Hydraulic vs Mechanical Bike Disk Brakes - Which is Better?
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- Опубликовано: 4 ноя 2024
- Many bikes come with disk brakes now. The cheaper ones have mechanical disc brakes, and the more expensive ones come with hydraulic disc brake systems. Which one is better? Are hydraulic disc brakes on a bicycle better than mechanical disc brakes? In this video I tell you the pros and cons of each type of brake, and you can decide whether hydraulic disc brakes are best for your bike, or if you want to put mechanical disc brakes on your bicycle. I found that mechanical disc brakes are much more reliable and lower maintenance than hydraulic disc brakes, but the lever effort is higher when you are stopping your bike. Hydraulic disc brakes can get spongy and stop working, and they require regular maintenance and bleeding to keep them working properly. Because of this, I prefer mechanical disc brakes over hydraulic disc brakes on my mountain bike. In this video you get to see hydraulic brakes and mechanical disc brakes on two mountain bikes, and hear me compare them so you can decide which one is better.
Here is where you can get a Shimano brake bleeding kit with mineral oil if you have hydraulic disc brakes like the bike in the video.
amzn.to/2CqzP2d
The best brakes is the Tree in front off you.
Cheapest and lighted also slows down faster. I like your thinking
its the best way to brake your biking career
Or a small child.
Or the floor if you flip.
Lol 🌳
Go brakeless
Good idea. That would solve all my problems.
Fucking flintstone the bike using your feet lol
😂
jam ur foot between the frame and back tire. always hated the clutter of the cables as a kid and that's what I preferred anyway. ur shoe is the brake pad lol but hey it worked and I'm still breathing
Richard Thomas do you you seriously think that would work riding dh? Like seriously? Your not riding a bmx bike on the street...idiotic comment
the ones that stop you before a crash are the best brakes. ^^
Thank you
Hydraulic brakes are less work and mechanical are more work I think the problem you had with hydraulic was because they were old and not well looked after I have use both types and I have to say hydraulic brakes are better and any mtb that has used hydraulic brakes will probable say they are better too
+creepergamingboy hydraulic brakes definitely are easier to pull the lever on, but more problematic to maintain and repair. The brakes on the green bike are a little over a year old, and we have had to bleed them twice because they kept losing stopping power.
That is a normal amount of bleeding for hydraulic breaks.
Hydraulics any day of the week without question
My Avid Juicy 3s haven't been bled for over 2 years and they still run great.
Don't need to perform a full bleed if brakes feel spongy - just "burp" them.
You definitely did not bleed the hydraulic brakes right, they should feel consistent all the way through the pull and make sure you use the right fluid
Yep hydraulic is the way to go if u know what ur doing I have hydraulic and will never go back to mechanical what a difference
I have had constant problems with hydros normal discs are so much easier
And that's exactly what he meant by more maintenance.
He didnt adjust the mech brakes right either.
On other words people who are too lazy or to stupid to bleed hydraulic brakes shouldn't get them good thing I know how to
Iv never had issue with mech brakes or their power. I run az deserts xc trails weekly. 60 mile treks in flagstaff/sedona. Brutal terrain and have neever had an issue. They are very reliable and strong systems. Its all on proper adjusment on the cables and thats it with standard single finger braking. And carrying a 6ft spool of cable in ur tool kit for out in the field repair is instant. I dont understand whats all the hate. Everyone here claims hydro systems like your running a formula 1 down the muslanne. Pretty pathetic really. Hype of carbon, brain on the dereilluer. Unreal what mtb has become lol. Waiting for umbrellas and frappacino machine on them next..
Well said. Thanks. That is what I thought when I made the video, but everyone in the world except you seems to disagree with me.
Yeah I'm in the same boat. I prefer mechanical disc brakes. I get more feel through the lever, and as far as finger effort goes, you could just get a different lever with a different amount of leverage. If it matters that much to you. Like I see zero advantage to hydraulic brakes on a bicycle. On a car? Sure. Bicycle? Ehhhh. Overkill. Makes it less simple and reliable. More of a pain in the ass. More maintenance. And realistically no significant performance difference. It's pretty rediculous if you ask me lol.
Finally someone who speaks my language. My old 90s barracuda arrival still has perfect original mechanical brakes with no issues.
Same here mech all the way less trips to the local bk shops with mech vs hydra
Mech brakes are easier and cheaper to maintain. Just spend a few minutes adjusting them and you should be good.
For how I ride (road mostly) and for lower maintenance I'd go with the mechs. Thanks for the comparison.
You’re welcome. I think that’s a smart choice.
I ride mechanical on the rear and hydraulic on the front, don't ask why I just like to have the actual feel when power sliding down a hill.
I like that idea
Imo v brakes are the best they get me the most girls
V brakes aint got nothin on spoon brakes! Now these get you real bitches! V and discs are shit, ain't good for nuthin, spoons rock!
Your grandma doesn't count bro ;)
Y'all all wimps, I go brakeless, chainless, and seatless
lol
Nigween i go bikeless
Finally a straight forward answer. Thank you! Bleeding brakes, spungy... yep, I'm going with the mechanical ones.
You’re welcome
My bike came with mechanical disc brakes on the front. They didn't stop worth a crap. Seemed like I had to wait for the brakes to heat up a bit before they'd start gripping. Swapped them out for hydraulic brakes couldn't be happier. Now I'm in the process of upgrading from v-brakes in the rear to hydraulic disc brakes. I just love how the handle feels compared to mechanical. I also don't miss having to adjust my front brakes and it's going to be so nice that I won't have to adjust my rear brakes either. It's like carburetor vs. fuel injection. Trying to keep a carburetor finely tuned is tedious. Might as well go with fuel injection and be done with it.
Sounds like you just didn't have them installed right.
I have never had issues with mechanical brakes jamming up, but they have seals.
Overall, though, valid points in support of mechanical brakes were made here.
Hydraulic brake lines clearly are easier to fit to the bike than having cables flopping around. I dont race but find them more convenient than changing stretched and worn out cables. I think they are LESS maintenance prone.
I am new to biking. I just learned to bike using my husbands' childhood old trek mountain bike. I finally bought my first bike from REI because I really like their return policy + free 1 yr maintenance. I decided to go with a hybrid as my first bike, mechanical breaks. All my biking friends keep saying get an hydraulic breaks but I really need something that's low maintenance. Thank you for this review.
You’re welcome. They are easy to adjust, and should be super reliable. I think you made the right choice.
Hydraulic brakes are 20% better than wire brakes, but also 1000% more expensive and 500% more headaches
Yes. Mechanical brakes are much lower maintenance.
Agreed! $120 a year to maintain them is a bit much (annual maintenance fee)
You know nothing about mountain biking. Like really who says mechanical disc brakes are better. No decent rider would chose to have mechanical brakes. There is a reason why every top pro and every reasonable mountain biker used hydraulic disc brakes over mechanical discs. Hydraulic brakes have smoother modulation, way more stoping power and when maintained and well looked after they work no matter the conditions.
+Robert Lucas Yes. If you have money, time, or the skills to maintain hydraulics, they are better. The mechanical setup is simpler, with less to go wrong. My son’s dirt jump bike has an Avid BB7 mechanical disk brake, and it is nice.
I believe there is nothing wrong with both of the brakes type. It just personal and funcional choice. On my everyday trail fullsus slx all the way while on my touring bike, avid bb7 for easy repair while on the tour ( 1000 miles in non english speaking country lol)
after going my entire life (albeit it's not long) with mechanical brakes on my bikes, hydraulic is an insane difference. the learning curve for maintaining a hydraulic system was well worth it in the end when your braking power is increased almost exponentially, if I were to say. However, that learning curve does get quite frustrating.
hoohoohoblin maintainance of hydraulic brakes is bleeding them once a year, IF you use them an indredible amount and you prefer them to feel extremely solid. You can get away with bleeding them less, and that's all the maintainance.
cakeba, i tried my friend's marlin 5 with mechanical brakes, they require so much effort its insane. i have a marlin 6 with hydraulics, it's been well over a year and the brakes are just fine, no oil leaks, no nothing. they have felt a little spongy before, but pump them a few times and they regain their firmness. overall, mechanical brakes are easier to maintain, but require more maintenance. hydraulics though, are harder to maintain but require little to no maintenance.(the only downside i can see with hydraulics is brake fluid boiling, which can stop all braking power. however, a mechanical cable can snap as well)
Am building an E-fatbike, set up as a land crawler. Made the mistake of buying a Juin Tech DB-1 hydraulic system. After watching several videos on how to bleed Shimano and SRAM/Avid systems, I've decided to eat that cost and go with something that does not require the most idiotic bleeding procedures I've ever seen. This video clinched it for me. Thank you...
You’re welcome. The mechanical brakes will have the same stopping power, and will be a lot more reliable and lower maintenance. The only difference is that you have to pull the lever a little harder when you want to stop, but I don’t find that to be an issue at all with my bike.
Watching this I didn’t know there were 2 types. Thanks for the review.
You’re welcome
I have same hydraulic breaks never had any problems with them I think they kick ass for the money.
*The first bike I bought had mechanical disc brakes, after that I bought one with Hydraulic and the difference in the perfomance is inmese, the response of the Hydraulic ones is amazing, I can go 40 KM/H and stop suddenly without issues.*
I can go 50 KM/H and stop suddenly without issues with mechanical :D
I think he pretty much hit the nail on the head with this video.
Look up a video on how hydrolics work. You might also like to know that good mountain bikers don’t need to “lock out the brakes”. It is more effective to have a smooth stop rather than skidding (you will stop quicker without skidding)
When you become more experienced as a mountainbiker and ride more than one pair of cheap hydraulic brakes..... You'll realise how invalid every one of your arguments were.
Cracka I'm confused on your comment. Are you saying sheep hydraulic brakes are bad or good? I got a Trek Xcaliber 7 2018. It came with entry level hydraulic brakes at least I think they're entry level. Did I make a bad decision? Are you saying that entry level hydraulic disk brakes are better than this guy says, or worse? Please explain in detail. I'm a noob!!
he meant this guy in the video only use one pair of cheap hydro brakes. the mid tier hydro brake are way more reliable than mechanical brake. ive got mid tier hydro disc brakes on my road bikes. I will never go mechanical again.
@@AviMus82 He said that proper hydraulic brakes are a crapton better than the cheap sh!tty ones that the guy in this video is talkin' a out and invalidate every single one of his counter points, and I can only agree! I've been using hydraulic brakes for YEARS now and I've even had some cheap ones that never failed on me! I won't ever go back to mechanical brakes unless it's the only option for my purpose, and I have yet to find a purpose that I can't use hydraulic brakes for! I even ditched the sh!tass V-brakes on my cheap bike and installed hydraulic rim brakes instead coz that bike doesn't have the mounts for any disc brakes.
I prefer mechanical because you don't need to care for it. Once it's gone , it's so fucking cheap to replace
+Bryan Jude Fernandez That is true. They are definitely cheaper and require less maintenance. If you want optimum super high performance, then you have to go hydraulic.
I don't know where you got the idea that they're less maintainance, I'm a bike mechanic and bleed the brakes on my high-end bike one time a year, but only the ones with sram brakes. Generally, cheap hydraulic brakes don't get bled for many years because they don't need it. Meanwhile I replace brake cables and adjust cable actuated disc brakes all the time, they work for 1 or 2 normal, non-aggressive rides before the cable stretches or frays, especially for a 210 lbs rider like me. Meanwhile the shimano deore xt brakes on my stumpjumper have never been bled and they can stop me on a dime going downhill even with relatively small 160mm rotors.
im not per say a bike mechanic because i dont work yet, still studying but i know my bikes pretty well , i fix my bike myself , in malaysia , bike mechanics are rip off merchants . my bike also stops like from 20 kmh to 0 in 2.5 sec it depends on the pads an tension of cable. however hydraulics are very good but my personal preferance it of course mechanical
Bryan Jude Fernandez Id rather protect my spine and stick to hydraulic, never cheap out on braked
I'll go with the MECHANICAL BRAKES 💯👌🏼👍🏼
Dont
No dont
Hydraulic brakes are still mechanical. The difference is between how the mechanical brake is activated. Hydraulic or cable.
So, you compare the cheapest brakes against each other and then claim that i should "save my money" and go with the mechanical? Call me an idiot, but I am going to stick with my mid-level Shimano SLX brakeset that works flawlessly. I have had these brakes for about 2 years and have had to perform very little maintenance on them. Once a year i change the mineral fluid, the brake pads and ride. My next door neighbor has the mechanical brakes on an entry level Mongoose and they require a lot more maintenance and I can stop in half the distance. Of course there is a weight difference between my neighbor and myself, I weigh 200 lbs. with a 24 lb. bike and he weighs 145 lbs. with a 32 lb. bike.
+Christopher Kytle stick with it if it works for you. I’ve seen my son and his friends have a lot of problems with various levels of hydraulic brakes. We ended up buying a bleeding kit, and we’re going to learn how to do all the work on them ourselves, because it costs a lot at a bike shop. When they’ve had problems with the brakes, they have been at downhill bike parks, and had to pay the bike shop to fix them.
Hayes makes a nice feeler gauge specifically for aligning the caliper, works great. The GMBN videos on how to bleed help a lot getting rid of small air bubbles and I personally like the metal pads over the resin ones with the Ice Tech rotors. I have had zero fade with that set up. The last big trick I do is only wash my bike with Dawn dish washing soap, too many high tech soaps have additives that the brakes do not agree with. Good Luck and please message me if I can help you.
I like my sram guide :)
Christopher Kytle machanicals can be just a good you just need to get good ones
Those Shimano brakes in the video are very reliable though.. used to had those then upgraded to xt , could not feel the difference
going with mechanical
my reasons:
1.Less maintenance im broke🤣😅😑😐
2.no fluids
3.no leakage
4.im just in my big grandparents house
5.I dont know where to buy fluids becuz im a kid 11 years old
6.not that expensive
7.I dont go to fast
8. if you crashed and got your break cable tangled up or something you just need to replace the cable which couldn't said the same thing for hyrdraulic brakes
9. Mechanical disc brakes weigh absolutely nothing
10. They always work, even if your cables are damaged. They don’t leak, they just got damaged and need replacing some day
hahaha funny
Exactly what I’ve been thinking, I want I low maintenance reliable breaking system even if the preformance is slightly lower.
Exactly. A lot of people disagree with me in the comments, but I still think mechanical has a lot of benefits.
Not sure why you would want something if it reliably breaks. I think the entire point of a low maintenance braking system is that it does not break often.
I agree with you. That's why I'm gonna buy the TRP Spyke brake caliper.
I just took a look at their website. That sounds like a good unit.
The only thing I don't like about it is how the mechanical pad adjuster works. On every mechanical brake calliper I've used, there have been a click-system, like on the Avid BB7. On the TRP spyke, it have only a screw, on both sides, with loctite on. It still has a lot of good reviews though.
Finally, someone said about the benefits of mechanical brakes. They do not loose much their power during long descents by overheating. They are not perfect, but works very well to me.
Thanks. That’s what I thought when I made the video, but 95% of the people on the Internet disagree. I think mechanical brakes are fine for most casual bike riding, and they are lower maintenance than hydraulics.
@tom lewis Well... If you think about it, not every rider is a mountain biker. Almost everybody I know has a department store bike, without any disk brakes. Mechanical disk brakes are a cheap alternative for people that don't want to do much serious riding. And, they are a bit more versatile. Replacing the cable is a lot easier than having a brake bleed kit on you at all times. If the brake hose gets cut, it's fine, whereas on a hydraulic system, the brake is now useless until the hose is fixed or replaced. Then, you have to bleed. Despite being weaker, mechanical disk brakes appeal to a much wider audience of bikers while being reliable enough for some use. Both have their highs and lows.
@tom lewis Like I said, cars and motorbikes undergo very DIFFERENT conditions. They weigh a lot more, so they need more powerful brakes to stop. Plus, both go at much higher speeds, also making it harder to stop. For mountain bikes, mechanical disk brakes hold up fine. Hydraulic brakes are better for those that have a commitment for the sport. Those that only go riding once in a while (aka everyone else) will prefer something that works moderately well and doesn't require special maintenance. Besides, cars actually use drum brakes, which are entirely different and require hydraulics in the first place. Plus, the average car isn't driving up a mountain with rocks and doing descents.
@tom lewis Yeah, but as I stated BEFORE, not everybody NEEDS those brakes. Seriously, this isn't hard to understand. That's like spending money on a Lamborghini when you just need a normal car. Not everybody needs hydraulic disk brakes.
@tom lewis I never said they were better, but they each have their respective "domains."
I have the exact same hydraulic brakes and had the same spongy problem while riding down bumpy trails. Got the air bubbles out and that fixed the problem.
Yes. Bleeding will fix it. I bought the Shimano bleeding kit, and these brakes need bleeding about once a year.
@@hoohoohoblin that's considered bleeding? Bleeding doesn't involve flushing the system?
In my bike i have hydraulic disc brakes i have never maintenaced them in 2 years and they still work perfectly
+Xantteboy That is good. You should check the brake pads and bleed them pretty soon.
I think the biggest issue is the cable stretching especially when you really need to pull on them whereas the fluid will apply all the force given to it and be a lot more efficient.
Cables don't actually stretch. The individual strands are pulled tighter together though which allows the cable to elongate, but this only happens after the initial install at most, and it's a very minor amount. I think where a cable actually changes its length is when the housing caps aren't fully seated, or the housing itself compresses. You can fix both of those problems by using compressionless housing and squeezing the brake lever firmly once it's installed to snug the housing caps on.
If you bought a new or a properly maintained bike the hydraulic disc brakes are more reliable and need less maintenance and have waaaaay more stopping power
+Mr Cow you are definitely right about the power, but the reliability is questionable. My sons friends with their mountain bikes always have to go to the pro shop and get the bled when we go riding, and most of them have really high and set ups, but at some point the hydraulic brakes stop working. It happened to me this weekend in big bear with my rear brake. I think it would’ve been happier if it was mechanical, and I could trust it.
I have owned my bike with hydraulic brakes for about two years now. Never once have I had to bleed them. They are no high end brakes but they are way stronger than any mechanical brakes I know.
Might I also say that I only need one finger to lock up the wheels
he is not right about the power, the power depends on the size of pad surface, dual piston mechanical brake with as much pad surface, and exact rotors, & properly set up, should perform as well, the Rotor heat dissipation, where floating rotors make a huge difference, properly sized pistons, will make a difference too, because of more even force applied.
with dual piston mechanical brakes you can use one finger if they are set up properly, I can do a stoopie with one finger with my TRP Spyke.
In my opinion hydraulic is the way to go. I bought a new MTB recently with hydraulic brakes and it just feels like there is so much more force applied
Nice explanation and honest opinion that makes perfect sense. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Thanks. As you can see by the comments, this is a very controversial subject, but I really like my cable disc brakes.
Great points! I am trying to figure out what's the best for my son's breaks. pros and cons are really helpful.
Thanks
The brakes that work will help prevent your son's breaks.
For bikes mechanical far superior (and cheaper). For cars, which need balanced force at all four wheels the hydraulic system is superior.
I went from Hayes MX5 mechanical to Hayes Dominion hydraulic. Why didn’t I do it sooner. The difference is huge. They are so much lighter touch and easier to dose the power with smoother breaking and no more locking up wheels.
You’re right that it is an easier pole. That really does make a big difference if you’re doing a lot of braking. For regular riding around town, I don’t notice the difference, but when we do downhill mountain, biking with the ski lift taking us up the hill, mechanical brakes, make your hands tired by the middle of the day.
I love my hydrolic disc brakes they are amazing
How often do you slam on the brakes fully? Hydrolic brakes require much less force in normal use than cable ones, especially if you don't use the worst possible ones to use in your comparison
Hydraulic brakes do have their advantages, since pads come in contact from both directions you get much better stoping power and modulation. However, they feel horrible when they are spongy. They are also hell to maintain, especially bleeding where the port holes have to be oriented upright when bleeding and protecting your paint from that very corrosive brake fluid.
+Lukas Ekers that’s what I was thinking when I made this video. A lot of people seem to disagree with me. I guess it depends on what kind of bicyclist you are. For someone who just wants a cheap bike to ride and doesn’t want to do a lot of maintenance, the mechanical brakes make sense and are safer and more reliable. For someone who is really serious about going fast, and doesn’t mind doing maintenance are paying someone to do maintenance, and doesn’t mind spending a lot of money on a bike, hydraulics make more sense.
Get shimano brakes mineral oil isnt corrosive
Shimano's are probably the best when it comes to brakes, they are also much easier to re-bleed with that neat tub and plunger system. But some bikes such as mine come designed with sram in mind, this means it has all kids of matchmakers, making it expensive and unpractical to convert to a different brand of brakes or shifters.
Lukas Ekers sucks to be you aha i prefer shimano but everyone has preferences i dont like being locked into a certain brand
that not what you said in the video
Awesome feed back I also have the mechanical they are avid bb7 ballbearing works great once dialed in but are super adjustable I'm now working on my front forks getting those manatou makhors 100mm I have a 26"frame small trials mostly commuter bike every day rain sleet hail got several tires and carbon bars stem n seat post great job on reviews alot of people get away from this sport once they start seeing prices but remember some big box bikes are now equivalent to what people mtb racers where riding when this sport started bro with your bike add parts as needed main focus should be skills and assembly thanks for another great post
Thanks. A lot of people really hate this video. I appreciate the positive comment. I think the mechanical brakes are fine for most purposes, and I probably better than really cheap hydraulic brakes. The Manitou Markhor fork works really well when we ride the bike on downhill trails. I like it better than the Rockshox Recon on the other bike. You will be really happy with it.
Mine came with hydraulic and a 2015 bike bought in May 2016 and ridden easy until Nov 2017 and both front & rear hydraulics went out within weeks of each other. First it was the rear, then front. Fortunately the brakes are warrantied for life for leaks. But to take advantage of it you have to send them back for a swap. End of the day, I bought an inexpensive mechanical kit front & rear that uses Avid BB5/BB7 brake pads. I'd love to see a real test of the difference in stopping distance between the two types of disc brakes. I lean towards what the video does, Mechanical aren't going to have hydraulic failure. Hydraulic failures do give you a little warning, they get spongy, and will pump up. Mine use DOT 4 brake fluid, others use mineral oil. That said DOT 4 absorbs moisture and will become contaminated easier. And then you're getting a kit of syringes to burp & bleed the lines. Totally more effort and expense than I want from a reliable and inexpensive bicycle braking system. We'll see how the mechanicals perform vs the hydraulics. Like I post here, I'd like to see the same cyclist ride the same models of bike equipped with each brake system at 20 mph and see which brakes stop the bike first in terms of feet. I've seen comparison on all kinds of road conditions and at same speed, disc vs rim and there is a difference, but don't recall whether it was hydraulic disc or mechanical cable disc vs the mechanical cable rim brakes. That video had SRAM Red disc & rim road brakes, so I'm almost sure the discs were hydraulic. That comparison was on identical model road bikes anyway with the brakes and riders being the only difference. I have to assume the cyclists were about the same weight ? But that would make a difference too if they weren't.
+Jim Camp I would expect them to both stop equally well, if the bike is the same weight, the tires are the same, and the rider is the same person. Both hydraulic and mechanical brakes have enough power to lock up the wheels and skid at full speed, so power isn’t an issue.
I prefer cable ones they just seem more effective and seem to last me longer if you keep them lubed up you won’t have a problem I never do...
That’s what I was thinking when I made this video, but most people disagree with me. I think if you have a bike that you plan to keep for years and don’t ride very often, it’s more likely that hydraulic brakes will get spongy and needs servicing then cable brakes do.
@@hoohoohoblin People who have a bike with hydraulic brakes - which are more expensive - will never admit that a cheaper type of brake has its advantages as well . . . because they will feel guilty that they spent the extra money on the hydros. I use Tektro mechanical brakes on my MTB and they give me more stopping power than I will ever need. I don't have weak hands and I don't need to use one finger only to brake either. I have five fingers on each hand, and using 2 of them for braking seems quite reasonable to me :-) I liked the video well done!
I've owned a few bikes, the first decent one I had came with the same shimano hydro brakes that are on that bike and they work decent. I moved to a newer XC bike with avid elixer 5 and they work better but not super better. I then got a dirt jumper with bottom line sram guide levers and i can say with absolute certainty, nicer brakes will make a huge difference. I even rode my first decent bike because I sold it to a friend, and it had almost no braking power compared to the srams.
I have hydraulic brakes on my MTB, i have had high end cable brakes and hydraulic brakes. i can say for sure that the hydraulic brakes have much better stopping power, are easy to pull on, very low maintenance and in my case they self adjust so they "Set themselves up" for me. today i bled them for the first time in about 4 years and thats all i have ever had to do with them (pads changed of course) but other than that no maintenance. They work so well, cable driven is not too bad i had a good set that i had to mess about with alot and even replace the cable at one point. there is much more to go wrong on cable driven IMO. the cable can come loose and be dangerous as it slips, there is alot of adjusting that needs to be done to get it right.
the bleed procedure is simple on most brakes now and so it makes maintaining them alot easier. plus the whole system is lubricated including the pistons via the oil, so this means you rarely have to grease them unlike the cable driven.
each to their own i guess but 4 years on my brakes and done little to no maintenance, and i dont have to fiddle about with them on the trail as the non existent cable does not come loose. that was my big gripe about the high end cable brakes i had, yes hydraulic is more expensive but i think they work great and require little maintenance from the end user and are reliable.
seems a shame you guys had a bad experience with them as they can be really good, i wont ever go back to cable
thanks for the video by the way :)
Thanks for the good info. I think what happened to us was that we got the cheapest possible hydraulic brakes. I bet they more expensive ones are great. And we were using the bike for downhill riding at a bike park, so the brakes got really hot and faded.
Best move ever ripped hydralic off put in trash put on set of mechanical disc no problems strong brakes good in cold weather and heavy brakin. Ill never run hydros again .
One thing you didnt mention is that sometimes is better to have only 1 finger on the brake, and hydralic allows you to lock up with one finger where you might not be able to with mechanical.
+Michael Crawford yes. Very true. There is a lot less lever effort. You don’t notice it much on short rides, but when I do downhill all day, the hydraulics are definitely better in terms of lever effort and arm fatigue.
This. Needing only 1 finger covering the brake leaves (for most people) 4 fingers on the bars to deal with rough terrain at high speed.
I have mechanical disk brakes... 7 years already... i didnt have any problem with it... its more reliable..
I agree.
I agree... My bike brake went out on my hydraulic brakes and now I'm trying to learn how to fix it
I agree completely. I recently bought a used cross country bike with hydraulics and they are driving me crazy. They are too spongy and I thought they needed a fix. I visited every mechanic in my town and they told me that the brakes are perfectly fine and good as new. I also tried the super expensive brakes on my friends' bikes and they felt even worse. I really miss my old rock solid mechanical brakes. Cheap, reliable, strong and easy maintenance. The guy in the video is right, hydraulics are maybe just for DH riders who need to break constantly over the steep trails
+botonja thanks for commenting on this video. Most people are hating on me for liking mechanical brakes. We’ve had to do a lot of work on my sons bike Sprague’s, and his friends bikes hydraulic brakes just to keep them working properly. I think mechanical
brakes would’ve been much better. There are companies who make really good mechanical brakes, and they aren’t cheap, but they work great. My son has avid BB seven brakes on his dirt jump bike, and they are really nice. Much better than ones on my bike in the video.
Great video with some good points..I still use Avid BB5 on the rear and BB7 on the front,matched with Avid SD7 levers,which means I can adjust reach,bite point and the lever pull ratio (never seen that on hydraulics) ,sure I get a little arm pump but I can feel everything the brakes are doing,to me hydraulics are like a switch,well the Shimano 1s I tried were :-)
That’s a good set up. My bike has the really cheap mechanical brakes, but I know that the higher end ones are really good.
I recently upgraded my mechanical to hydraulic. My first impression is that mechanical is just as powerful as the hydraulic, not sure why many are saying mechanical is not powerful enough. Maybe it’s not adjusted properly? The best thing which makes my upgrade worth it is the lever feel which mechanical cannot match, it’s very refined and you’re not feeling the cable friction/tension whatsoever.
That’s exactly right. Both have the same stopping power, but a hydraulic lever is a lot easier to pull then a mechanical lever.
I have a road bike with wired brakes, and my hands get tired after a while from using them when racing, but my dads hydraulic one doesn’t tire you out as much. i also have a hybrid bike (trek DS) with hydraulic brake. i haven’t encountered an issue with them yet, and they’re rlly good. i guess i’m fine with the higher maintenance if my hands don’t have to be stiff at the end of the day
I'm not a mountainbiker but on a road bike I stand up on the pedals to catch more wind and that slows down enough. You can also open your shirt or raincoat. Not saying brakes don't matter but this is what sailors do if the sea level drops.
I've been riding my Stoke CRX-8 for the second year (season) now and the only maintenance for the Tektro disk brakes was changing the pads. The braking power seems still solid, a little bit dimmed on the rear wheel, due to more usage, to be fair, I assume, however there were no leakings or any other issues. The braking power is consistent and highly reliable, especially when commuting in traffic where, when encountering unexpected situations, immediate breaking saves you from trouble. I tried both mechanical rim and disk brakes and so far, but I would never turn back, over the hydraulic disk brakes.
I’m having so many issues with my Shimano hydraulic system. Shops don’t seem to bleed them well, so they’re spongy and fail. I bled them myself and got all the air bubbles out, but the front one exploded! Turns out the ceramic piston was shattered. Replaced it and got things all put together and it felt great. After one ride they are leaking again. Meanwhile, I can still jump on my Jamis from 2003 with mechanical disk brakes and stop no problem, without ever even replacing the cables, and rarely lubing them! I’m about to switch out the hydraulic for cables, or else just go back to using my feet!
I agree. I learned how to bleed the Shimano brakes, and they’re working OK now, but definitely less reliable and require more maintenance than mechanical brakes.
Hydraulic Disc Brakes The Better
So I recently bought some hydraulic brakes that come with new rotors. The rotors are 160 but look nice, the ones I have now are 180. Would the 160s with hydraulics perform better than mechanical with 180s?
I bet they both have the same stopping power. Realistically, either one would be able to lock up the wheel at high-speed. The difference with hydraulics is the lever effort is a lot lower, so it takes less muscle to pull the lever.
yeah I'm gonna stick to mechanicals :D
Yeah, but cable or hydraulic?
For you off roaders, downhill riders, mountain bikers I can see why you might prefer mechanical. But for us that ride on asphalt, basically street use only, hydraulic can not be beat. They work well, without adjusting or bleeding and have superior stopping ability.
Great video! Thank you for your analysis and opinion!
You’re welcome
I am a complete novice with bikes, but considering buying a mountain bike with hydraulic brakes. I am curious, why you would need to frequently bleed the brakes? With a car etc you don't bleed the brakes unless you have opened the brake system and replaced the hydraulic oil, why would you need to on a bike?
Good question. I don’t know the answer, but we have to bleed them often.
which is best disk brake
If the hydraulics are constantly losing pressure either they are not bled correctly/well, and or the fluid needs changing. Less likely is is that you are simply under braked for the trails you are riding and they are seriously over heating, possibly up rating the pads and rotors would help failing that an up grade of the entire system.
The main benefit of hydraulics over mechanical's apart from contrary to the video that they need less maintenance or adjustment, is the lower effort required and greater modulation meaning one finger braking is possible leaving the rest of the riders fingers secure around the grips. This makes a huge difference to the feeling of control on steep rough decent's and it is far safer being less likely to slip off the bars.
You have air in the system . That's why you have spongy brakes
Or moisture. If they are using DOT brake fluid like a car does. That kind of fluid absorbs moisture from the air. Moisture in the lines is compressible which makes brakes feel spongy. Excessive moisture can even cause the brakes to completely fail. That is why, with cars, manufacturers recommend a full fluid flush every 2 years - which very few people actually ever do.
I heard that the hydraulics in cold weather below 35 degrees don't work I think if you're riding a bike that is less than 150 lbs mechanical brakes are just fine. I agree a waste of money along with high maintenance issues it's not worth it.. But I'm sure there are some good uses for them but not for your every day biking needs..As with all disc brakes one should never pull on the front brake lever to fast & to hard let alone hydraulics respond much faster & may result in flip overs the worst type of falls of face plants... Nice vid of info thanks for sharing...
100% depends on what you’re seeking to get out of a system. And 100% agree with the guy in the video
Quick, dirty and reliable (plus a low cost) > “sealed system”, especially if you don’t NEED it.
Purely from maintenance perspective - the less complicated the system is, the easier it is to fix. “Shitty” brakes are better than no brakes.
Exactly! Thanks.
The hose on my Shimano brakes burst downhill so my Carrera Vulcan now has mechanical brakes
After riding downhill with both types of brakes, I trust the mechanicals more. Hydraulics do have less lever effort and better feel.
I've got bikes with both and the mechanicals do stop fine. But it is much more work and way crappier feel. A lot more anxiety if you have to stop fast.
Hi, i have a question for your and you subscriber, i have mechanical disk brakes on my front wheel and v-break on my rear wheel.
Is this a good combo ? or should i change my rear v-break and go full disk?
Thanks and have a good day!
I think that’s fine. There’s no problem with that. Both of those types of brakes work, so if I were you I would just keep it that way.
@@hoohoohoblin Thanks for the answer I appreciate it.
Have a nice day!
All I can say is try bombing down Heartbreak ridge in North Carolina with mech brakes. With my SLX hydros just needed one finger on each brake lever. With mech brakes that would never work ( talking from experience). I have also found my hydros to be way less maintenance.
those are the lowest end hydraulic brakes you can get and nearly cost the same as the mechanical ones
The salt in these comments is ridiculous.
This is the most controversial video on the internet!
Obviously you have your reasons for coming to this conclusion but hydraulic are certainly more powerful and a lot easier to modulate. I've been using them for about 17 years and have had no problems at all. They are more pricey than cable operated but that's also down to the fact that there aren't any high end cable ones, Shimano don't do XTR calipers with a cable for instance. Don't be afraid to buy used, as long as they're in decent condition they'll be as good as new ones. There are plenty of gear freaks who buy the latest wonder brake and sell perfectly usable ones on, you can pick up some good bargains if you look around a bit.
Bleeding them is basic maintenance and if you're unable to do it then I'd suggest having a look at some of the how-to videos posted, it's an easy job, you even have Shimano brakes which are easier to do than Avid. I don't want to sound like an overblown lecturer but doing your own maintenance is very satisfying and takes very little time. There are tons of videos around showing you how to do anything, the Park Tools ones are excellent.
And that rear shifter cable made me wince, such a huge loop hanging out the back of your bike is just begging to get snagged on something.
+Mainz Man Thanks. That all makes good sense. I just figured we could get through more than a few months using the hydraulics before they got all spongy, and that they wouldn’t have to be bled two or three times a year. The scariest part was that they would work fine and then start to fail while riding downhill. We bought a bleeding kit, so now we can do it ourselves.
It is very strange that they should work fine and become spongy during a ride. Do they get better after a day or so of being unused? It could be that there is air getting into the brake lines from the master cylinder reservoir, perhaps the fluid level is a bit low. Leaving the bike standing for a day or so can give that air time to rise back up the hoses and into the reservoir, thereby making the brakes work OK again. When you ride the bike the fluid sloshes about and, if the level is low, air gets back into the lines and causes problems.
It may be that a simple brake fluid level check will sort them.
Fingers crossed for you.
i know for dirt jumping people who do mad tailwhips and barspins need hydralic ones cause cables will be too long and like it wont have stopping power
I had the same hydraulic shimano brakes and I had had lots of problems that the brake was not strong enough. After a while I bent both levers. I changed the brake levers to shorter ones and after that they were flawless. There was more power and I didn't have to worry about the lever being to big. I would recommend to do it
Which model are these?
I bougt a Focus MTB back in 2004, Magura Julie hydraulic discbrakes.
The bike has been used regularly and the only thing I had to do with the brakes was changing the pads.
I bought I used talon 0 29er from 12, and it's hydraulic avid juicy 1s work flawlessly. Hydraulic brakes work as well as you treat them. And trust me, this bike wasn't taken care of in the best way. It has rust on its shifters and lots of chips.
Few points from me:
mechanical and hydraulic disc brakes are similar in stopping power. But bike control si much better if you can use one finger. Yes hydraulic disc brakes needs bleeding. They start feeling spongy when overheat. My opnion is mechanical are pretty good for somebody at entry level bike. If you are thinking about something better go for hydraulic brakes - shimano SLX and higher and buy icetech rotors and pads (i dont know which brakes from sram have good fading resistance so i cant recommand this way :) )
+MrMarfy131 you are correct. The experience of using hydraulic brakes is much better if you have some expensive ones. The ones on this bike are some of the cheapest ones you can get, and when we do eight hours at a downhill bike park, they tend to fade, whereas the mechanical ones are consistent all the time. You are correct that hydraulic ones are a lot easier to squeeze, and at the end the day after eight hours of using mechanical brakes, my arms are pretty tired.
You can also snap a cable with mechanical brakes and it sucks when you do.
or puncture a hose,, snag that shit on something and rip it free. I prefer the tuck and roll method of stopping.. brakes are for pussies
mechanical disc brake cable are easier to replace provided you have an extra cables with you unlike the hydraulic brakes it can be messy with bleeding etc
Yes..mech brakes are awesome.Good review.That sales marketing kills the mech brakes. On a long trail adventure..mech are reliable. Nice review. Thanks.
You’re welcome. I agree. They are much more reliable in my experience, but there’s definitely less lever effort with a properly set up hydraulic system. For a lot of people lever effort really doesn’t matter.
Hydraulic on bicycles must be comparatively new. Meh, I usually wait for other people to suffer the headaches of cutting edge tech. Down the line if something worth having, it's a lot cheaper and more reliable that way.
Disk brakes makes sense on bikes. The disk spins slower than the rim and stays cleaner, so you have more stopping power. My mechanical ones work great and I just have to tighten the cable every once in a while as the pads wear down. My son and his friends have hydraulic brakes on their bikes, and they have a lot of problems with them.
The disks on my Kawi are cable operated and work great.
I feel the same ! Nice review and comparo ! I have mecanical Hayes MX5 , with 160 rotors. I want to change the front rotor with a larger one(180 or 203) and some adapter, because I have 87 KG and on downhills it will be better. Also the bigger rotor i think will bring some nice modulation to the brake ? What rotor do you recomend ?
+Tanase Liviu My son has an Avid BB7 mechanical disk brake on his dirt jump bike, and it is nice. Better than the brakes on my bike for sure.
What I've actually learnt with this video: bikes community is full of butthurts.
Now now Evans, why would you say that ?
You just can't learn everything about us through just one video...
Ah, my butt is killing me..
If you find a deal on these....avid bb7 with juicy levers (the adjustable levers) with 203 rotors....no issues going on 6 years....XC riding of course. I found with hydraulic (shimano slx/xt) if you have any air bubbles you will get the sponge feeling and the modulation is still better with my mechanical....makes me think that a lot of the hydraulic hype is just a sales pitch...
+Travis West You are 100% correct. My son just bought a dirt jump bike with avid BB seven brakes on it, and everything about them looks really really good. The adjustability is built right onto the caliper, the cable is sturdy, and you always know exactly what it’s going to do. If I were going to build a bike today from scratch, I would put avid BB seven brakes on it.
Why the fuck do u have 203 rotors on an xc bike
Bc I do pretty hardcore xc/all mountain and with a 203 front rotor I can feather the break/modulate my speed with out putting a death grip on the break lever for better control (my total rider weight with all my gear and crap is approximately 210lbs)
Brake#
Travis West so your saying you have downhill brakes on an xc bike when most enduros have either 203/180 or 180/160 and also they weigh a shit tonne more
As a pro bike mechanic and a hydraulic mechanic for the military, I can promise you that the hydraulic disc brakes are better fir a variety of reasons. MUCH smoother, cleaner, and an upgraded ride feel than the traditional and outdated mechanical brakes.
are they expensive to maintain?
have both; hydraulic brakes are self adjusting whereas mechanical brakes need make adjustments at the outer bound and inner bound side of the brake pad NOT the cable
You have to maintain you stuff regardless. Especially of you are doing bikepark runs with those kind of brakes. You can boil the brake fluid or glase the pads. If you have hydrolic brakes you can move the leaver futher in on the handlebar and get away with one finger braking without compromising the bakeforce. Armpump has just as much to do with going over uneven Surface at high speed or squeezing the grips to tight as it can be related to braking. I Think that you should by new pads for the hydrolic ones, and a bleed kit. Watch some how to vids, and ty it out. Shimano brakes are easily bled, and once you get that done properly the feel will be consistant and nice. The move the lever in on the handlbar so the edge of it is reached with your index finger only, then you´re on the right track.
Good advice. Thanks. We've paid people to bleed the brakes, but I've bought a kit so I can do it more frequently myself. They tend to get squishy towards the end of the day at the downhill bike park.
I want to buy a new bike, i am just wondering wheater to go for hydraulic or mechanical, I have always only used rim brakes.. What i am afraid of is that the hydraulic breakes are atleast three times costlier and I am afraid that, the bike may fall at some point duringy tour and I end up spilling the oil or damaging the hd break... Mech break seems to be reliable... Or am I wrong are hd breaks fragile.?
I believe, mechanical brakes are more reliable, and easier to maintain as long as you learn how to adjust them, which is very easy. With cheap hydraulic brakes, they can leak and lose fluid.
When will we get frictionless disk brakes?
I need to disagree with you because i also have that set of “crappy” hidraulic brakes and i had no problem with them . Two years only one bleed and i am on the trail again , and they are actually very consistent ! I am sorry to see that you got to hate on hidraulic just because a small inconvenience . And actually i may ask hiw many times do you need to change a cable compared to how many times do you need to bleed a hidraulic system ( a propper one)?
Maybe part of our problem with these brakes was that my son was using them on black diamond downhill trails at a bike park with a ski lift, and they really weren’t meant for it and got too hot. We had to bleed them a bunch of times, and even after that they get pretty spongy after half a day downhilling. That bike lasted two seasons before he bought a better bike.
Cable brakes are great for touring, especially when you need to make an emergency repair on the side of the road. There's a lot more to it than just actuation, modulation, and performance.
The OG Avid BB7s on my single speed are set up to be easier to pull than some hydraulics I've used, and I trust them. It doesn't mean I don't like a good hydraulic brake though. I just find cheap hydraulics to be marketing driven more than anything, and less useful to somebody who has no idea how to repair them.
+Alex Paulsen my son has avid BB seven brakes on his dirt jump bike, and they look really good and work great. I would prefer those over a cheap entry-level hydraulic set up. Good performance, more reliable, no fading.
I agree. The cost of annual maintenance with care for the hydraulic brake lines vs the cost of some bike chain lube and a rag for occasional basic home maintenance helped convince me away from a slightly higher model bike. I’ve got mechanical disc brakes and I’m happy.
The hydraulics rarely (if at all!) block the wheel, while are also more powerful. The mechanicals, upon the other hand…
I wouldn't generalise based on your experience. I think the conclusion that you can make is that this particular hydraulic barke on this bike with these usage pattern, and this particular mechanical brake on the other bike, on a similar usage pattern perfomed like that. I think to draw a general conclusion from hydraulic to mechanical, you would need to test a wide range of brands, models, bikes, usage scenarios and then you could draw a conclusion. My personal experience is that there are both crappy and good hydraulic disc brakes, and crappy and good mechanical disc brakes.
That’s very true. Before buying any brake set, I would read a bunch of reviews first. There are good ones of you the variety, and they both have good stopping power.
Hi is there a way of adjusting the force i have to apply to my mechanical disk brake levers its quite alot harder with my back brake the the front one especially when i need to use 1 or 2 fingers, Thanks and i always enjoy watching your vids
You might be able to find a different lever that gives you more of a mechanical advantage. Or try moving the lever over towards the center of the handlebars, so you are pulling on the end of the lever rather than the middle of it. You will have more leverage that way.
You said "pump it up" rather than bleed. What are you riding pneumatic? While that would be absolutely awesome since pneumatics are very interesting, the reality is that hydraulics are the way to go for biking. The stopping power and the feel, an unstoppable combo. Not to mention it is generally a cooler system to understand and screw around with. Hell, I threw on a pedal and hydraulic car disc brake system to my bike. After I balanced the heavy discs which were placed on the right of each wheel, combined 40 pounds, I began to ride. I tell you when I pressed that brake pedal, I damn near flew off the bike like ET...... my bike stopped in just 4 inches.
Oh by pumping it up I meant squeeze the brake lever a bunch of times to build up some pressure on the brakes. When there are bubbles in the system, you sometimes have to squeeze a lever a bunch of times before the brakes activate.
What happens if there is no Hydraulic fluid ?
I think my bike is loosing some.
If it all leaks out, the brakes won’t work at all. The front and rear are separate, so if one of them loses all its fluid, the other brake will still work.
@@hoohoohoblin Only one is loosing a little bit but its fixable.