Let's offroad / mountain bike / mtb / ride dirt

I've entered the Southern Enduro Mashup at QECP. Meant to be a nice fun event and hopefully restrictions will be low enough by then that beers after followed by camping will be possible.

https://southernenduro.co.uk/events/southern-enduro-mashup-2-qecp-bike-park

@Dammit - presumably the brake was centered so possibly sticky pistons causing the uneven pad wear (and poor performance)?

It's fine going that way round. Plus they're clean aren't they?

I've entered the Southern Enduro Mashup at QECP. Meant to be a nice fun event and hopefully restrictions will be low enough by then that beers after followed by camping will be possible.

https://southernenduro.co.uk/events/sout­hern-enduro-mashup-2-qecp-bike-park

I wanted to do this, but it's a) my brothers birthday and b) I have a training session in FOD during the day, which I suspect is God telling me I don't get to go.

@Dammit - presumably the brake was centered so possibly sticky pistons causing the uneven pad wear (and poor performance)?

I built the bike, and I'm sure I would have centred it when I built it, but I'd need to double check that - the quality of my mechanic work does, I admit, experience a sharp drop off when it gets late and I get tired.

It's fine going that way round. Plus they're clean aren't they?

As clean as my dishwasher can make them. I'm tempted to take the sintered pads out of the MT7's and put the Uber Bike "Race Matrix" pads in, as the full metal pads are (I suspect) unlikely to get hot enough on the stuff I ride at the moment, in the current weather.

I was thinking to put them back in if/when I get to go to the Alps later this year.

Probably best to listen to God in these instances

Stealing this

I run 3 sets of the same brakes and swap the wheels around the bikes depending on where I'm riding. The pads are a mix of uber race matrix and sram sintered.

Ideally rotors would be used with the pads they were bedded in with but when I swap wheels and rotors around I rarely notice any difference in braking due to the rotors and pads being mixed up.
Worst case scenario they don't bite quite as much then back to full power after one run on the uplift.

I can't believe you actually put the rotors through the dishwasher, I thought you were joking.
Did they come out squeaky clean?

Pad wise, I find once pads are contaminated that's them completely fucked and no amount of black magic gets them back to normal. Less hassle to buy a new set than mess about with a blow torch or putting them in the oven etc

I still reckon you should ditch the mt7's and get codes. Dibs mt7's if/when you do.

get codes

🤮

Who are you training with?

God.

I run three sets, all excellent, huge amount of power, very easy bleed process and can be rebuilt with piston/seal kits 🤷‍♂️

Who are you training with?

Pro Ride MTB.

I can't believe you actually put the rotors through the dishwasher, I thought you were joking.

Did they come out squeaky clean?

They did seem to, but I've not ridden either of the bikes since so I don't know if it's cured the issue.

Basically the braking went to shit whenever I hosed the bike down, and it's never returned to what it was like before winter on either bike. I imagine I was washing off the layer of pad material that had gone onto the rotor, and maybe spreading wet-lube from the chain onto the pads from the hose. IDK, but it's annoying and I'm determined to fix it.

Cool.

Was asking because a guy (ex Welsh DH champ) who I booked training with a while ago and turns out he lives round the corner from me does a lot of coaching up there, just wondering if it was him.

I imagine I was washing off the layer of pad material that had gone onto the rotor

The way I understand it is that the layer of pad material that transfers on to the rotor during bed in process is almost microscopic and sort of baked on to the surface. I'm not sure it could be removed from the rotor with a hose even close up.

For what it's worth, I wash my bikes with the garden hose after every ride and never had it cause braking issues. Is it a pressure washer you're using?

I think pad contamination is the likely culprit. Indeed even a tiny amount of chain lube etc will ruin the pads. It's also worth looking in at the pistons to check there's no small leak causing brake fluid to contaminate the pads.
I bled a set of brakes numerous times, changed pads, sanded rotors and cleaned with disc break cleaner only to realise a leaky piston was the problem.

I'd buy new sets of pads and even after the rotors have been through the dish washer still give them a clean with muc off disc brake cleaner. I'm not convinced the dishwasher won't have left a residue on the rotors.

Moving back to actually riding bikes.. I've had two quick rides on new Stif after work. I'm assuming rain and mud will do a good job in bedding in the new pads!
Coming from an ebay special single speed inbred '26, the Stif feels like a completely different type of bike. First time I've ridden tubeless, with gears (mtb), big wheels, wide bars, dropper etc.
The only thing that I don't like is how shit the changes on a 1X feel compared with 2X10 Ultegra.
The inevitable big chute beckons..

I think pad contamination is the likely culprit. Indeed even a tiny amount of chain lube etc will ruin the pads. It's also worth looking in at the pistons to check there's no small leak causing brake fluid to contaminate the pads.

Well, both bikes will have brand new pads and freshly scrubbed rotors, lets see if that works or whether Tarty Bikes was correct and once used with contaminated pads you should bin the rotors and start totally from new.

once used with contaminated pads you should bin the rotors and start totally from new.

Ha! I strongly disagree with that. I suspect tarty bikes are looking to sell some rotors.

But seriously, it's complete bollox. I've never had to bin a rotor due to contamination. ipa/muc off brake cleaner will sort

I think there may be a degree of horses for courses there - Tarty Bikes specialise in trials bikes, where the brakes have to work instantly and powerfully every single time, and they'll never get the heat in them that a mountain bike brake will see which might burn out any crap.

Or they could have been lining me up for six new Magura rotors, it is true. I didn't get that feeling though, FWIW.

Don’t believe that’s true.

I was once very stupidly working on my Capra in the stand and my cross bike with discs was leaning up behind it.
I had just cleaned it so was lubing the chain and spraying some silicon polish on the fork/shock/dropper stanchions.

When I next used the cross bike and the rear brake didn’t bite in the slightest I realised what I’d foolishly done.

Removed the pads and disc, blasted the calliper with disc brake cleaner, scrubbed with a scourer and fitted new pads. Worked just fine after bedding them in.

I've had the odd rotor that just won't clean up, new pads and rotor and all is well, usually IPA, sandpaper and a new rag will sort it out though, mostly it's not worth trying to save pads.

Only IPA? Lager or stout won't work?