Hydraulic vs Mechanical Bike Disk Brakes - Which is Better?
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- čas přidán 2. 09. 2017
- 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 - Auta a dopravní prostředky
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
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
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.
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.
I have never had issues with mechanical brakes jamming up, but they have seals.
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)
Overall, though, valid points in support of mechanical brakes were made here.
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.
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)
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
Watching this I didn’t know there were 2 types. Thanks for the review.
You’re welcome
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
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'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.
Great video! Thank you for your analysis and opinion!
You’re welcome
I think he pretty much hit the nail on the head with this video.
Thanks for the video ❤️
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.
Finally a straight forward answer. Thank you! Bleeding brakes, spungy... yep, I'm going with the mechanical ones.
You’re welcome
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
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.
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 .
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
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
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.
helpful video. thank you.
You’re welcome
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.
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 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 get like 1200 miles out of an entry level brake set ($30 a front or rear brake complete) but with the shimano deore brakes I’ve been running are super reliable and super powerful I also notice a lot less fade from hydraulics and I have more feel with the hydros
nice man thanks for sharing
You’re welcome
i have avid mech bb7 on my yeti asx, and i love it!
There’s a good breaks. They are better than the ones on my bike.
I was looking for that video. Recently I bought a mosso legarda 1824 hydraulic by shimano. but I found out that I'm 250lbs and hydraulic brakes did great job stopping me. even I done stoppies.
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.
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.
*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 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?
Can anyone give me any tips on buying a mountain bike with disc brakes I don't mind which ones but on a budget of 180 pounds and this is a little thing which I would like is the gears to be one of those thumb and index finger paddles rather than the other rubber things and I know my budget is way too tight
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.
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.
Modulation is better with hydraulics. You definitely do not want to lock up brakes. Hydraulics give you more control on how much power you can apply before you lock up. The low lever pull force that you mentioned is a big one. The harder you have to press, the more arm pump you get. Hydralucs can be pressed with one finger while stopping you with a tremendous amount of force. In my experience, mechanical takes more force, I usually have to use two fingers with mechanicals.
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.
yeah I'm gonna stick to mechanicals :D
Yeah, but cable or hydraulic?
Thanks for advice 🥰😘
You’re welcome.
I have the MT200s and got a better set of pads for my 2020 Trek Roscoe 7. So far they work great but im getting some Shimano M-8020 4 pstons soon.
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?
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.
@@michaelzschoche2746 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.
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
I agree... My bike brake went out on my hydraulic brakes and now I'm trying to learn how to fix it
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
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.
those are the lowest end hydraulic brakes you can get and nearly cost the same as the mechanical ones
Before I moved to hydraulic disc brakes I had a cantilever on the front and a v-brake on the back and it worked fine... there may be a merit for thinking that you could have a hydraulic in the back and maybe a mechanical one at the front
I like the bulletproof all weather/temprature workin trp spyre....They are the ak 47 of disc brakes and complete enough power for my gravel/cross bike....
For bikes mechanical far superior (and cheaper). For cars, which need balanced force at all four wheels the hydraulic system is superior.
You have same brakes on the silver bike as i do (I mean the system what allows you to change gears)
I have same hydraulic breaks never had any problems with them I think they kick ass for the money.
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.
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'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I have the hydraulics and love them!!!
They are great when they’re working. Once you figure out how to bleed them, it’s really not that difficult. We have to do it about once a year with this bike.
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)
I have both different brakes on two of my bikes and I'm going to have to go with the hydraulic brakes but like you said they do get spongey and I'm not sure how to fix that without bringing it to a shop
It probably needs to have the fluid replaced and bubbles bled out.
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...
I hope there'd be an adapter so i can use my Roadbike shift brakes with hydraulic cylinder brakes.
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.
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.
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 love my hydrolic disc brakes they are amazing
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.
Wait so the same way all the fluid can squirt out of a hydrolic, can't the cables snap on a mechanical brake? I've had multiple cables snap on me while I'm going down hill and the cables aren't cheap to replace (for me). so when It does happen which is easier/cheaper to replace? Do you just add more fluid to the hydraulic? do you have to buy whole new cables for it too just like the Mechanical? (I've never used hydrolic)
Last i checked the fluid is expensive and you need to top it up multiple times a month
Where as mechanical that dont happen they just work
Tho in your case the cables are snapping?
Either you ARE fitting them wrong or you ARE buying crap ones
I have been abusing bikes for almost 2 decades and not once had a brake cable snap let alone multiple times
Your either crushing too hard, using the wrong angle, not using STEEL cables or something else that YOU are doing wrong because the cables shouldn’t snap!!
Only way i can see them snapping is you constantly bottoming out the breaks and pulling way harder than you need too
And if thats the case your breaks must suck as you are either grinding your wheels to death or your breaks are slipping
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.
What should I do to fix this problem on my tektro hydraulic brakes? The front has no issue ever slams tight! The rear one though after holding it does exactly what he said about the spongey feeling that you have to somewhat pump it.
+SGT KUSHM4N You either need to burp it or bleed it. Look up brake burping on CZcams and you will find a how to video. If it needs bleeding, you will need special tools.
My favourite is hydraulic bike the front disc rotor also suspension to 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Thanks for the information. It really helped clear up the differences in the braking systems.
You’re welcome.
I'm thinking of swapping my hydraulic brakes for mechs because I find the bleeding such a difficult task, and there isn't a proper bike shop for a looong way
What’s the shimano brakes model? Do you have the number?
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
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
Another point: Mechanical brakes are screeching annoying sound... hydraulic are quiet and smooth...
Yes
I want to upgrade to hydraulic brakes, mainly due to the fact that they automatically adjust for wear: if improperly adjusted, mech brakes eat brake disks and pads for BREAKfast, lunch and dinner.
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 use mechanical on my gt pantera sport, I ride in NYC, not s professional rider because I just got off a single speed into MTB, but I have 10 years of riding experience on a bicycle, I'm 16, and they require low maintenance, I don't know how to do any trick except 2 stroke lil wheelie but I have got balance when going no hands
While pointing directly at the Name logo: “System so crappy it doesn’t have a name on it”
I have mechanical disk brakes... 7 years already... i didnt have any problem with it... its more reliable..
I agree.
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!
Disagree, i have mechs and hydro in my two bikes, the Shimano deore are just another world compared to my mech, going fast downhill the deores are just flawless meanwhile the mechs are terrible
+Thvich1 hydraulics are great when they’re working, but we’ve had problems with them on various bikes. The bike in the video is an entry-level hydraulic brake bike, but on my sons friends high-end hydraulic brake bikes, they’ve also had problems. I bought a brake bleeding kit and some oil, so we can fix it at the bottom of the mountain when we need to, but the scary thing is when your brakes stop working in the middle of a downhill run. That happened to me yesterday, and it was not fun.
hoohoohoblin maybe because your sons friend doesn't know how to look after them, and actually I'd say there is more to go wrong with the mechanical because dirt can easily get in and jam crap up and if the cable is bent it will cause friction and that means you'll have to put more effort into braking, a well looked after hydraulic brake will always outperform a mechanical braking system no matter how nice and clean you keep it even on High end mechanical braking systems which you won't find because people realize that hydraulic is the way to go.
I've got deore hydraulic brakes on my bike, I've changed the pads once (last year) and that is it, going on 4 years. I ride quite a bit, alot of fast tight trails, though not mountain descents. I've taken spills with them, bent the handle bars, ripped off the rear shock switch. I've never had a single issue with the hydraulic brakes. What I like about this is them are so easy and quick, "1 finger brakes", it makes for a fun day, I do not worry about not being able to stop exactly as I want too.
On note: if you notice you are pulling further, change the pads, they are cheap and you don't risk wearing through them.
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.