Bike Jedi

No performance in, pound for pound, is it worth the money to spend the extra dough for the part?


I like cheap, economical, practical, ect...unless it's not the smartest choice.


I live in the mountains of Colorado and do a lot of down hill, steep descents, weighted and unweighted, and just recently switched over to the cheap $15 180mm rotor, which I have always been on 160's. I wish I had done that 2 years ago. It's like a night and day difference in stopping power. In fact, I hardly touch my back brakes now, which is something I was conditioning myself to do, but on the 180's, it's almost natural to use fronts more. I can't get over how much more control and stopping power in general I have. And that is on cheap Shimano M315's, I have never been on better brakes.


My new build has Shimano SLX with 180's all around, ICE tcch rotors and fins, on nonmetal pads. I am waiting for a wheel build now that won't be here until the end of next week, so I have no idea how great, awesome, or even descent they will be. I would venture to guess from what I am use to now, it will be another night and day difference.


When I asked you if they were better for performance, I was asking from a pound for pound question on cost. Will they get more life out of them? Will they stay cooler during use? Will they stop me faster in some way? What makes them so much more in money that the cost can be justified if I don't truly have the funds or need it?


For example...For my new build, I had to choose between TRP Spyke Mechanical (which for the all around needs, type riding, dependability, versatility, is probably the best choice), or between hydro's. The hydro's I was looking at was Shimano SLX or XT. After tons of research on the matter, and listening to what the collective voice of all of you said, was that SLX out of the two hydro's was the better deal, and here is why:


* The only real difference between the SLX and XT hydro brakes is a cotter pin on the caliber, and extra setting screw on the lever, and a tad lighter in selection of reservoir cover (or something along those lines). You change the pin out of the back of the SLX brakes to the spare screw they sell for the XT brakes, and you know have exactly the same caliber as what is sold with XT. I don't care about the extra weight it is not that relative to me as the type of riding I do. The extra adjustment screw setting on the lever I have personally been told is not that big of a deal and not worth the extra cost from a mechanic at a LBS. So for a set of SLX brakes at $125 + a $5 pin = $130 for a complete set of SLX brakes (maybe a little cheaper if you catch it right), versus paying $200 for the XT's. What are you truly paying for for the extra $75? An extra adjustment screw you are hardly ever going to use anyway? So out of the two hydro brakes, the SLX is the better choice if you don't need the best stuff constantly. And pound for pound, the SLX brakes have proven the test of time and trials, and there is not really anything that close to them on reliability and quality at that price point or the next one down.


When it came to choosing between Hydro and Mechanical, the TRP spykes would have cost me about $225 when all was said and done with pads, rotors, calibers, compressionless housing cables, etc... So do I want an incredible set of SLX brakes that have past the trials and are known to be reliable once any kinks are worked out for the most part, and serviced normally for $130'ish or mechanical for $225 while doing U.S. riding that I can still pretty much get anything shipped into me usually within 2 days or even picked up at pretty much any LBS in any U.S. major city, and have much better and reliable stopping power when working appropriately? At almost half the cost no less? Yes.


The mechanical brakes might have been the better choice for reliability and/or versatility, but I am skilled enough to fix a hydro repair out in the field if I am prepared short of a major line malfunction or being torn off. I don't personally do enough of that kind of technical riding to worry about a line getting yanked off, so anything else I do, I can fix myself probably, and if not, I can ride out of any terrain one on brake till I can get to an LBS. So ultimately, the SLX was the best choice for me pound for pound on costs and reliability long term, arguably depending on which camp you are in hydro vs mechanical.


So the question was, is it worth the extra $30 bucks for something compared to what I was showing? If so, why exactly?


To take it a step further, I picked up the Shimano XT SM-RT81 and I don't honestly know if they will make a huge difference between the $15 ones, but from what I read, they should and will. If I come to find out that the $15 rotors are more cost effective long term for life versus what I am really getting out of them, then I didn't make the best decision now on my purchase, and I would like to know that and learn from that. Eventually then I will know if the SM-RT81 or RT86 is truly worth it if I ask because I won't be riding a bike weighted that has the $15 ones to really know the difference. The $15 ones are on my hybrid bike, but not on my Surly Ogre. The Ogre has the good build on it.


I was actually throwing the question back out there in general for anyone to respond to it that knows, because I just don't know and would like to on the topic of rotors. I saw the ones listed above that are actually the next step up from what I have I assume, but I don't know why someone would pay another $30 bucks a piece for them unless they are even that much better some how.