Anyone know anything about disc brakes?

Helpful........

Yeah, I mean, I was hinting that pretty much every adapter I've ever seen has gone up a size, or kept the same size, but never gone down a size...

Binning the Meta is a good idea.

You need something like a Trigger or a Habbit by the sounds of things.

Who posted the link to trp spyres to buy in UK the other day? @andy_k ?

Possibly @Pete4Eyes when they had the 17% discount at Wiggle?

They're in stock at the distributor (Upgrade Bikes) so most LBS should be able to get hold of them

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/trp-spyre-mechanical-disc-brake-caliper/

Okay so this is bizarre, but it works! Hong Kong based supplier selling Avid BB7 full set (front/rear and discs) in AUCTION!! I bought a set last week, paid £32 posted. And it's UK stock, they must be warehousing it here, got them in 4 days.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=351577481344&isNewKw=1&mfs=GOCLK&acimp=0&trksid=m2428.l1313.TR0.TRC0.X351577481344&sqp=351577481344

Can anyone tell me what the rules are with mixing and matching calipers and rotors? Specifically, will Shimano RS685 calipers work with Avid HSX rotors? I've tried googling but am mostly getting MTB related stuff and no consensus on whether it's be an issue, just mentions of some pads being wider than some rotors.

IF the rotor is std steel one then ima take a gamble and say it'll work.

Only thing to bare in mind is that some callipers (old school Hope springs to mind) will be designed for a proprietary sized rotor or 165 or 203mm rather than 160/200mm.

Ah ok, just spotted some Avid 140mm centerlock rotors on planetx for a tenner apiece, thought that might work out cheaper than buying Shimano's ones to pair up with the RS685 setup for my new bike. Steel with alu spider it seems so might give it a try. Got a while to decide as I'm still waiting for someone to stock the frame I want.

I have used avid hs1 160mm rotors with shimano calipers with no problems.
hs1 is the non-floating version of hsx

Thanks @svendhöek ! I've bought a couple of pairs. Should last me a while...

I'm planning on buying a new bike, mainly it will be used for Audax and long distance riding. Discs are a definite in whatever I buy, but I am struggling to decide between hydraulic vs mechanical discs.

Initially I was thinking I would go hydraulic as everything suggests they are superior in terms of efficiency, however I am put off by the fact if anything went wrong and I was somewhere remote, or it was during the night I would probably struggle to effect a repair. Whereas with mechanical I guess I have a better chance?

Mechanical would probably offer me far better breaking than I am used to with rim brakes anyway so would be a definite improvement?

The main benefit of disk brakes over rims are no more foul black gunk all over your frame in the wet and rims that will last for ever and you don't need to worry about them getting a bit out of true if you have a bash.

The fabled "awesome in the wet" depends if the wet has a load of diesel and lubricants mixed in the spray hitting the discs IME. My disc brakes lose power as soon as they get a bit of road spray on them.

In the dry my CX75 mech disc vs. Ultegra rim brakes are much of a muchness.

I have the same brakes as dubtap and agree with his comments. My 105 caliper brakes seem to have the same stopping power but my cantilever brakes are definitely inferior. The disc brake wins hands down in the mud though.

Unless you break down outside your garage or a bike shop I get the feeling with hydraulics there is little you can do. I could be wrong.

In order of best to worse;

• hydraulic
  
• cable pull (can be up with hydraulic with a decent set-up)
  
• cantilevers
  
• calipers
  
• your mom
  

I guess I need to look at my cantilevers then.

To be quite fair, they're tricky to fiddle to get the power.*

The easiest cantilevers I've found base on my experiences (and setting up customer's bikes) are the Shimano CX70 and Tektro CR-710.

*I find lowering the straddle helped, abet increase judder if you have a cable hanger on the steerer/stem

Thanks for the info, useful to know for the next purchase. Mine are Avid Shorty 4. the front in particle seems to have a lot of play between the bushing on the post and the brake arm.

Cantilevers can fuck right off.

Cantilevers are for slowing down not stoppping

That's bollocks, Ed. Calipers beat cantilevers all day long. I'd even put them above cable pull discs, which don't have the modulation of a well set up pair of calipers.

I'm getting my first bike with disc brakes tomorrow, so look forward to plenty of questions from me.

I don't think even modern day calipers is powerful enough, I forget to put Mini V which is definitely more powerful than cantilevers on the list.

I think it's best to says that calipers brake is the easiest to set up of them all which is why people get favourable result from it, and cantilevers (and cable pull disc) are the hardest.

Cantilevers can get to fuck.

And one more for the road please.

No more for the road or off it, they're crap, even the good ones are pretty bad.