Hydraulic Vs Mechanical Disc Brakes For Bikepacking
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- Hydraulic disc brakes deliver exceptional stopping power and precise control, perfect for demanding terrains. However, they can be pricey and require more maintenance. Mechanical disc brakes offer reliability and easier upkeep, making them budget-friendly options. But are they sufficient for your bikepacking needs?
We break down performance, durability, maintenance, and cost factors, ensuring you're equipped with the knowledge to make the right choice. Whether you're a seasoned bikepacker or just starting out, this guide will help you make an informed decision.
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i will add that there are big differences in mechanical brakes too. You have single piston and dual piston. Single piston are not great and you should stay away from them, they basically work by pushing the pad on one side with the other being fixed. This means that the fixed pad needs to be adjusted to barely touch the disk and the more it wears the further it gets from the disk so it will pull your disk crooked. The dual piston ones push on both sides and work much better, brakes like the tektro c550 for example, they even have a screw to adjust pad distance which makes these super easy to maintain.
Mechanicals are easier in maintenance. no liquid change every some months, and you can fix them on the fly if sth happens on the road. no way to do that on hydraulics. if they fail you... you ride without brakes till you get back
Yeah roadside repair mechanical are the way forward... they actually do a mixed version of mech and hydro
Hydraulic is the worst on a bicycle. I just changed mine to mechanical.
Hydraulic brakes are high maintenance. Mechanical you can always adjust and move on unlike hydraulic if you have a leak. It takes two people to bleed a simple break.
You can install mtb hydros on drop bars.
I dont carry spare cable, housing, cutters, levers or caliper parts so my mechanicals are not really repairable trailside/roadside without a bike shop anyway. When the mechanicals shifted out of wack, worked their way out of adjustment, got packed with sand/mud, cable started dragging from friction, sure you could take them apart clean and tune them but the thing is in the 15-20 years I have been using hydraulics I have never had one fail or need adjusted on a trip or ride (just fresh pads). I remember having to stop and realign the caliper (most mechanicals have one fixed pad) on my bb7's after every other big set of hills and daily cable adjustments and tweaks to get them to stop rubbing (the ting ting ting ting sound would drive me insane) Today you are more likely to find bike shops stock and understand hydro brakes more than mechanicals. The only reason to go mechanical over hydraulic is cost, road lever hydro is still pretty high in cost, and you cant even save money buying used because you would need new housing and a bleed kit as well. If I could not swing the cost of hydro for a drop bar bike I would go with an alt bar and flat bar hydros they can be had for the same or less than better mechanicals. I honestly believe anyone that says mechanicals are better than hydros probably never used hydraulics or just doesn't want to spend the money. ***I admit on flat ground or rail trail hydros are probably not worth the cost
My Ray! Thanks for such a lovely comment and I agree! I'm a big fan of hydros and bike shops are so much more set up for it in modern times. They are just so different from one another right?
I use cable actuated hydrolic callipers. They are the best compromise from both worlds.
Ahhhh this is interesting I have only ridden them once, what do you think?
@@bikepackist I have quite a few bike. 2 of them or the bikepacking ones I put cable actuated hydrolic callipers and I'm extremely satisfied. Bear in mind that I'm 125kg and on wet I must have disc brakes to stop with the bikepacking gear. I have couple of bikes with Shimano 105 hydrolic set up and one with mechanical (not for long) the benefits of the hybrid brakes are :
1. 90-95% from the fully hydrolic brakes performance.
2. Cheap to fit and to service. Pair of calipers has the same price as hydrolic pads only.
3. Very good modulation close to the fully hydrolic brakes, therefore easy to adjust.
4. Easy to look after. Just new cable and adjust. That's it.
5. Lighter than fully hydrolic.
6. Fit any groupset.
I really love them, especially for bikepacking. A dedicated gravel hydrolic groupsets are very expensive.
Regards,
Here's this video as a written article!!!
bikepackist.com/2023/09/26/hydraulic-or-mechanical-disc-brakes-which-is-best-for-bikepacking/