Brake disc upgrade.

[BLACKPANTHER]

Today I finally got around to fitting the front 185mm avid BB7 disc brake that I bought over a month ago! I haven't been in a rush as I've not used the Aurora lately as my knee has not played up in ages, (I had an MRI scan on it a couple of weeks ago, appointment next month to see if I need an op on it.)

I'm possibly the least experienced on this forum when it comes to bicycle maintenance, but what could go wrong? Take of the old 160mm rotor, tick. Fit the new 185mm rotor, tick, remove crappy standard brakes, tick, fit new BB7 brakes, tick. It's all going so well, and I'm feeling pretty smug. However, when setting up the brakes, they wouldn't release. I assumed it was the callipers, but after a bit of head scratching, and maybe the odd curse, I noticed that a wire on the cable was broken, which was stopping the brake lever from springing back when released. A trip to my local bike shop, and £1.80 later I'm back in business. I've never replaced a cable before, but WooHoo, fitted it no problem. Job done, smugness returns! Et Voila!

I've not ridden it yet as it's piddling it down, so I'll try an get a test ride in tomorrow.

In true 'freecycle' spirit, if anyone near Doncaster wants a barely used (300 miles) 160mm rotor for free, I have no use for it.
I must admit though I'm thinking of selling the Aurora. I started cycling last March for fitness and I like to work up a bit of a sweat. Plus, I prefer the higher top speed of my trusty non electric town bike. I'm thinking of selling it and buying a road bike!!!

 

[nbmk]

Be good to hear how you get on with those as the front brake on my aurora is useless despite all my efforts to adjust it.

 

[BLACKPANTHER]

Be good to hear how you get on with those as the front brake on my aurora is useless despite all my efforts to adjust it.

The standard brakes just don't have the stopping power for such a heavy bike. I tried to adjust them, but one of the adjuster screws was very stiff. When I took it out, it was apparent that it had been threaded when factory assembled!

I've just been for a spin around the block and wasn't expecting much as it will take quite a few stops for them to bed in. Surprisingly though, they are already a marked improvement over the standards. When fully settled in, I'm sure the up-sized rotor will perform excellently. I'm leaving the back standard brake though, as it's quite capable of locking up already.

 

[jbond]

Be good to hear how you get on with those as the front brake on my aurora is useless despite all my efforts to adjust it.

Same, same. The performance and braking ability is ok, but I find it very difficult to adjust it so that it doesn't drag and making an annoying ting, ting, ting noise. I also find the pads wear fast enough to have to keep adjusting the slack too often.

I'm undecided whether to
- Live with it
- Switch to V-Brakes
- Replace the caliper and/or the disk.

 

[BLACKPANTHER]

Same, same. The performance and braking ability is ok, but I find it very difficult to adjust it so that it doesn't drag and making an annoying ting, ting, ting noise. I also find the pads wear fast enough to have to keep adjusting the slack too often.

I'm undecided whether to
- Live with it
- Switch to V-Brakes
- Replace the caliper and/or the disk.

I'd have thought that with the weight, you'd soon wear down your rims if you were a high mileage Aurora rider, and I'm not sure if V-Brakes would stop the beast in the wet?
For £47.95 (inc p&p) for the full disk brake set from chain reaction cycles Avid BB7 Mechanical Disc Brake 2011 | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com I thought they were a complete bargain. I'm not sure why the 185s are so much cheaper than the 160s (160s are £63.99!), but what an excuse for an upgrade.

For an extra 4 quid there's a 203mm set, but I'm not sure the cheapish forks could take it!

 

[jbond]

Do you think there's much difference between the BB5 and BB7? Though it looks like the BB5 is only available as a 160mm

 

[Streethawk]

I quite like the brakes on my Aurora... looks like i'm alone though. Must've got lucky.

 

[BLACKPANTHER]

I quite like the brakes on my Aurora... looks like i'm alone though. Must've got lucky.

My bike tends to be loaded up with work gear/snap/waterproofs/tools etc when I use it, and I weigh 12&1/2 stone, so maybe you're a bit lighter? It's not that they're 'bad' brakes, just hard to set up so they run silently. The BB7s have 2 adjuster knobs to adjust, and always line up perfectly. Plus, like I said I had a threaded adjuster bolt so I suspect I'd have had to replace soon anyway. I also like the look of the bigger discs.......should I have gone even bigger?

I'm pretty sure I'll be selling the Aurora soon. Not that it's a bad bike, it's just that I haven't been using it enough to justify keeping it. I'm looking at road bikes at the mo.

 

[Streethawk]

My bike tends to be loaded up with work gear/snap/waterproofs/tools etc when I use it, and I weigh 12&1/2 stone, so maybe you're a bit lighter? It's not that they're 'bad' brakes, just hard to set up so they run silently. The BB7s have 2 adjuster knobs to adjust, and always line up perfectly. Plus, like I said I had a threaded adjuster bolt so I suspect I'd have had to replace soon anyway. I also like the look of the bigger discs.......should I have gone even bigger?

I'm pretty sure I'll be selling the Aurora soon. Not that it's a bad bike, it's just that I haven't been using it enough to justify keeping it. I'm looking at road bikes at the mo.

Nope, i'm 16 stone and also carry a lot. Tools, laptop, change of clothes, huge u-lock.

The brakes on my Aurora are nearly as good as the Avid Juicy hydraulics on my MTB, they only really lose out on feel, not power.

Be careful with road-bikes, they can be very uncomfortable for daily use. I sold mine for that reason.

 

[Cyclezee]

I can personally recommend Clarks hydraulic discs to anyone thinking of an upgrade. I think are excellent value also from Chain Reaction Clarks S2 Hydraulic Disc Brake | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com.

I found new sets of 185mm front and rear on eBay a while back for £59 including postage. I fitted them to my Ezee Forza which has dual batteries and is often used to pull a Bob Yak trailer laden with shopping, so good stopping power is essential.

J hn

 

[John L]

I can personally recommend Clarks hydraulic discs to anyone thinking of an upgrade. I think are excellent value also from Chain Reaction Clarks S2 Hydraulic Disc Brake | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com.

John

I recently bought a Clarks mechanical disc brake set (CMD 8) which work better than the v-brakes but I'm a little disappointed (a bit spongy). Still they were only £17.99 so no great loss and I've learned about disc brakes.

Later in the year when the budget allows I might give the S2s a go.

John

 

[BLACKPANTHER]

Be careful with road-bikes, they can be very uncomfortable for daily use. I sold mine for that reason.

Back in the day, I rode a Carlton Criterium. It could hit over 35 mph down hill. Scary stuff. Now though, I just want something that's a bit less effort for the odd fast ride, and for commuting in the summer. My hybrid Dawes is really comfortable for a work hack......I just yearn for that top end speed at times.

 

[jbond]

I finally got fed up with endlessly adjusting the Aurora front brake and did a search for low prices on Avid disks. Found this.
Avid BB7 Mechanical Disc Brake (MTB) £41.49)
Avid BB7 180 F/R MTB for only £39.99

Fitted it last night. It took me a couple of gos to get it adjusted just right so I didn't get brake squeal. Now I have a brake that is silent and free running, great power and modulation, and it will even pull stoppies with the Aurora despite all that weight of the motor and battery stuck out the back. Awesome and highly recommended upgrade.

 

[GSol]

After a few months riding the Aurora and constant adjustment being needed on the brakes, I am going to buy a new set of mechanical disc brakes. How are the ones mentioned in the above posts doing?
Or anyone have any recommendations for my Aurora? I'm seeing all sorts for sale from £20 to £200.
Is there a benefit in upgrading to 180mm from 160mm?
Any advice appreciated...
G

 

[jbond]

Very happy with my Avid BB7 180mm on the front. It just works. I've stuck with the original brake on the back as it works well enough. The main thing is it's still quiet.

 

[flecc]

We've got a number of members who've highly praised the Avid BB7, it seems to be very reliable and the most popular mechanical disc brake.

 

[Caph]

Or anyone have any recommendations for my Aurora? I'm seeing all sorts for sale from £20 to £200.
Is there a benefit in upgrading to 180mm from 160mm?
Any advice appreciated...
G

My only recommendation would be to not scrimp on your front brake. I'm not saying break the bank but I'd really avoid getting cheap unbranded (or even cheap branded) just to save a few quid. From what I've read you can get some pretty poor disk brakes. Also, don't forget that not all disk brakes can be adjusted from both sides which can be important for getting a perfect fit and maximum stopping ability.

The only reason I changed from 160mm to 185mm was because I had to due to a change in motor. 160mm was fine, but then so is the 185mm!

 

[Blew it]

After a few months riding the Aurora and constant adjustment being needed on the brakes, I am going to buy a new set of mechanical disc brakes. How are the ones mentioned in the above posts doing?
Or anyone have any recommendations for my Aurora? I'm seeing all sorts for sale from £20 to £200.
Is there a benefit in upgrading to 180mm from 160mm?
Any advice appreciated...
G

Avid BB7 calipers are excellent, and so easy to set up with their three axis self alignment. One of my machines has a 185mm on the front, but it isn't really needed. The other two machines have 160's front and rear, and they will both put you over the handlebars if applied too hard.

Be aware, some hub flanges will not accept an Avid rotor, for this reason I just replace the calipers and retain the existing rotors.

The reasons for the increase in stopping power are two-fold. The actuators are well engineered and remain smooth in operation for many years. Compare that to the usual Promax, Zoom, Jac and others which become very notchy after just one year. The other reason is the size of the pads. For instance, the Promax pads are the same size as my thumb-nail, the Avid pads are twice that size. A bonus, is the ready availability of replacement Avid pads, even Halfords stock them.

They don't need to be expensive either, I've just had a pair of BB7 calipers, complete with front and rear adapters sent up from Hong Kong by air-mail for £46, delivered in five days from ordering.

Seems like I was lucky at that price, as most of the current listings on Ebay are a little more expensive, but include 160mm rotors. If you keep a close eye on the listings, you will find they change daily, just be quick and grab 'em when they pop up.

SEARCH AVID BB7 ON EBAY

 

[GSol]

Thanks for all the advice guys... I think I'll order the Avid BB7 set within the next few days. Will see what the best price is that I can get the full set for...
Hope the rear fits easily enough.

 

[Scottyf]

The Avid BB7 seem to get very very good reviews on most review sites also.
There actually easier to adjust than my Shimano M595 Brakes as you don't need an Hex Key (Alan key) to adjust the pads.

The Disk pads do need quite a bit of movement to keep them working plush. I must adjust mine once every two weeks. But the braking power on a 160mm disk is pretty good. They'd easily lock up or throw me over.

I would like to upgrade now I have new forks to a larger 180mm or maybe 203mm disk. Just becasue I can.



Off topic but I have jsut about got through my first set of pads on the front. I've ridden 2-3 months maybe (Upgraded when I brought a new front wheel) covered around 1500miles I guess.
They don't seem to last all that long. But maybe I've been hard on them.

Anyone else give some rough figures of how quickly there going through pads?
Obviously when I ride unassisted I hardly use the brakes, ebikes eat through pads due to the extra weight and speed it seems.