I ride a Charge Cooker hardtail 29er. I weigh in at 97-100kg depending on self-restraint!
The Avid elixir 1 with 160mm rotors front and rear came as standard along with a X5/X7 SRAM mix.
I am new to both SRAM and AVID, happy with both, especially love the reassuring click of the SRAM gears.
My skill level and experience of disc brakes was zilch until I bought this bike. I was constantly locking up the rear on the loose stuff and could not believe the power of them. I am using the bike more and more in preference to the roadie on the night hill rides as it carries the bigger lights and gearing is better suited to lazy days! It also helps stop me constantly switching night gear over between bikes.
Have had brake fade once, but the bike was new and I was new to the bike and thought nothing of it, perhaps bedding in or us just getting used to each other. Then on Friday night I went down the razorback from Montville to Palmwoods and went lever to bar on the rear with the front getting close too, not fun as we were still near the top. I do not cover the brakes either I am on or off, surprised how quickly it came about. Bike has covered about 200k’s, of that perhaps 70k’s is in fast decent. Averaging around 50-75kph on twisty tarmac roads with average distance down being 8k’s.
My thoughts are to go 180 front and rear using the AVID HS rotors + calliper adjustment kit. As it’s not really a DIRT bike more fire roads and up to grade 3 single track. I am also weather sympathetic and ride to conditions, so if the bike is wet and covered in mud, I expect a loss of stopping power.
My local knowledge squad say scrap the AVID go Shimano XT M785. LBS says Magura…
Weight of brakes is not important, price $200-$300 upgraditis does not concern/ frighten me as much as a crash
Over to you, my peers !
