Ok, what type of rim brakes do you guys use?

[jazclrint]

Since I have decided (at least for now) that I won't be doing the disc brake upgrade, I'm curious what y'all are using for rim brakes.  I have Magura HS33s at the moment, but what do you guys ride and find that works for XC riding?  Especially you big guys like myself (6'2" 220lbs).

I've been looking at Avid Single digit SLs and TRP M920 w/ML950 levers as reputable brakes.

Rich

[orange]

you can't go far wrong with what you've got tbh. You won't find much better.

[shovelon]

I had Magura HS33, on my Beast and was happy with them, lots of power. Aside from being a tad heavy, I liked the power. Sold with the bike tho.

Right now I love my Avid Single digit Mags. The levers work well with my BB7s too.

Terry

[jazclrint]

I had Magura HS33, on my Beast and was happy with them, lots of power. Aside from being a tad heavy, I liked the power. Sold with the bike tho.

Right now I love my Avid Single digit Mags. The levers work well with my BB7s too.

Terry

Ok, so the Maguras do have more power?  Could you give me a little bit more of a comparison?  If you had the Maguras now, would you switch to the Avid SDs?  Keep in mind I weigh about 220lbs/100kg.

[shovelon]

I had Magura HS33, on my Beast and was happy with them, lots of power. Aside from being a tad heavy, I liked the power. Sold with the bike tho.

Right now I love my Avid Single digit Mags. The levers work well with my BB7s too.

Terry

Ok, so the Maguras do have more power?  Could you give me a little bit more of a comparison?  If you had the Maguras now, would you switch to the Avid SDs?  Keep in mind I weigh about 220lbs/100kg.

At the time I only had one bike, so no I would not have switched. These days I am counting grams tho. Considering your weight, I would stick with the maguras, which were bullit proof.

I have noticed that Shimano Deore XT BR-M770 V-Brakes are very powerful and light at a respectable 152 grams. Coupled with Avid Speedial Ti levers, you could have the perfect combo, and be able to switch up to BB7 disks in the future if you want. I am a big fan of Speedial levers.

[purple gerbil]

Have to agree with terry on the ti dial levers i use them myself hooked upto digit 5 v-brakes...

I have owned the mags before on a previous bike and they are very good...but....i dont see any reason you cant
go on using v-brakes until you can save for discs.....im 207 lbs and my vees stop me in any condition to the point where im either
locking them up or goin over the bars

I personally wont go disc because i dont see the point in the extra weight & cost of replacing wheels etc....

Everyone will say different it's a personal taste

[Spokes]

Maguras are more powerful than V's. Are they also more powerful than discs? Both are hydrolic but the braking surface on the wheel is significantly bigger in diameter than the braking surface of the disc. Given equal hydrolic force ,the bigger the diameter of the braking surface the more powerful the brake. I might be wrong here as pad size and master cylinder ratio would figure into it alot but im sure there cant be much in it. Thats true for motor bikes anyway.
Ive always understood that Maguras are lighter than discs but heavier than V's so taking into account the power to weight trade off I think you have the best package already. Unless you just fancy a change for change sake. Nothing wrong with that..
As with Purple Gerbil my xt V's either lock or throw me off long before the bike has stopped so power has never been an issue.
I do like the idea of the braking suface being kept out of the mud though. That would be my reasons for concidering discs.
 
Chris

[purple gerbil]

Haha maguras remind me of an old cycling buddy.....Wanted the best of both....3yr old worn light weight rims  + mags =A.B.S

Everytime somebody went near his bike they squeezed the brake's

For a time he thought his front wheel bearings were on the way out....Turns out under closer inspection whilst repairing a puncture
the mags had been lightly crushing his rim's (A.B.S)  even started to split in places so be careful with old rims

[DugB]

I have pre-2005 Magura HS33's on the 956LE, post-2005 HS33s on the Intense Tracer and 4000 and one of the 856's, and old XT V-brakes (the shiny silver ones) on my other 856 and my wife's. I love the maggies...they're very powerful and rather economical.  It's interesting...I follow the Magura factory forums, and sometimes people even switch back to maggies from disc brakes. I remember one guy complaining that he was going through disc brake pads like crazy, so he switched back. I love 'em...they can be made relatively lightweight with alloy brake boosters and TI bolts. These days all the parts are so overbuilt, because think of the differences between XC riding today vs. when our bikes were made. Those old videos of Djernis winning races look like guys riding on football fields, and racing these days seems much more technical. As a father of 2 I'm not about to go flying down some rhythm section or rock garden, so for me it's no biggie...I'd rather have the older, lighter stuff. Was just installing a set of Coda Magic cranks this morning on my wife's bike...talk about ahead of their time!

- Doug

[shovelon]

.I'd rather have the older, lighter stuff. Was just installing a set of Coda Magic cranks this morning on my wife's bike...talk about ahead of their time!

- Doug

On your wife's bike?          She is one lucky girl. 

Terry

[DugB]

Haha...well, I officially graduated to being a "weight weenie" with the arrival of a cheap-o gram scale a few days ago. I was hoping the Coda Magic crank and BB would be lighter than what I already had (Cook Brothers RSR with Race Face Racerings and a White Ind Ti BB), but it was only marginally so. I had the cranks on-hand, so I installed them on that near-mint 856 I found locally for my wife. Eventually I'll stick the Coda on the 956...it's just such a cool setup, and Alex Pong's design gets the larger outboard bearings almost right where the arm meets the spindle...and all back in '93, way before Giga X Pipe and the like. Very neat :-P

[Spokes]

Haha maguras remind me of an old cycling buddy.....Wanted the best of both....3yr old worn light weight rims  + mags =A.B.S

Everytime somebody went near his bike they squeezed the brake's

For a time he thought his front wheel bearings were on the way out....Turns out under closer inspection whilst repairing a puncture
the mags had been lightly crushing his rim's (A.B.S)  even started to split in places so be careful with old rims

ha ha ABS ! So ahead of there time !!

Chris