAIN REACTION CYCLES!!!!

    HOPE THIS HELPS AS I WAS LOOKING FOR JUST THIS BEFORE I BOUGHT MINE!!
    Carbon fibre, it's all nonsense. Drink beer. Ride a steel bike. Don't be a ponce.
  • Sir HC
    Sir HC Posts: 20,148
    I HAVE JUST GOT A NEW SET OF AVID BB7'S AND SPEED DIAL LEVERS FOR MY GIANT XTC XC BIKE, THEY ARE FAR BETTER THAN THE HAYES HFX'S I HAD ON IT IN MY OPINION!

    THEY ARE SOOOOO EASY TO SET UP AND ARE MUCH MORE ADJUSTABLE FOR THE PRICE THAN ANY HYDRAULIC, I GOT TWO 160MM ROTOR AVID BB7'S (2009 MODEL), SHIMANO XT CABLES (OH SO SMOOTH) AND AVID SPEED DIAL 7 LEVERS ALL FOR UNDER £100 FROM CHAIN REACTION CYCLES!!!!

    HOPE THIS HELPS AS I WAS LOOKING FOR JUST THIS BEFORE I BOUGHT MINE!!

    capslock.jpg
    Intense Socom
    Inbred
  • Cheers for all that, will see how much it is to get my Avid 7s serviced and might buy some new rotors.
  • Vivid
    Vivid Posts: 267
    Disk rub, make sure caliper is aligned correctly and pads when not applied have an equal distance to the disk. If the disk is catching in certain places rather than catching through whole rotation the disk will be out of true, either buy a new disk or true the original.

    Take the caliper off strip down, clean and lubricate.
  • Cheers,
    Think I will do that Vivid. Off work next week so will have the time.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    All brake types are useful in certain situations. Each type has good and bad examples. Cables have the advantage of being mechanically simple, easy to repair and cheaper to sort out - which is why DJers prefer them. Vs are perfectly adequate or light trail use and XC. Hydraulic are generally the most powerful, but lack adjustment except on top and middle models, can be hard to bleed and when do go wrong and generally do so catastrophically.
  • Hi Supersonic. Have to agree with you.
    I have taken care of the 7s and have just gone down the sh*&^£r completely.
    That was why I was looking at cable dics. Looking pimp and being the Dogs are not important to me. Just being able to maintain them mechanically and being able to do the job well is my high priority, and I have read good reviews about Avid BB7s.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    You still of course get rubbing problems, and don't forget you ened to constantly adjust the fixed pad! I can see why people prefer them though. I would still try and remedy your existing brakes.
  • Hi all, just went to sort the brakes and the cable rub has gone at the back completely and the wheel turns fine.
    The front has period rub on the rotation so the disc must be off a bit still.
    Will probably buy a new front rotor, put new pads in, bleed the brakes and recentre the calipers agian.
  • although hydraulics are much more messy to set up if they need bleeding, it shouldn't happpen too often and it is worth it for extra power and feel (no messy cables etc.)
  • jayson
    jayson Posts: 4,606
    Hydro discs every time no question, the simplicity of fit an forget and the power to stop a train with 1 finger should be all the convincing u need.

    As for brands i always used Hope brakes on my bikes and they never let me down at all even if they were a bit noisy in the wet.

    You can prob get a set of mono minis cheaper now with the new models being introduced if u shop around.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Fit and forget? Not with all the posts we get on them! Rubbing rotors, fade, pads wearing, bleeding probs, vibration, squeal and so on!
  • cee
    cee Posts: 4,553
    as said, pros and cons for each model.

    one of my riding buddies wont ride hydros because if a cable snaps, he has a spare in his pack and its easy fixed. Blow a hydro line and you have no brake till you get it home.

    I have some experience of this failure after a crash on the Fortbill DH, where I hauled the lever and piston clean out of the reservoir....luckily, was on the lower part of the course and was able to ride with only a front brake the rest of the way down....then tool time at the van ensued.

    Another riding buddy was all out of shape with caliper mount adapters, so had to put on what we had (shimano M485 mech discs....very budget) and he was pleasantly surprised nay amazed at how effective they actually were.
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • jayson
    jayson Posts: 4,606
    supersonic wrote:
    Fit and forget? Not with all the posts we get on them! Rubbing rotors, fade, pads wearing, bleeding probs, vibration, squeal and so on!


    Mine definitely were, i never had to do anything to them at all only change the pads when they were worn out and they performed flawlessly.
  • they are terrible. I upgraded my cable hayes discs as they caused me so many problems.

    any time I rode when it was wet/ muddy the rear cable would jam up and result in the pads rubbing slightly and brand new pads wearing in a matter of miles.

    the amount of times I lost all brake power through this is massive. I'd have to keep stopping and adjusting etc. CRAP

    I bought a pair of QUAD axis hydraulics with 160mm rotors, pre bled for £120 new. They have been fantastic. The might not be quite the same as juicy 5/6/7 but they are amazing deal. I ride hard and have had no problems with stopping..

    AVOID hayes at all costs
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    I use Hayes cable discs - best cable discs I have ever used, and more powerful and adjustable than my LX hydros!
  • tompug
    tompug Posts: 227
    I can echo hayes hydraulics are crap, especially hfx9s, performance is average, maintenance is terrible and the quality is shit.
    I have juicy 3s which are the lowest in the range, They are consistently good, easy to service.