7 posts shown.
Dana Reyes5 said:he learned his lesson the hard way, once and for all
Look, nimblehound32, you can't just take a bike designed for casual pavement cruising and drag it through conditions it wasn't built for and then act shocked when it fails you. It’s basic physics.
Stick to smoother trails that actually suit the build. If you try to run a massive disc rotor on a setup like that, you're asking for a snapped fork.
Look, I’ve got plenty of experience riding downhill, off-road, cross-country—whatever you want to call it. I've been at this for years. My only real concern was how much heat those discs could handle.🙂
So, what? You're telling me the heat won't do anything? Like, if I'm constantly feathering the brakes or riding them hard, there's zero risk?🙂
Charles Bailey45 said:Look, if you check the official manufacturer specs for the XCM, they say:
max. disc diameter 185mm
but honestly, I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole (that's just my two cents, obviously 🙂)
Personally, I’d rather just swap in a bigger rotor and run hydraulics out back so I don't have to mess with the front setup.
Or is there actually some way to keep both the V-brake and the disc working on the rear without having to ditch one of them? 😁
Charles Bailey45 said:Look, I know what I'm talking about, which is exactly why I'm asking. 🙂
If you're running some entry-level SR/RST fork with those skinny little legs—you know, the 28 or 30mm ones—there's absolutely zero point even dreaming about a bigger rotor. It’s a waste of time.
If the setup was actually beefy enough to handle it (though honestly, I highly doubt it), then sure, why not?
It's just a Suntour XCR with 100mm travel. For what it is, it feels pretty solid. 😁
Charles Bailey45 said:That's not 🙂
The only real fix here is stepping up to a larger rotor or just getting a better brake setup altogether.
But honestly, I don't get it—why on earth are you hitting downhill tracks on an HT when you're running brakes meant for some casual XC ride?
Just being broke and unable to afford a proper DH bike 😁
basically 🙂
John Fowler3 said:Whatever you do, don't blast those rotors with water while they're still scorching hot. You’ll warp them in a heartbeat...
Look, if your only way of riding is basically white-knuckling the brakes for two minutes straight, then you’ve probably picked a trail that’s way too technical for either you or the bike you're on. Even on a pro-level downhill run, nobody is dragging their brakes constantly like that, no matter how steep the drop is...
I get that, but the thing is, this bike wasn't built for downhill. It's a nightmare to steer through stuff like that, so I have to slow down just so I don't end up face-planting...🙂 😁
So what, I shouldn't be worried about the whole thing catching fire or some other disaster? 😂
mellowmoose17 said:The heat you're feeling is totally standard. Whatever you do, don't try to cool them down by spraying them with water.
When you're hitting the brakes, stop trying to hold them down constantly. You gotta learn the squeeze-and-release technique instead.
I’ve given it a shot, but honestly? When you're out on a trail meant for pure downhill, trying to survive that kind of terrain on an MTB is just brutal.🙂
Hey everyone 🙂)
I’m running into a bit of a headache with my brakes. I’ve been hitting some rough trails—think muddy woods, gravel paths, old farm roads, that kind of thing—where I’m having to rely on my brakes quite a bit. I recently picked up a new bike, and since this is my first time ever using disc brakes, I’m still figuring out how they behave. I’ve got these mechanical 160mm Shimano BR-M415 discs installed, but after maybe a minute or two of heavy braking, the rotors get absolutely scorching. Seriously, I touched one once and nearly cooked my finger off 😲
So, I wanted to get your take: is this level of heat actually normal for these types of brakes? And more importantly, is it safe to splash some water on them to cool things down, or am I asking for trouble? I’ve seen all sorts of crazy advice on YouTube regarding overheating, and honestly, half of it sounds like a recipe for disaster 🙂
Thanks in advance 🙂)