smasha

Building up a new flat-bar commuter/city/grocery/hill bike…

The frame is made for flat-mount brakes, and fitted for/with 160mm rotors.

The plan, at this point, is to run 160mm rotors with ceramic pads. My other new bike has BL-MT200 levers (and BR-MT200 calipers, post-mount), and I'm happy with them (but looking forward to upgrading from resin to ceramic pads, and replacing the rotors to accommodate the pads).

Looks like I can get a good deal on a set of brakes: BR-UR300 calipers w/ BL-MT200 levers.

The BR-UR300 specs say "Resin pad". Does this mean I can't/shouldn't use them with other pads?

Would there be any real-world advantage of upgrading to BR-M7110 (SLX), BR-M8110 (XT), or BR-M9110 (XTR) flat-mount calipers? The price difference from BR-UR300 is substantial.

Would there be any advantage (assuming that it's possible) to using post-mount BR-MT200 calipers, using post-mount adapters? I can find deals on the BR-MT200 with the BL-MT200 levers.

What else should I be thinking about, here?

jimc101

Resin pads, for most/all the application your mention they should be fine, the area you would probably see more difference if upgrading the hardware is in the lever, as the higher end lever have more adjustment, however they may have shorter (2 finger) lever which may not be so beneficial (the MT-200 has 3 finger levers). The higher end calipers can take finned pads, which are probably an overkill for most urban usage

The reason the UR300 will specific it has resin pads will be related to the rotor, lower end Shimano rotor are normally resin pad compatible only, you need to go to a higher spec like SLX and up/aftermarket to take advantage of alternate material pads (Sintered/Metal or Kevlar), not sure where you have got ceramic from, the only ceramic parts in Shimano disc brakes are normally the pistons on higher end models.

For using different pads, metal pads can squeal more than resin pads (and cost more), but can have a longer life/less wear, depends of what your priorities are to what to use,

Maybe stick with the resin pads till used then try an alternat till you find what combination works for you?

t2p

please note :

the lower end Shimano calipers / rotors are ‘wide track’

the upper end Shimano calipers / rotors are ‘narrow track’

(basically) the lower end / wide track Shimano rotors are stamped and/or lower quality steel and/or not heat treated - resin pad use only ; some people will use sintered / metallic pads on these rotors but it is not recommended ... RT61 rotor might be the one exception - a wide track rotor that is resin or metallic pad

smasha

I ride a lot in wet/rain, and I go up and down big hills. Those two factors might point towards something more durable than resin pads. Finned pads seem cool, but probably overkill; OTOH, if I wind up with calipers that can fit finned pads, why not?


The bike that's getting some time on-road will need to have the resin-only rotors upgraded. The bike that needs a lot more work has no-name rotors, so it might be worth $10-20 to upgrade to some cheap branded rotors.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm thinking that any cheap, compatible rotor, from a recognised/reputable brand should be fine, right?

Ceramic brake pads are available from 3rd parties, and (with compatible rotors) should provide at least as much durability as metallic/sintered pads, with better modulation, less noise, and better thermal insulation between the braking-surface and the pistons.

On the new bike that's built up enough to be getting some use, it came with resin-only rotors and resin pads. I'll probably wait until they wear out, then replace the pads with ceramic, and upgrade the rotors to be compatible. That one has the post-mount BR-MT200 calipers, which should be fine with ceramic pads(?).

And… My assumption is wrong:

"Only compatible with resin pad" - https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/produ.../BR-MT200.html

OK, Looks like I'll need the XT, SLX, or XTR calipers, to be compatible with stepping up from resin pads. And… It looks like they require different cables, and (thus?) different levers. Ugh… Not going to be a cheap upgrade.

The question then is whether there's any cost advantage to using post-mount calipers on the flat-mount frame, and if such cost advantage may be worth it. As I'm writing this and learning more about what's needed, I'm suspecting that it will make the most sense to use calipers that fit "out of the box".

But, it looks like there will be non-trivial costs in upgrading from resin pads, as this will require an entirely new braking system, from levers to rotors, and the cost difference between "entry level" MT200 and everything else is significant.

Are there any brand options that I should consider, outside of the Shimano ecosystem?

smasha

From what I can find in Shimano parts, what would appear to be suitable flat-mount calipers (BR-M7110 SLX, BR-M8110 XT, BR-M9110 XTR) are all "rear only". They're also not easily available, more expensive than post-mount calipers, and about twice the weight of post-mount calipers.

Were would I even find suitable flat-mount calipers for the front?

Looks like the GRX range has BR-RX400 (10-speed series; 10-speed Tiagra-equivalent) and BR-RX810 (11-speed series; 11-speed Ultegra-equivalent) in front and rear versions. I'm not sure, but I think they're compatible with the flat-bar levers that use the BH90 cables; SLX, XT, XTR. Still, kind of expensive, and hard to find; possibly some weight savings. I don't seen any significant difference between the BR-RX400 and BR-RX810, aside from the aesthetics of the 10 or 11 speed series, and I don't think that matters for my needs.

(Edit: ) Seems like the BR-RX810 has ceramic pistons, and the BR-RX400 has resin pistons. The ceramic pistons are generally considered "better", but some reports of them cracking. A few grams weight difference doesn't matter to me.

Things seem straightforward for the bike with post-mount brakes: I'm leaning towards SLX levers and calipers. For the price, I don't think I need XT or XTR, or anything else. (Edit: ) For a very small price premium, I might go for XT levers.

But the bike with flat-mount brakes, I'm wondering…

• Is there any dis/advantage of using post-mount calipers and adapters?
• Is there any dis/advantage to using GRX flat-mount calipers (assuming they work with SLX or XT levers)?
• Should I consider an SLX flat-mount rear caliper, and a GRX flat-mount front caliper (if there's even any cost savings)?

flat tires

I am upgrading my brake system as well. I've run into a similar situation. What did you end up going with? And how does it work?