[Closed] Best value disk brakes

I found the Tiagras on my cheapish winter gravel bike to be very good, if a little large at the hoods.

Clarks hydros are ridiculously good value.

I might have some unused old style deore brakes if interested?

I've just installed a set of those Clarkes M2 brakes on my daughters bike.

£22.34 per end, complete.

My only gripe is that the hoses are very long so required a bit of looping to make them fit without shortening them. I don't have the tools for shortening them.

I might have some unused old style deore brakes if interested?

Could well be interested, not fussed about having the latest kit

Deores are hard to beat. Work well. Plenty powerful. Price fluctuates quite a bit so shop around for a deal.

My only gripe is that the hoses are very long so required a bit of looping to make them fit without shortening them. I don’t have the tools for shortening them.

Mine came with a spare set of olives for shortening. Didn't need any special tools really, except I bodged the bleed with some syringes and tube.

Deore +1

Just look for the mountainbike ones with the shorter lever (looks like the SLX/XT/XTR lever) not the touring ones (with the really long 2-finger levers).

The Clarkes ones use Shimano pattern pads too, so double win. I changed from basic shimano's to these on my single speed, much better, the old ones had the leaky calipers problem.

Mine came with a spare set of olives for shortening. Didn’t need any special tools really, except I bodged the bleed with some syringes and tube.

If you do it like this describes you don't need to bleed:

https://epicbleedsolutions.com/blogs/guides/shorten-shimano-hoses-without-bleeding

The M2's are excellent BTW - we have fitted dozens on to customer bikes with no issues. The M3's not so good, the M4's superb.

Clarks +4 I've put them on everything that isn't a proper mtb. Actually I did use them on my Ragley HT for a while.

I mean, they really are as good as a great disc brake from a few years back.

I would love to keep using Deore, but I've been scuppered by the leaking seals sooo many times. I just bought the O ring replacement pack from ebay, to try and repair a few sets of leaking callipers. Because ideally I'd love to stop chucking so much stuff out...

You can get spares for the Clarks too - my daughter bent a lever, got a new one for a fiver.

I don't think they are spot on for power like XT or Hope but for general use they are great.

Interesting, I'm about to bin my 4th set of Shimano SLX brakes, well this 4th set (actually 3rd set but new calipers) and the rear has started squealing, that's quite a bit of £'s down the drain so looking for something else now. I replaced on my other bikes with Deore M615 and they've been spot on, no problems but sure they were about £50 a set when I got those - front and rear. I've got an old pair of M525 that were on a 2004 Enduro and they're still going strong, makes me wonder what Shimano have done with their new stuff to be so unreliable ... anyway

So, where can you get these Clarks brakes? Looking for M4 and M2 and only places seem to be ebay, no M4s anywhere, anyone got any links?

Also, if the M2's use shimano pads - which ones?

I'm also wondering if I can get some cheaper Shimano's - M315, or similar, and just use the calipers from these and plug them straight into my SLX levers?

M2 from Halfords. Running one on my hard tail and one on my daughter's bike. Really impressed with them.

Gotta agree with the comments about the Clarks M2s.

I've ran a set in my BFe for a while and they haven't missdled a beat. Even taken them to Wharncliffe and I lived!

Very impressed with them for the money. The M2s are now going onto my good lady's bike to replace some leaky old Juicys and I think I'll try and pick up some of the M4s.

Been hunting for m4s since seeing v positive reviews. No one online seems to have them?

Clarks too recommendation come with disk rotors too. Super value and quality. I think the pads are not that good but easy to change.

JeZ

I queried M4 availability with Clarks directly, and apparently should be available in May.

I've been waiting on the M4s since I first saw them last autumn!

I got some oem grey mkt low end shimanos that are below deore and they are great. Very cheap.

2nd hand Hope.

Couple of days ago a full set of Tech V2's for 65 quid buy it now. Fair condition i thought.

Monos, the black ones are also very good and what you should note is that all of these cheap, yet competent disc brakes have never been on winning bikes.
Not seen doing the rounds everyone gets a shot.
2nd hand hope and service it yourself.

New and cheap are just cheap, and you get what you pay for always.
You life depends utterly on your brakes. Skimp there and no sympathy should they not stop you in time.

Yep been looking at 2nd hand hope also as have hope on other bikes but prices are strong for anything that’s not ancient. Think you’re being a bit melodramatic. There must be a CE Mark I’d think before brakes can be sold to ensure a degree of quality.

I had no idea that kit had to have been used on "winning bikes" to be any good. I also didn't know people were that gullible 🙂

Having seen the brakes up close there is nothing really different about them with any other cheap brake. As said, they aren't top end performance (probably due to stock pads) but they are fine for general use.

By your logic dyna-ti cyclists on cheap bikes would be dying like flies all over the country and yet they aren't.

OMG my cheap deore brakes haven't won a downhill, xc or endure world championship, I'm clearly going to die 😂😂

Actually thinking about it I don't think my car has won an F1 race or Le Mans. Better pop down to McLaren and see if they have a spare pare of stoppers that will fit.

Think some people are being a bit melodramatic.

Yep that's nonsense. XT is not safer than Deore, price and brand name are no guarantee of safety (or quality in many instances) and anybody who has snapped a Hope crank, and there are many will tell you that.

You pay big bucks you get nice stuff but you can deck out a £149 Scandal with Clark's, brand X and cheap plastic Nukeproof pedals and you still have a safe and very capable mountain bike with which a good rider will whip the arse of a less good one in  a winning manner.

I do draw the line at chinese no name carbon parts though....

cheap, yet competent disc brakes have never been on winning bikes.

Sponsored riders get free equipment from manufacturers, who want to showcase their high-end technology. I have no doubt that XT and XTR level stuff is better than Deore, but I think you'd find that pros would still be blindingly fast on a bike with a full Deore level groupset.

cheap, yet competent disc brakes have never been on winning bikes.
Not seen doing the rounds everyone gets a shot.

Wow! There's going to be a lot of people selling their brakes to upgrade to ones that are winning and will stop you dying 🙄

I was just pointing out the benefits of what started off as top end brakes. less to the enviroment by recycling, keeps small businesses going, gives riders somewhere to sell theior older brakes. but hey ho, we can only suggest.
that must be why erverybody ive ever seen on a bike is sporting £150 a side brakes. Yup cheap is fine which is why so many riders use them 8)

Here, why not scope this lot out you guys.

im sure you'll see them all with 30 quid brakes

😆 be sensible, they're cheap because they're crap.

I expect thats why none of you use XTR or XO 😉

they’re cheap because they’re crap.

The low-end hydros I've tried have been mediocre rather than crap. Mediocre means middling, so not terrible, but not superb either. They function just fine, better than any rim brakes I've ever used. Fine for commuting or moderate trail riding. With 8" rotors and decent pads, they are noticeably improved. Much better than crap and good value for money.

they’re cheap because they’re crap.

Yea, but........nope.

The difference between Deore and XT generally seems to be the deore levers come covered in blanking caps and things screwed into holes. the XT ones come with little plastic adjusters that get snapped off.

Same with calipers, XTR varies by year, sometimes they do something novel and include some titanium hardware, others it's just the same SLX/XT caliper, polished.

I've run Deore brakes for years, they're exactly the same in use as the XT's they replaced.

The XTR's the XT's replaced before that blew up (master cylinder seal went pop) . So, errrr, yea...........

Tektro Drakos are about M2 level as well, I'm a badass so I have them and I hate my wife so I stuck the M2s on her bike.

Dyna-ti - missing the MBUK forums are you?

So I've had cable non branded cable pull disks on my singlespped no gnar bike for years and managed not to die to death, yet.

Went for the Clarkes M2, ordered yesterday. If I die once I've fitted them I'll let you know.

Another vote for Clark M2 brake here as well, bought them a spare set for when my shimano brakes inevitably broke (deore, slx and XT...all rubbish) so ended up running them on my main bike for well over a year.

It would be worth getting the bigger rotors as they arnt the most powerful as others have said but still powerful enough, riding at FOD, including uplift days and felt they were more than adequate.

One thing to watch is the stock brake pads arn't great, I have had two instances where the actual pad material as fallen off from the metal backing plate which I only noticed when I heard the metal on metal braking sound. Even factoring in a set of new braked pads they are still good value IMO.

I have had two instances where the actual pad material as fallen off from the metal backing plate

I had that happen with some Hayes HFXs, which, to be fair, were on an old bike that was parked up in a badly sheltered spot for a couple of years.

Amazingly most of the Carreras, Hardrocks and basic Treks that we've fitted the Clarke brakes to are not being used for the Megavalanche. They are being used to bimble round the woods with the kids where the brakes are more than adequate. In the same way that I don't have 300mm carbon Brembos on my Toyota estate to go to Tescos.

M6000's. with 180mm rotors F&R.

I have no problem blowing money on upgrades but never felt the need to mess with the brakes bar swapping out the rear 160mm rotor.

what you should note is that all of these cheap, yet competent disc brakes have never been on winning bikes.

You totally convinced me. I had a set of 4-pot Saints sitting in my spare parts box that I bought used for my suspension bike, but the rear hose was too short. I figured I'd put them on my hardtail to replace the basic Deore 2-pots, but never got round to it. Finally did it, and the difference was amazing. Did my usual detour on the way to work, 16 minute climb and short descent, ending just behind work. Only about 10 seconds off my best time on the climb and did some awesome skids on the way down. About 30 seconds slower on the descent than with the Deores, so they definitely slow you down more. Can't wait to go out again and do some more big skids, really feel like a champ now that I've got brakes that people won't laugh at.

My wife has the cheaper deore brakes (with the enormous, touring style levers) on her 20kg ebike.
I have xt on mine, both bikes have 180mm discs fr and rr.
I’ll be honest, as an experienced rider, I would struggle to notice a difference between the 2 sets of brakes. Xt levers are nicer tho.
Id go with cheapish brakes, decent pads (if the originals are actually crap) and bigger rotors.
I’ve been riding mountain bikes for more than 30 years, even crap discs are effin brilliant.
Imo, clarkes are absolutely fine. A mate uses a set of their cable pull ones, he’s still alive.

I got some oem grey mkt low end shimanos that are below deore and they are great. Very cheap.

I have those on my commuter. Over 5 years old, never bled, never leaked, reasonably powerful. Of course, I don't descend Alpe d'Huez on my way to work 😉

I would struggle to notice a difference between the 2 sets of brakes. Xt levers are nicer tho

Yes, that bite-point adjustment screw is worth it just so that when you get bored, you can wind it in and out and try and figure out what the hell it actually does.

I was asking about the Clarks M4 availability for my son's bike that has knackered avids on it.....Dyna-ti - we're obviously struggling with confinement together more than I thought if I'm considering subjecting him to non-avalanche winning brakes ;->

The Clarkes M2's arrived, only had time to fit the front before heading out and I thought that would be for the best and retaining old rear brake mitigated risk of cheap front brake failing. Rode round the woods and didn't kill myself or any baby robins. Might live dangerously and fit rear brake tomorrow as well.

Very impressed with build quality and feel.

4 year old SLX still going strong here, bled with LMH fluid and no problems.

.Dyna-ti – we’re obviously struggling with confinement together more than I thought ;->

Sorry if ive caused offence, was only trying to help 🙂
Anyway, back to cheap brakes.

Hope you get on with them ok M8, be good if you could do a review in a bit, technology has moved on and certainly filtered down to the lower end and I admit you do get a bit horse blinded on some products, especially as it's arguably the most important part of the bike. From a safety point of view.
Had a scenario where lost both brakes going into a really busy junction in Glasgow, under the flyover at kinningpark(for those that know, from Scotland st. That was by far the worst experience ive ever had.
My own fault, id left the safety clips off and the pads worked out. But just the not having brakes isnt anything id ever want anyone's kid to face so only now buy the best brake I can, even though it was not the brake and my own fault the fear of it happening because of anything just means i feel the need to stick to that i know I can rely on, and that 2nd hand I feel is still better brake than new cheap.

Our world is full of what is universally now known as the BSO. All of which passed UK safety tests before ending up for sale in argos, catalogs and probably Halfords., but still fall apart within weeks. I'm sure ive read reports in here about them being deliberately tested and found to be a complete joke.

Had a scenario where lost both brakes going into a really busy junction in Glasgow...My own fault, id left the safety clips off and the pads worked out.

LMAO. Buying expensive brakes won't help if your brakes pads fall out because you didn't fit them properly. If you watch videos of Megavalanche, you'll notice that none of the front runners had their brake pads falling out. There is absolutely no safety problem with entry level brakes if they are fitted properly and given routine maintenance.

Would be safer to buy cheap brakes and put the change towards having them professionally fitted and checked, especially if there's any history of spannering incompetence.

I rode the mega on am slx-braked bike. Didn't die, and the brakes were not a limiting factor by a long way, it's not particularly hard on the brakes compared to a lot of alpine riding

I rode the mega on am slx-braked bike. Didn’t die

Unless they still work when the brake pads fall out because you forgot to fit them properly, your experience doesn't count.