Originally Posted by
aliasfox
As far as I can tell, the Shimano Road and Mountain disc rotors are functionally close enough that I wouldn't be able to feel a difference - so between the two, I'd likely pick based on aesthetics or availability, provided the cost were similar.
But part of me had been wondering if Shimano IceTech really was the best, and if there were any other rotors (cool looking or not) that would offer measurably better braking performance or resistance to warping, that were in the same price range. SRAM Centerlines have a cool aesthetic, and Hope rotors have the option for anodized carriers, but not switching if their performance is worse with Ultegra calipers.
Based on the duration of the zing-zing-zing after hard braking, the Ice Tech do seem to shed heat quickly.
The other thing that I like about them is that they're easy to true - with the all steel rotors, you sometimes have to overshoot when trueing so that they spring back to the desired line.
I really love the bling of the Hope rotors, but they're expensive, hard to come by, and of questionable compatibility (I've heard that the rivets may interfere with some calipers). I'd love to try them, but that's about an $180 roll of the dice.