[Closed] Best disc brakes for £250

I'm guessing you've got either guide or code brakes, and prefer the instant power of Shimano - should be able to get a set of M8120 4 piston XT brakes for around £250 with some googling.

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/shimano-xt-br-m8120-disc-brake-set-870538

Most powah on our bikes are MT5's. Amazingly powerful in a very controlled way. No faff apart from slightly fussy alignment of rotor as they have less clearance.

They have noticeably more power than XT 2-pot and Deore 4-pot, both of which are already a step up from Deore across three other bikes.

What do you have now? An 8" rotor and a bleed can often make a big difference, also sintered pads instead of organics.

If you like Shomano then see if you can find some Zee’s. Other than that try MT5’s or Code R’s.

MT5s are crazy value too

https://www.bike-components.de/en/Magura/MT5-Carbotecture-Front-and-Rear-Disc-Brake-Set-p45429/

^even cheaper here: https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/magura-mt5-disc-brake-set-528592?currency=3&delivery_country=190

Bear in mind Magura do a plethora of lever options.

1-finger (only seems to be in stock on the 2-pot rear 4-pot front option)

2-finger (on the 2x 4-pot option)

Ohh, that is sneaky. The 2-finger lever does look crap

Two questions on the Maguras, do you have to use Magura discs which I understand are thicker and how much of a faff are they to bleed?

I've just fitted a set of code r to my s150s. Very very impressed with them.

Ohh, that is sneaky. The 2-finger lever does look crap

There's a review of the differences if you search on the front page.

TL-DR : shorter lever gives more modulation, longer lever only really works with big hands, not really a surprise, but worth being aware of as the levers aren't cheap (cheaper than having to replace the entire lever body after a crash, but not so cheap I'd want to buy them as an immediate upgrade).

i've run them (mt5 with one finger levers, and mt trail sport) for a few years on two bikes, here are some thoughts.

the two finger lever is rubbish. bike discount are doing the one finger levers for 22 quid a pop. i'd recommend the magura rotors. its tough to get a good lever feel without them in my experience.

main downside with these is that the lever assembly is fragile. i've smashed one in a crash and buggered a thread on another. to be fair, the crash was a high speed, high impact affair, and might have destroyed any lever. keep in mind that rapid spare availability isn't great, as the German sites tend to have the best prices.

several upsides though that keep me going back to them. they're the most consistent brakes i've used. they have a large amount of power. at least as much as zee/saints, which i've also run extensively. modulation is very good, much better than zee/saint. so in terms of actually being good for braking, they deliver. pad life is acceptable. they use mineral oil, which i prefer to work with as its non-toxic and i don't have a garage (i.e. maintenance happens in my flat). bleeding is not too bad. like all brakes i've had, you figure it out once you've done it two or three times. full bleeding not routinely necessary - just a lever bleed every so often is what i've found keeps them running nicely. remember to remove lever bleed screw when pushing pistons back during a pad change to avoid blowing the seal. also - magnetic pads are ace. every brake should have these.

Cheers all.

I currently have Sram Guide R 4 pots with 200 / 180 mm discs.

I don't find them confident inspiring at all and they feel spongy .

I will have a look at both the Shimano and magura and see where we go from there.

Had Zees for ages, can't fault the power and price is usually keen. Modulation I found pretty good.
Now on hayes dominions, power is certainly, but delivered very differently than the zee. Bought them mainly for ergonomic reasons as the lever pull is lighter and that is indeed the case. The lever shape isn't quite as ideal for me as the zees were, but the feel makes up for that. Can be had for ok prices from Germany.

I don’t find them confident inspiring at all and they feel spongy .

Have you tried bleeding them?

I've had a few guides and they were briliant brakes I thought. For me the easiest to bleed and set up were hope e4s. The worst brake I ever had were some magura Mt5 or 7 I can't recall. Nasty cheap plastic lever bodies where I stripped a bleed screw even tho I was trying to be careful and a proper pita to bleed also they liked their own brake discs which upped the price of them. Never again for me even if they were 1/4 the price of everything else.

I currently have Sram Guide R 4 pots with 200 / 180 mm discs.

If you can, change the levers for some Guide RS/RSC/Ultimates... Makes a lot of difference! Power still isn't as immediate as Shimano, but there's more of it, and modulation in spades. The Guide R levers are a real weak point in an otherwise great brake IMO.

Or if you like Shimano, then get some MT520 4 pots... More modulation and power than the 2 pot brakes, not as on/off as Shimano's 2 pot brakes... Cheap too!

I've just put SLX 7120s on my HT and have Guide R on my FS.

Really liking the 7120s (210/180) and great value overall. (I actually do like the Guide R too, just a different feel.)

MT520s and Code RSC user here. Both stock on the bikes i have. Both have very similar, colossal amounts, of power. Ones more than half the cost of the other....

Bikebitz on Pinkbike has Saints for £250 at the moment

I've bought a few bits of him before (including saints) and they've been spot on

MT520s and cheaper brakes are fine but I know what I'd rather have on my bike running uplift all day

Well impressed with my Guide RE’s which were significantly cheaper than £250 new (£150 from memory).

Are you a big lad Renton? I found Guides would fade on long descents and I'm 77kg.

I have Zees and Codes R on my bikes now, would recommend either.

If buying new myself, I'd probably get Deore 4 pots.

Sram Code rsc all day long, massive power, totally reliable, never fade.

Forgot about Guide RE as a cheaper option. They have plenty of power - but the levers feel nowhere near as nice as the Code R’s I have - and the Code R’s are easier to bleed.

Erm yes to being a big lad.

I'm 115kgs with kit on. They feel well bled just don't feel powerful !

I noticed bike bits has magura mt7 kits at £285. Are they good ?

https://www.deporvillage.net/shimano-xt-m8120-4-pistons-post-mount-rear-break-disk

XT 4 pots latest version £114 an end.

I’ve just bought a second set of these for my single speed. I’m big And the work great for me.

They feel well bled

Feeling spongy suggests the opposite.

code rsc or if they're out of budget guide re.

My Cura 4’s have been great. Great modulation and power.

Feeling spongy suggests the opposite.

What I mean is that there is a lot of flex in the lever with very little improvement in brake performance.

renton - i think that MT7s have the same caliper as MT5s, but just with the fancier lever. you get the same thing for 100 quid less by getting the MT5s and levers as discussed above, and swapping levers, which is straightforward.

code rsc's seem very well regarded at the moment. must give them a try sometime.

If your bike spends any time on the car or you ride it on the road in the rain, I'd be tempted to remove the rotors and give them a damn good clean with brake cleaner or IPA and either do the same or fit new pads first.

You'd be surprised how much braking is improved by not having mildly contaminated pads and rotors.

If your levers are flexing (and they do!) then the new SLX and XT levers are supposed to be stiffer.

Ordered those MT5’s, Thanks

@renton In my experience the guide R feel horrible in comparison to RS. This is partly due to lever flex.

I settled on Shimano brakes on my 3 bikes having tried Hope, Formula, Hayes, Magura Louise. Bought a new bike last year that came with Magura MT5's. They are pretty amazing, ended up going down a rotor size at the back. Just bought the 1 finger levers which were straightforward to fit. Not tried them yet but I think they're gonna be much better. Magura rotors are 2mm thick and Shimano 1.8mm. Front rotor is Shimano but works ok.

Cheers.

Just ordered some mt5 to try !

Most powah on our bikes are MT5’s. Amazingly powerful in a very controlled way. No faff apart from slightly fussy alignment of rotor as they have less clearance.

They have noticeably more power than XT 2-pot and Deore 4-pot, both of which are already a step up from Deore across three other bikes.

MT5s are strong enough but so are most other brakes today and you can adjust strength with pad choice and rotor size. You get used to whatever modulation your brakes have quickly, not a big selling point IMO.

I was happy to sell mine: likely to squeak due to the double pad config, narrow pad spacing prone to rubbing (more more than Shimano), weak plastic levers, super weak plastic bar clamps (cracked one), also had problems with stuck pistons, 1 finger lever is expensive. Their rotors are good though.

The worst brake I ever had were some magura Mt5

Amen.

Got TRP Slate 4 (basically SLX 4 pot without servo wave) and they've been a dream in comparison - set and forget, superb lever feel. Uses Shimano pads. I'd go Shimano (or TRP if you can find em for cheap). https://www.pinkbike.com/news/trp-slate-t4-brake-review.html

I've heard of a few people using shimano levers with MT5 calipers; should negate most of the issues people find with magura. Not tried it myself mind, so it might be rubbish.

Also MT5 levers flex at least the 2 finger ones ick, my favorite levers are the TRP ones designed with a lot of input from Aaron Gwin allegedly.