Hydraulic discs or cable.?

[LimeBurn]

Avid elixir r's on mine and so far, touch wood, no complaints apart from the usual pad swaps and a couple of annoying squeaks from time to time.

 

[roadrash]

Tektro auriga pro hydraulics on my giant mtb, never had a problem at all.

 

[PK99]

is the issue with potential boiling of hydraulic fluid more significant with road brakes?

 

[Cubist]

Iirc the cheapest Shimano road hydraulics are c£400 a pair.. I think BB7s remains a popular choice for drop bars for good reason.



The OP was asking a general question, and I gave a general (and imho indisputable) answer. While you dispute the faff factor you actually did not say when failed they are not a faff to deal with, but that certain makes/classes are "fit and forget", which you seem to be qualifying with some rather broad qualification - like all Avids are suspect and "Shimano Servo Wave models are maintenance free" - I personally certainly have not tried all Avid models, nor Shimano's, perhaps you have... But unless a lot of people are lying here, and certainly it is my personal experience, Shimano Servo Wave hydraulics are far from maintenance or faff free.[/QUOTE

The Mtbr reviews you link to are not all of the current crop of XT M 785. Many of the critical reviews are of the 775, and many reviews are dated 2011 and 2010.
I am referring to, and have direct experience of M 785, M665, M595 and M675. All of those are post 2012, except the M595, which were adequate, but a bit wooden.

I owned a set of the M595, and found them to be good in terms of stopping power, but a bit thin on lever feel. I sold them on and replaced them with a set of M665 (SLX) . They are currently on my hardtail MTB. I have changed the pads several times, and since shortening the hoses and swapping the levers I have never had to bleed them. They have excellent bite with a tool free lever reach adjuster. They are powerful and have a great lever shape, ideal for 1 finger braking.

Next up I have a pair of XT M785 (NOT 775!) on my IBIS. Almost identical in design to the M665s, apart from the colour of the reservoir cap and the presence of a bite point adjuster on the lever. Again, since swapping the hoses I have not had to bleed them, and they too have superb feel, bite, power and modulation. The excellent single finger setup means they are perfect for my purposes.

Lastly, a set of 2013 SLX M675. These are identical to the M665 in every way. These are fitted to my son's AM bike, and again, have not required anything other than a pad change since hose shortening and lever swapping for the purposes of fitting a month or two ago.

I run them all with Superstar Kevlar pads.

Common criticism of the Shimano brakes is the lack of availability of spares, which means that a blown seal means a new reservoir or caliper, but importers are supposedly good at honouring warranties. If they are not covered by warranty, well, that's a price I'm willing to pay for the power and performance of these brakes. The current trickle down derivative of both of those brakes, the Deore M615 has come out on top in several reviews, and can be found for less than £70 for a pair if you shop around.

Interestingly MTB owners tend to polarize between Hope and Shimano. The general consensus is that Avids work well until they stop working, usually around the first service, and are a bugger to bleed. I have no personal experience of that. My Avids were a PITA to stop them from rubbing, but worked well as road brakes as I have repeatedly stated. Ask for recommendations for brakes to fit to a bike on a forum like Singletrackworld and the answer will be overwhelmingly to avoid Avids.

The polarization between Hope and Shimano hinges on the "Hope" factor... a British company with an almost mythical reputation for bombproof products in alloy construction. Fans tell us of their legendary customer service and indeed, when I have contacted them for advice or small spares they have been impeccable, even to the point of sending me a free pair of reservoir covers when I rounded off a capscrew. However, the Hope brakes on my son's bike were , in my opinion, dull and wooden in comparison with my Shimanos. So much so my lad insisted I sold them and exchanged them for some SLX once he'd ridden my bike.

I have further experience of Hayes Strokers, which were adequate, but difficult to bleed and setup. I have serviced Formulas, Clarks and budget Shimano M395, M425, Tektro Auriga, Tektro and Avid cable discs and in all cases they have not been as good as the recent crop of Shimano.

 

[john wood]

People keep comenting on my disc brakes,the most common is,"oh i have hydraulic disc brakes"mine are cable,Boardman Hybrid,is there a significant difference.?

I've got cable discs(BB7's) on three bikes,one of them is a tandem,stopping power is awesome,wet or dry same result and with plenty of fine modulation too.
Servicing is a doddle as I can remove the calipers from the machines to strip and service without any loss of fluid etc.Pad adjustment is usually a one click affair every few hundred miles.
I've never had hydro's nor felt the need for them with cable discs this good,though for some really mucky MTB conditions the self adjusting feature of hydro's could possibly be an advantage,though I ride quite a bit of rough stuff on my disc equipped solos without issue.

 

[Nigeyy]

I have Avid bb7 road and mtb versions, no problems. I also have Avid Elixirs and they have been no problem at all -but only about a year of use so far.

Performance wise, I'd say good quality hydraulics perform better than good quality cables, providing better modulation and power. The downsides of hydraulics would be:
i. maintenance -if you get air in the system, and you need to bleed them. A cable system isn't going to have that.
ii. usually the brake system is a "whole" with hydraulics, and you can't just swap to another brake lever out of preference -whereas you can do that with cable actuated brakes.
iii. good quality cable actuated disc brakes are usually cheaper than good quality hydraulic ones.
iv. *if* you crash and damage your brake, the cable option is probably going to be easier and cheaper to fix (no broken reservoir or severed hydraulic cable).

Having said all that, I'd contend that BB7s should be more than adequate for commuting and touring. Of course, there are disadvantages with cable actuated brakes too (dirt and grime, less efficient, possible freezing if water gets inside) so it's not crystal clear; it's really your choice.

 

[Nigeyy]

Only if you hold the blow torch too close.....

Seriously, I've not heard of boiling fluid in disc brakes. My best guess to make that happen would require you riding down a long, long downhill with the brakes dragging. on purpose. I'd think most riders know you should avoid that (if only to give your hands a rest).

Course, I could be wrong.....

is the issue with potential boiling of hydraulic fluid more significant with road brakes?

 

[Billy Wizz]

Thanks for all the replies,i am a serial tinkerer..I have messed with motorbikes all my life,but i have promised the wife,no more,besides the roads are no fun anymore for motorbikes,i am starting to find out its not much different on a cycle Anyway i know another roadbike will be on the way soon and i have to have a project going on, in my empty workshop, the brakes will be my first look at.That was why this thread has posed my first question,i was going to subscribe to a good magazine but it looks like cyclechat has put paid to that,

 

[Dave W]

Given the choice, hydraulics every time for me. Much better stopping power and in my experience easier to set up and maintain. Cable discs are however a fraction of the cost on drop bar bikes and offer decent performance.